Undergraduate research is a valuable component of professional training in chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology at Truman.  The Chemistry Department encourages students to become involved in the undergraduate research enterprise through faculty and University support and recognition.  The research award is intended to recognize seniors who have excelled in their undergraduate research experiences. Faculty may nominate students they feel deserve this special recognition.

Criteria for Nomination

No later than the first day after spring break, the nominating faculty member will submit a nomination letter to the Department Chair describing how the student satisfies the following criteria:

• The undergraduate researcher carried out creative research at the advanced level at Truman. This work may have been done as paid labor (through scholarship, work study, institutional or grant funds), as free labor, or as part of a research-for-credit course. A Truman faculty mentor must attest to the level of the work as being advanced beyond the junior level of undergraduate lab work and that the researcher contributed significantly to the work.
• The student has either worked with a member of the Department of Chemistry on their research, or be a Chemistry or Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major working on molecular-focused research under the direction of a faculty member outside the Department of Chemistry.
• The undergraduate researcher has spent at least one summer (at least 8-weeks full-time) engaged in scientific research either at Truman or off-campus.
• The student presented the results of their research at a research-mentor approved off-campus venue in either poster or oral presentation format.

Criteria for selection

• Students will be notified of their nomination via e-mail no later than 2 days after spring break.
• All nominated students will be asked to accept their nomination by submitting a brief statement (~200-400 words) of the impact of their research experience on their development as a scientist.  This statement is due no later than 9 days after spring break.
• A faculty committee will review the nomination materials and present recommendations for awardees to the Department of Chemistry no later than 14 days after spring break.  The faculty as a whole will determine the final award recipient(s).

Award Components

• All awardees are expected to present their research results in a twenty-minute talk at an on-campus symposium celebrating undergraduate research, organized by the chemistry department, no later than the last Friday of classes.
• Awardees will receive a plaque commemorating their award.