The TURC Experience

Intensive, mentored research, and creative endeavor are at the heart of the TURC experience.

Through close work with a faculty mentor, either as part of a larger team or in one-on-one partnership, TURC Scholars have the opportunity to become fully participating members of their chosen field at an early stage of their education. Scholars learn research methods or creative practice by doing. With the guidance of faculty mentors, participants conduct original and intellectually significant research within their various disciplines. They present papers at national conferences, write articles with their co-investigators that are published in academic journals, give exhibits and performances for creative work, and initiate service projects with a broad and meaningful impact on the community.

Over the quarter-century of this program’s existence, many TURC scholars have moved on from the program to be offered prestigious internships, win nationally competitive fellowships, earn advanced degrees in elite graduate programs, or pursue exciting, successful careers in academia, government, and industry.

How TURC Works

The first step for students interested in participating in TURC is looking through the project directory to identify any that you would be interested in. For those projects, you should get in touch with the faculty mentor to talk about their research and learn more about if/how you can get involved. If it is a good match, you will need to formally ask the faculty mentor for a position in their lab by February 7.

The professors will pass along their list of students to the TURC director who will then determine how many students are able to receive stipends based on the number of students and available funds.

After they are admitted to the program, TURC Scholars commit to a summer of intensive research or to sustained research over the academic year. All TURC Scholars either receive a stipend to provide them with financial support for the duration of their project, or earn course credits for their research studies.

TURC Scholars awarded a stipend for the summer of 2025 will receive $3,000, for which they are expected to complete 200 hours of research and 20 hours of community service. TURC Scholars awarded a stipend for the 2025-26 academic year will receive $2,000 ($1,000 each semester), for which they are expected to complete 133 hours of research and 13 hours of community service

Students pursuing TURC research for academic credit are expected to complete approximately 50 hours of mentored research and 5 hours of community service for each credit hour they are enrolled in.

TURC Scholars awarded a summer stipend, who wish to pursue their research full-time over the summer, have the option of combining their stipend commitment with an enrollment in academic credits of TURC study, in order to complete additional hours of research.

President Carson has authorized complimentary summer tuition for TURC courses if students are accepted into the TURC program. In other words, students participating in TURC for academic credit hours over the summer will not be charged tuition for these credit hours.

Summer TURC Scholars also are eligible for a discount on summer housing, whether they are on stipend or enrolled in course credit. For students participating in the TURC program during the Summer 2025 sessions, the university is offering a $750 discount for on-campus housing for both summer sessions. Students participating for the entire summer will receive a total of $1,500 in housing discounts. Please note that full housing charges will be applied to your student account, and the discount will be processed as a scholarship from financial aid. This discount is only applicable to on-campus housing at The University of Tulsa and cannot be used for off-campus accommodations.

In general, the TURC Summer program will follow the calendar of The University of Tulsa’s summer sessions, beginning on May 27, 2025, and concluding on August 15, 2025. However, the specific dates will likely differ for specific research projects at the discretion of the faculty mentor.

TURC Scholars also attend workshops and seminars on topics including research ethics, writing competitive applications for external fellowships, preparing for creative and research presentations, and exploring research-intensive careers. These events prepare TURC Scholars for a range of exciting opportunities while also connecting them with a larger campus-wide community of intellectually ambitious students across all disciplines.

Expectations

In addition to participating in research under the guidance of a faculty mentor and committing to community service, TURC Scholars are also required to give a public presentation of their research or creative inquiry. This can be at an internal UTulsa research showcase, which take place on campus each fall and spring semester, or at an external research conference. Previous students have had the opportunity to give presentations at national conferences with their faculty mentors, participate in collaborative scholarly publication, or join in patent applications. Please note that TURC does not provide funding for travel, including external presentations. However, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs does have internal funding opportunities to support student travel for research and/or presentations.

Faculty-Led Projects

TURC Faculty-Led Projects are initiated and led by UTulsa faculty. A faculty-led project may have just one student, but most of these are ambitious projects that require multiple investigators/creators and often last for more than one year. Undergraduate students may apply to join these projects with funding as TURC Scholars. Highly motivated high school students who are applying for admission to the university, and who are eager to dive into their chosen field of study, may also be eligible to apply.

TURC Scholars on these projects have the opportunity to become valuable members of a cohort with a shared passion for the same subject and project. Applicants should have a willingness and ability to collaborate with others in creative or investigative work, while also being able to work independently.

A list of these projects that are seeking undergraduate co-investigators/creators can be found in the TURC directory.

Student-Led TURC Projects

Advanced UTulsa undergraduates may apply to be TURC Scholars for Student-Led Projects, requiring a Faculty Mentor’s sponsorship. Eligible applicants should be in their second semester of the second year or have prior TURC Team experience. TURC Scholars often transition from team projects to independent ventures inspired by the larger project. Academic standing and a relevant background in the field of research are prerequisites. Proposals for Student-Led Projects must detail the exploration field, plan for a research outcome or creative endeavor, and its significance within the broader academic context.

Applications, including a reference letter, should be submitted directly to the TURC Director (gabriel-leblanc@utulsa.edu)

Applications should include the following:

• A description of the research project, not longer than 500 words, with title of project;
• A description of the community service plans, not longer than 200 words;
• A bibliography of relevant secondary publications, not longer than one page;
• Name and email of TURC Mentor;
• Notation of whether the proposal is for summer or academic year research;
• UTulsa transcript (unofficial) and, if the student is a transfer, of other undergraduate institutions;
• A letter of reference from the UTulsa faculty member who has agreed to serve as TURC Mentor for this project.

Applications should be submitted as a single document, with all elements except for the letter of reference submitted in the order listed above, as a PDF attachment in an email to gabriel-leblanc@utulsa.edu

More information

Interested in details? We are too! Check out the 2024 TURC Handbook of Governance, Policies, and Procedures to learn more about the program.