First-Year Scholars Program 

The Office of Undergraduate Research launched the First-Year Scholars Program in Fall 2019.

Now entering its eighth year, the First-Year Scholars Program pairs first-year students who are interested in research, with faculty, administrators, staff, or postdoctoral research mentors to engage in an academic year-long research project. This program is managed by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), who provides this highly competitive opportunity at the start of each fall semester.

First-Year students who are interested in applying are encouraged to read through all program information thoroughly. We also highly recommend visiting the Accepted Students Page for a full break-down of the program requirements, to ensure your schedule allows for the time commitment required.

Questions? Please email our@kennesaw.edu

WATCH A SHORT VIDEO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FIRST YEAR SCHOLARS PROGRAM!

Welcome FLIGHT30 Applicants!

Incoming students for Fall 2026 are part of FLIGHT30, a KSU initiative to help connect first-year students to KSU. The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) welcomes FLIGHT29 students to the First-Year Scholars Program!

The goal of this program is to introduce first-year students to the undergraduate research experience. We encourage students to apply for projects that are researching topics they find interesting, regardless of whether the projects are in their majors.

First-Year Scholars serve as apprentices and are integrated into the research projects of their Primary Investigator (PI), learning from both the PI and other team members, when applicable. This program helps students gain early research experience, which sets them on a path for future success. Research shows that early engagement in research is associated with positive outcomes, such as improved retention, progression, and graduation rates (Nagda et al., 1998; Schneider et al., 2015) and enrollment in graduate school (Hathaway et al., 2002).
 
The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is pleased to support early involvement in undergraduate research.
 
    • Hathaway, R. S., Nagda, B. A., & Gregerman, S. R. (2002). The relationship of undergraduate research participation to graduate and professional education pursuit: An empirical study. Journal of College Student Development, 43, 614-631.
    • Nagda, B. A., Gregerman, S. R., Jonides, J., von Hippel, W., & Lerner, J. S. (1998). Undergraduate student-faculty research partnerships affect student retention. The Review of Higher Education, 22, 55-72.
    • Schneider, K. R., Bickel, A., & Morrison-Shetlar, A. (2015). Planning and implementing a comprehensive student-centered research program for first-year STEM undergraduates. Journal of College Science Teaching, 44(3), 37-43.

Upcoming Dates and Deadlines

DATE ACTIVITY/EVENT
Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Application portal for project proposals from Primary Investigators (PIs) opens
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 by 11:59pm Deadline for project proposals from Primary Investigators (PIs); application portal closes
Friday, August 28, 2026 by 5:00pm Accepted PI projects posted on the website; Student application portal opens
Thursday, September 3, 2026,  3:30pm-5:30pm Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) Open House event
Sunday, September 13, 2026 by 11:59pm Student applications due; application portal closes
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 by 12:00pm PI reviews of student applications due to the OUR
Friday, September 25, 2026 by 5:00pm The OUR will notify all students about final decisions (Accepted students will only be matched to one project)
Week of September 28, 2026 Mandatory orientation sessions for all accepted First-Year Scholars

Funding Details

  • First-Year Scholars may earn up to $1,000 in the Fall and up to $1,000 in the Spring*. They are expected to work on the research project for 5-10 hours per week, attend professional development activities held by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) and/or their campus partners, complete periodic progress reports, and complete mid-year and year-end program surveys. More information can be found on the Student Applicant Information Page.

*Please note: All students will be registered as a 1099 vendor, and stipends are taxable income. Additionally, international student payments are taxed at a higher rate, and therefore final payments will be less than what is noted.

  • Primary Investigators (PIs) can receive up to $1,000 per matched student, for up to 5 students (the number of First-Year Scholars is not guaranteed). These funds must be used to support the First-Year Scholar Program project.
    • PIs will create a budget for their project in the application. A preliminary budget table template with relevant fiscal year spending deadlines, is made available on the application front page.
      • Please contact us at our@kennesaw.edu with questions regarding allowable expenses.
    • Funding that cannot be used for the purposes described in the application will be forfeited.
    • More information can be found on the Primary Investigator (PI) Information Page.

First-Year Scholars Research in the News