Junior Scholars Program

The Junior Scholars Program is a highly selective undergraduate research program designed for students who have successfully completed the First-Year and Sophomore Scholars Programs. This competitive opportunity allows high-achieving students to deepen their research experience, refine advanced academic skills, and make meaningful contributions to their chosen research fields.

Program Requirements

To participate in the Junior Scholars Program, students and Primary Investigators must meet academic, research, and funding requirements.

Requirements for Students

Selected students will be required to:

  1. Work 7-10 hours per week on the research.
  2. Attend two (2) Professional Development Activities per semester.
    1. Please see schedule below, as dates and times are already set.
  3. Complete the mid-year and year-end assessment surveys.
  4. As part of the Junior Scholars Program, students are required to disseminate their work in the three following ways:
    1. Submit an abstract and present at the Fall OR Spring Symposium of Student Scholars;
    2. Present at an additional conference, this can be discipline-specific or a general undergraduate research conference;
    3. Submit a manuscript for publication to a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal (either a student-focused journal or a collaborative submission to a professional journal with the student as a co-author).

Requirements for Primary Investigators (PIs)

As this program provides a funding resource for the accepted research projects, the Office of Undergraduate Research maintains these requirements for all Primary Investigators (PIs) accepted into the program. 

The PIs will be required to:

  • Supervise the student(s) on research over the next academic year.
  • Complete the mid-year and year-end evaluation surveys for each matched student.
  • Commit a minimum of 1-hour to judge at the Symposium of Student Scholars, each semester.
  • As part of the Junior Scholars Program, PIs are required to guide students in disseminating their work in the three following ways:
    • Submit an abstract and present at the Fall OR Spring Symposium of Student Scholars;
    • Present at an additional conference, this can be discipline-specific or a general undergraduate research conference;
    • Submit a manuscript for publication to a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal (either a student-focused journal or a collaborative submission to a professional journal with the student as a co-author).

These requirements, particularly the progress reports and surveys, are vital to collecting data on how the funding is being utilized, as we rely on the PIs to relay this information to us. Should an audit of Office of Undergraduate Research funding usage be requested, this is our current reporting method.

Failure to fulfill these requirements will result in ineligibility for 1-year of future funding from the Office of Undergraduate Research.

Please email our@kennesaw.edu if you have any questions.

In order to be eligible, the following requirements must be met: 

  1. The student and Primary Investigator (PI) worked together in the First-Year Scholars and Sophomore Scholars Programs.
  2. The student and PI completed required assessment surveys at the end of the First-Year Scholars and Sophomore Scholars Programs.
  3. The student completed all required activities as part of the First-Year Scholars and Sophomore Scholars Programs.
  4. The student is listed in the program as a presenter at the Symposium of Student Scholars.
  5. The student remains enrolled at Kennesaw State University for the full academic year.
  6. The student has a 3.0 GPA or higher.
  7. Both the student and PI have a strong track record of successfully completing program requirements for participation in any other Office of Undergraduate Research funding programs within the last academic year. 
  • Junior Scholars receive $1,000 in the Fall and $1,000 in the Spring. They are expected to work on the research project for 7-10 hours per week, attend professional development workshops and complete mid-year and year-end surveys.
  • Primary Investigators (PIs) receive $1,000 per student. These funds must be used to support the Junior Scholars Program project.
    • PIs will create a budget for their project in the application. 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.

 

Application Process

The application for the 2026-2027 academic year opens on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

The application process is to be initiated by the Primary Investigator (PI), by logging into InfoReady and filling out the initial application (please use your KSU credentials) which was due on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 11:59pm. 

Once submitted, the student section is automatically routed to the student for completion on Monday, May 4, 2026 at 11:59pm. 

PI's may list one student per application. If the project included more than one student in the First-Year and Sophomore Scholars Programs from previous consecutive years, and the PI would like for each of them to be considered, a separate application for each student is required. Additionally, each students' outcomes and description must be tailored to each individual student in each respective application. 

Please reference the application components tabs below to see what you can expect from the application then, when it is made available, click the apply now button to access the InfoReady application platform.

The application process is to be initiated by the Primary Investigator (PI), by logging into InfoReady and filling out the initial application, as detailed below:

  1. Your name
  2. Your KSU email address
  3. Your KSU organization
  4. Academic Year Commitment Acknowledgment
  5. If applicable, list any co-PIs on the project
    1. Co-PI name
    2. Co-PI KSU email
    3. Co-PI college affiliation
    4. Co-PI department affiliation
  6. Student Name
  7. Student KSU ID
  8. Student major
  9. Office of Undergraduate Research Funding Received in the last Three (3) Fiscal Years.
    1. Please select and add all sources of funding you and/or your students received from the Office of Undergraduate Research for the past three fiscal years.
  10. Previous Funding Outcomes
    1. What outcomes emerged from the three years of funding noted on the previous page?
  11. Project Title
  12. Project Description
  13. Program Readiness Statement of Support (If you are submitting applications for more than one student, ensure that the outcomes and description are specific to each individual student for each respective application.)
  14. PI Research Portfolio
  15. Does this research project align with any of the Research Communities?
  16. Budget Table Submission

Once the PI completes their section, students are required to fill out all questions included in the InfoReady application as follows:

  1. What will be your student status as of Fall 2025?
  2. Student Interest Essay (300 words maximum)
    1. Describe your experiences in the First-Year and Sophomore Scholars Programs. What do you hope to gain by continuing the experience? For example, what did you learn last year and what do you hope to learn this year? How will the Junior Scholars experience assist you in achieving your goals, both in the next few years and after graduation?
  3. Other Dissemination of Research (500 words maximum)
    1. As part of the Junior Scholars Program, students are required to disseminate their work in the following ways: present at the Symposium of Student Scholars; present at a disciplinary conference or undergraduate research conference; submit a manuscript for publication to a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal. In consultation with your mentor, describe your research dissemination plans and specific targets for the upcoming year. For the manuscript, please include a month-to-month timeline of completion.
 

Dates and Deadlines

Professional Development Activities

Date Time Location Topic
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Wilson Student Center Meeting Room 216 [Marietta Campus] Junior Scholars Orientation
Thursday, September 17, 2026 10:00 am - 11:00 am Academic Learning Center (ALC) 5500 [Kennesaw Campus] Junior Scholars Orientation
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Wilson Student Center Meeting Room 216  [Marietta Campus] Advanced Resume and CV Strategies
Thursday, October 29, 2026 10:00 am - 11:00 am Academic Learning Center (ALC) 5500 [Kennesaw Campus] Advanced Resume and CV Strategies
Wednesday, February 17, 2027 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Wilson Student Center Meeting Room 216 [Marietta Campus] Applying to Graduate School
Thursday, February 18, 2027 10:00 am - 11:00 am Academic Learning Center (ALC) 5500 [Kennesaw Campus] Applying to Graduate School
Wednesday, March 17, 2027 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Wilson Student Center Meeting Room 216 [Marietta Campus] Polishing & Publishing Your Manuscript
Thursday, March 18, 2027 10:00 am - 11:00 am Academic Learning Center (ALC) 5500 [Kennesaw Campus] Polishing & Publishing Your Manuscript

Stipends and Progress Reports

Date Event/Activity
By Friday, October 9, 2026 First Fall Stipends should be received
Friday, December 11 at 11:59pm Student and PI Mid-Year Surveys due
By Friday, January 8, 2027 Second Fall Stipends should be received
By Friday, March 12, 2027 First Spring Stipends should be received
Friday, April 30, 2027 at 11:59pm

Student and PI Year-End Surveys* due 

 

*PI Survey will include uploading proof of conference presentation, the manuscript final draft, AND proof of submission to the chosen journal.
By Friday, June 4, 2027

Second Spring Stipends should be received

 

  • Past Professional Development Activities

    • Advanced Resume and CV
      • Monday, February 9th from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm in Atrium Building, room J 1112 [Marietta Campus]
      • Wednesday, February 11th from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm in ALC5500 [Kennesaw Campus]
      • Thursday, February 12th from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm in ALC5500 [Kennesaw Campus]
    • (Inter)National Scholarships on
      • Monday, March 16th from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm in Atrium Building, room J 1112 [Marietta Campus]
      • Wednesday, March 18th from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm in ALC5500 [Kennesaw Campus]
      • Thursday, March 19th from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm in ALC5500 [Kennesaw Campus]

    Past Dates and Deadlines

    • Friday, October 17, 2025: Fall stipends should be received
    • Friday, December 12, 2025 at 11:59 pm: Student and PI Mid-Year Surveys due
    • Friday, February 6, 2026: Spring stipends should be received
    • Friday, May 8, 2026 at 11:59 pm: Student and PI Year-End Surveys due

Available Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The goal of the Junior Scholars Program is to empower students to take greater responsibility of their research, enhance their critical thinking and analytical skills, and make a meaningful contribution to academic discourse. By fostering a higher level of responsibility, the program aims to prepare students for the next stages of their academic or professional careers, whether in graduate school, industry, or other research-related roles.  
  • We encourage long-term participation with the same PI so that students may have the opportunity to learn different skills and roles which will lead to a more in-depth experience in their field. You can start a new project with your PI but you must remain with the same PI.
  • Students will gain valuable experience in leadership, collaboration, communication, and overall professionalism, with opportunities to present their research at conferences, publish, and network with experts in their disciplines. Workshops aim to promote this kind of leadership and is meant to continuously develop students academically & professionally.