Research and Sponsored Programs

Am I responsible for finding a faculty mentor in order to participate in the FORGE opportunity?

Yes. All research opportunities require WCU graduate students to have a faculty mentor. Your faculty mentor can be any WCU faculty member. Your faculty mentor does not need to be in the same department as your major. You will need to identify who your faculty mentor is and provide their email in your application. If you don’t have a faculty mentor in mind, you can check out the RAM Research Directory to find one. You can search by department or research keywords.

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What is the FORGE application submission process?

After you connect with a faculty member and they agree to serve as your FORGE faculty mentor, you should discuss the specifics of the research project, skills you will work on/acquire and the meeting pattern with your faculty during the Spring semester. You should then complete your portion of the FORGE application and in that portion, you will provide your faculty mentor’s name and email address. The faculty will then receive an email and will fill out a portion of the application. Once that is complete (due date for BOTH portions is November 6th, 2026), the application will be sent to reviewers to score the application and overall impact of the FORGE experience based on the student and faculty sections. NOTE: It is important that students complete their portion at least several days to a week in advance of the due date to provide faculty mentors with ample time to submit their portion by the designated due date.

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When will I know if my proposal was accepted?

All submissions (student portion and faculty mentor’s portion) are due by Friday, November 6th. ORSP and the graduate school will diligently review applications and notify all candidates by the end of November with an email.

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When and how will I receive my stipend?

If you are accepted to participate in FORGE, you will receive directions to complete a W-9 with Accounts Payable. You will receive a mailed check to the address on file with Accounts Payable by the conclusion of the Spring 2027 semester. If you would prefer to receive your stipend via direct deposit, you need to submit a non-payroll authorization form with Accounts Payable. Master's-level students will receive a $750 stipend, and doctoral students will receive a $1,000 stipend. 

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Can I use the stipend for participant incentives, project materials, or conference registration and travel?

ORSP cannot buy or reimburse specific project-related items. However, all accepted students will receive their stipend as a mailed check or direct deposit (if signed up via Accounts Payable) by the end of the semester in which the research opportunity concludes. Students can use their stipend toward project-related items if desired.

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Do I need to create the project idea, or does this need to be an existing faculty mentor’s project?

FORGE is a learning opportunity for graduate students with limited experience with research or creative activity projects. FORGE projects should be a faculty mentor’s existing project. Faculty mentors will lead the project and support the graduate student in learning about the steps and completing them with support. If graduate students have their own project they are completing, they are encouraged to apply to present their project at the Spring Research and Creative Activity Day (RCAD) or for a Student Research and Creative Activity Award (SRCA).

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If accepted, do I need to do or submit anything during the Spring 2027 semester while I’m participating in FORGE?

You will be encouraged to attend and briefly discuss the research project or creative activity you worked on with your faculty mentor at the Spring 2027 Research and Creative Activity Day (RCAD – April 15th, 2027). Additionally, you and your faculty mentor will receive a survey to provide an update on your experience and share any final products, pictures, or videos of the process.

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Am I able to apply if I’m an international student?

Due to F-1 visa restrictions, international students are not eligible to receive a stipend from WCU departments and organizations. However, international students are encouraged to look into Graduate Assistant (GA) positions, which could be completed with a faculty mentor on research and count as a paid work position toward F-1 visa requirements.

Is it possible to be a faculty mentor for more than one student?

Yes, faculty mentors can support up to two students during the FORGE experience, but not more than two. This is to ensure the faculty mentor can devote the required amount of time to supporting each student during the Spring semester, and to open the opportunity to additional faculty mentors.

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What do I need to complete as part of the FORGE application?

After you have met with your student and decided to work together, the student should write a draft of the application questions (what they will be doing working alongside you, the impact of the experience, and how/when they will meet with you as their faculty mentor), and you can review their draft prior to submission. Students will then submit the name and email of their faculty mentor when completing their portion of the application and an email will be sent immediately to the faculty mentor to complete a rating scale of the student’s abilities for FORGE

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Do I need to complete my part of the FORGE application by the due date?

Yes. A student’s application is considered complete once the student and faculty mentor portions are completed and submitted. The entire application (student and faculty portion) needs to be done by Friday, November 6th, 2026. Due to this, it is important that students complete their portion at least several days to a week in advance of the due date to provide faculty mentors with ample time to submit their portion by the designated due date.

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Does it matter the stage or type of my existing research project or creative activity?

No. FORGE is an introductory experience for graduate students with limited research or creative activity background. FORGE projects should be a faculty mentor’s existing project. Faculty mentors will lead the project and support the graduate student in learning about the steps and completing them with support. Research projects or creative activities can be of any type or at any stage.

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Is there an expectation that the research/creative activity project is completed within the 10-week time frame?

No, FORGE does not need to result in a completed research project or creative activity. The goal is for progress to be made during the 10-week period, and for your graduate student to learn new skills and experiences that they can apply to future projects and their career aspirations. However, faculty mentors and graduate students are encouraged to continue to work on their research project or creative activity after the Spring 2027 semester if needed.

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Do I need to submit or complete anything, other than my FORGE duties, during the Spring 2027 semester to ORSP?

You will be encouraged to attend and briefly discuss the research project or creative activity you worked on with your graduate student at the Spring 2027 Research and Creative Activity Day (RCAD). Additionally, you and your student will receive a survey to provide an update on your experience and share any final products, pictures, or videos of the process.