Sample
UROP Proposals
The following
are sample
evaluations
to use as
a guideline
when submitting
your own.
Sample
1
Sample
2
Sample
3
Sample
4
Sample
Proposal
1
Student's
Name
Term
Postdoctorate Fellow's Name
Faculty Supervisor's Name
Date Drafted
The Upper
Mystic Lake
has been
the basis
of several
studies
investigating
arsenic
behavior
systems.
High levels
of arsenic
are present
in the sediments
of this
lake and
its tributary,
the Aberjona
River, strongly
implying
that the
river and
lake are
important
pathways
for arsenic
from an
upstream
hazardous
waste site.
Arsenic
is toxic
and a known
human carcinogen.
Throughout
much of
the year,
most of
the arsenic
exists as
As (V),
which tends
to "stick
to" particles
and settle
to the bottom.
Under those
conditions,
risk of
human exposure
is limited.
During the
summer,
bottom waters
become anoxic
and the
As (V) is
reduced
to As (III)
which does
not "stick" as
well to
the sediments.
Significant
amounts
of arsenic
are regenerated
from the
sediments
by this
mechanism,
and if the
lower layers
of water
are mixed
with the
upper layers,
the risk
of exposure
could be
much greater
for people
recreating
in the lake.
The goal
of this
project
is to determine
the extent
to which
arsenic
sorbs to
the particulate
iron-hydroxides
in the bottom
waters of
the Upper
Mystic Lake.
We are interested
in determining
the size
and quantity
of these
particles
so as to
better understand
arsenic
equilibrium
and transport.
We will
also study
this role
in the Halls
Brook Storage
Area, a
small water
body with
high influent
arsenic
concentration,
which feeds
the Aberjona
River.
In the
field, water
samples
will be
collected
through
a series
of filters
which will
sort the
iron particles
by size.
Field measurements
of temperature,
conductivity,
pH, and
dissolved
oxygen will
be made
at each
sampling
depth. In
the lab,
several
tests will
be run on
these samples.
Iron concentration
in the filtrates
will be
analyzed
by graphite
furnace
atomic absorption
(GFAA),
and concentrations
of As (+V)
and As (+III)
will be
determined
by hydride
generation/atomic
fluorescence.
Filtered
materials
will be
acid-digested
and tested
for total
iron and
total arsenic
analysis
using GFAA.
My responsibilities
will involve
both field
work and
lab work.
I will assist
in the field
sampling
twice per
week. I
will also
learn the
above methods
and prepare
samples
for the
arsenic
and iron
tests. In
addition,
I will be
involved
with the
data interpretation,
the development
of a model
describing
arsenic
sorption,
and through
this will
develop
a better
understanding
of contaminant
transport
in the environment.
I am excited
about this
opportunity
because
it will
give me
exposure
to the field
of environmental
engineering.
I am really
interested
in the field
work aspect
and hope
to learn
important
lab techniques
as well.
Overall,
the project
will give
me an opportunity
to gain
experience
in performing
research,
collecting
and analyzing
data, and
interpreting
results.
In addition,
it will
help me
confirm
my career
goal as
an environmental
engineer.
The project
sounded
very interesting
and I hope
to learn
a lot about
research
and field
work.
Sample
Proposal
2
Student's
Name
Term
Postdoctorate
Fellow's
Name
Faculty
Supervisor's
Name
Date Drafted
INTRODUCTION
Many business
people,
academics,
and others
now believe
that there
will be
dramatic
changes
in the ways
successful
businesses
are organized
in the next
century.
The major
trends driving
these changes
are increased
international
competition,
the introduction
of new information
technologies,
and the
reassessment
of the potential
of human
resources.
With the
startling
setbacks
of several
of the world's
most succesful
companies,
these changes
are leading
many people
to believe
that the
large, hierarchical
organiztions
that were
so successful
in the decades
after World
War II are
now becoming
obsolete.
In the next
few years,
some companies
will position
themselves
to exploit
these changes,
but many
others will
be left
behind.
To help
today's
business
leaders
understand
these changes,
the MIT
Sloan School
of Management
has created
a major
new research
and education
initiative.
Instead
of simply
predicting
what these
new organizations
will be
like, the
objective
is to INVENT
the organizations
that will
become common
10-20 years
from now
by working
with today's
innovative
managers. "It
is clear
that the
successful
organizations
of the next
century
will be
very different
from those
of today.
It is also
clear that
these changes
will create
significant
opportunities
for the
people and
companies
who do understand
them and
will create
enormous
problems
for those
who do not."
RESPONSIBILITIES
Working
directly
with [Postdoctoral
Fellow's
name],
I will continue
to assist
her in the
study of
today's
innovative
organizations,
the businesses
that have
incorporated
innovative
organization
approaches
or advanced
technologies
into their
corporate
structures.
More specifically,
one of my
responsibilities
will be
to perform
background
research
on companies
and incorporate
information
into the
Interesting
Organizations
database.
Further
tasks will
include
drafting
secondary
reports
from personal
research
and possibly
interviews
with company
representatives
as well.
This upcoming
summer I
plan to
work full-time,
up to 40
hours a
week.
WORK
PLAN
"Inventing
the Organizations
of the 21st
Century" is
an ongoing
research
and education
initiative
that was
launched
in 1995.
The duration
of the project
is several
years. I
will continue
working
on projects
that I started
this term,
and I will
progress
to new and
more advanced
projects
as they
arise over
the course
of the summer.
PERSONAL
I am very
enthusiastic
to continue
working
with the
multidisciplinary
team of
researchers
involved
with this
project.
As a student,
I am excited
to be able
to supplement
my education
with out-of-class
research.
While learning
about the
organizations
that are
perceived
to be on
the "cutting
edge," those
that have
incorporated
the best
technologies
and most
innovative
organizational
approaches
into their
management
structures,
I will gain
a better
understanding
of the overall
business
environments
of both
our society
and of our
world.
Because
the scope
of this
initiative
is greater
than what
current
consulting
firms have
to offer,
this project
is particularly
attractive.
Having an
interest
in the field
of professional
consulting,
work on
this project
would allow
me to explore
in greater
depth the
subject
material
that a future
career in
consulting
would involve.
In addition,
I will have
the honor
of working
with a distinguished
group of
faculty
and staff
members
that are
under the
direction
of [Faculty
supervisor's
name].
Because
I am a student
majoring
in economics,
minoring
in psychology,
and I possess
a strong
interest
in management
science,
this multidisciplinary
research
initiative,
which draws
upon all
three of
these fields,
really feels
like a "nice
fit" in
terms of
what it
has to offer
and by what
I can give
back.
[Student's
Name]
[Student's Signature]
Sample
Proposal
3
Student's
Name
Term
Postdoctorate Fellow's Name
Faculty Supervisor's Name
Date Drafted
I am proposing
a UROP
in order
to assist [Faculty
supervisor's name] from
Foreign Languages and
Literatures. We have discussed
his project at length,
and my qualifications
as a native informant
of French are required
to help in the completion
of an interactive subtitling
system to be used in Foreign
language classes at MIT
next fall.
The project
specifically
needs a
native French
speaker
in order
to input
dialogue
and French
slang into
the computer.
I will be
listening
to the video
and will
modify the
original
script of
the film "Un
Monde Sans
Pitie." When
this task
is completed,
I will come
up with
keywords
for each
line of
subtitle.
These keywords
are used
by students
to grasp
more information
about the
film. Then,
in collaboration
with [Faculty
supervisor's
name],
I will find
appropriate
illustrations
to present
cultural
and linguistic
aspects
related
to this
film.
Personal
Justifications:
I am deeply
interested
in this
project
because
first of
all it enables
me to stay
in contact
with my
own language
and culture.
My professor
has expressed
the need
to work
with a native
Parisian
to complement
the cultural
notes that
he already
has collected
for the
film in
question.
Furthermore,
I will be
in charge
of entering
and choosing
the best
forms of
presentation
for such
cultural
informations.
I am planning
to be a
Course 6
major, and
I am very
interested
in language
acquisition
and educational
methods.
I know from
experience
what learning
a language
is like
since I
have had
to cope
with English,
Dutch, Latin,
German,
and Spanish,
and taught
English
for two
years. I
also developed
an interactive
dictionary
in my computer
class in
high school.
Finally,
this UROP
will provide
me with
some precious
experience
of teamwork
and computers.
General
Project
Description:
In spite
of the quantity
of video
material
available
to students
in the US,
the lack
of narrative
films in
the original
language
without
subtitles
has long
been a source
of problems.
The current
solutions
are unsatisfactory
since they
do not solve
the major
language
barrier
for the
introductory
class and
intermediate
level language
students,
that is,
the personalized
access to
the right
amount of
information
acquisition.
Indeed,
it will
allow professors
to take
advantage
of various
existing
technologies
to author
subtitles
in the target
language
and to create
additional
materials
to accompany
commercially
distributed
laser disks,
quick-time
momvies
on CD-ROM,
as well
as time-coded
videos.
The film
in high
resolution
will appear
on the screen
of an AV
Macintosh
without
the cumbersome
subtitles.
Underneath
the film
image, a
dialog box
will allow
the student
to choose
between
several
levels of
linguistic
information
(no help,
keywords
only, full
script,
full script
and cultural
footnotes)
and to navigate
between
scenes at
various
speeds (by
chapter,
by scene,
by line
ot text).
These four
levels will
be easily
accessible
at any point
of the viewing
session
as will
be the switching
between
the different
speeds.
Moreover,
the modular
design of
the program
will allow
for the
addition
of listening
comprehension
tools as
well as
a battery
of comprehension
exercises,
self-testing
and visual
recognition
exercises.
The first
film, Eric
Rochant's "Un
Monde Sans
Pitie," will
be fully
developed
and the
finished
program
will be
printed
on CD-ROM.
Work
Commitment:
The total
number of
work hours
should be
100 hours,
spread out
over the
length of
the Spring
Semester
at normal
UROP rate.
Sample
Proposal
4
Student's
Name
Term
Postdoctorate Fellow's Name
Faculty Supervisor's Name
Date Drafted
My UROP
project
for this
summer is "The Characterization
of Active Materials," for
AMSL (Active Material
Structures Lab) in the
Aero/Astro Department.
The active materials with
which I will be working
are piezoelectric composites
which will be eventually
incorporated into a helicopter
rotor. The project involves
two basic tasks. The first
is the preparation of
the active composites.
I will be performing photolithography
in a clean-room, essentially
preparing copper films,
imprinting them with the
proper circuit, and attaching
to the composite materials
with regular epoxy. An
alternative method to
photolithography, which
basically exposes a negative
of the circuit to UV light,
is a silk-screening technique
which can be used to manufacture
larger circuits and may
actually produce a superior
circuit. If this method
is found to be worth pursuing,
part of the project may
involve machining a proper
rig for screening larger
circuits.
The second
half of
the project
begins about
a month
into the
summer.
It will
begin with
preparations
for the
installment
of an INSTRON
tensile
testing
machine.
I am going
to become
familiar
with the
machine
and begin
testing
the tensile
strength
of the active
materials
I have manufactured.
In preparation
for the
use of similar
active materials
on a rotor
blade supplied
to AMSL
by Boeing,
these tensile
strength
tests will
be performed
for different
orientations
of the fibers
of the composites
as well
as for single
filaments
of the composites.
Once this
task is
completed,
and using
the data
I have collected,
the manufacturing
and testing
of the 1/6
scale Boeing
rotor will
begin.
The current
schedule
is to finish
the first
part of
the project
by the installation
of the INSTRON
test machine,
about one
month into
the summer.
The rest
of the project
should proceed
from there,
ending in
August with
the manufacture
of the actual
active material
components
for the
rotor.
I will
be working
closely
with [graduate
student's
name],
a graduate
student
in Aero/Astro.
For the
first part
of the project,
I will be
performing
photolithography
with another
UROP student.
I believe
that I can
be of great
help in
the manufacture
of these
active materials,
of which
a vast number
are needed
for testing.
I have two
summers'
lab experience
and work
well with
my hands.
I have always
wanted to
see how
good I am
at delicate
circuitry,
which has
to be manufactured
with a great
deal of
precision.
In addition,
I have had
experience
with microhardness
testers,
so I will
be competent
and accurate
working
with testing
machines.
I believe
that I can
be of use
developing
a new method
of manufacturing
and that
I will be
able to
help others
learn to
use the
INSTRON
tester.
This UROP
presents
me with
the unique
chance to
decide whether
I think
Course 16
is what
I want to
do with
my life.
I am torn
between
my interest
in aerospace
engineering
and the
more solid
future of
mechanical
engineering.
This UROP
lets me
see what's
really happening
in the Aero/Astro
Department.
I am quite
thrilled
at the prospect
of being
paid for
the chance
to work
with fascinating
equipment
and state-
of-the-art
materials.
In fact,
this is
exactly
the kind
of experience
I had in
mind when
I chose
to come
to MIT.
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