The Young Research Fellows (YRF) program is currently seeking applications for its 2022-24 cohort. Young Research Fellows, guided by a faculty mentor, engage in two years of group mentoring in early research and creative inquiry development and have access to up to $7,000 in funding toward research expenses upon submission of approved budgets.
The YRF program expects active participation in group mentoring for two years, followed by engagement with incoming YRF members during the fellow’s final undergraduate years. Fellows can draw on their research funds at any point during their undergraduate career. Faculty mentors are eligible for a two-time grant of $750 in research funds. The program is supported by the Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE) and the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA).
Brianna Gillfillian, a sophomore majoring in computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), is a current YRF fellow. She is working with ECS Dean Cole Smith on research related to cybersecurity.
Brianna Gillfillian
“I am working on network interdiction, which simulates how an actual network operates and ways in which it could be disturbed, such as nodes being attacked,” she says. “This has enabled me to understand data transmission a lot better and how I can optimize various network issues in the real world.”
Gillfillian says her SOURCE research experience has been excellent. “I am really grateful that I was selected to be a part of this program,” she says. “While I initially wasn’t sure how research could fit in with computer science studies, I gave it a try and it was one of the best decisions I have made. It gives me a competitive edge, has helped me with time management and has given me more insight into my course of studies outside of the usual curriculum.”
Jeremy Shinder, a sophomore film major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, has used his YRF funding to conduct archival research for development of a screenplay, and to enter one of his short films, “The Musical Magician” (2021) into juried competitions.
Jeremy Shinder
Shinder’s screenplay highlights the relationship shared between two very different spiritual leaders of the American civil rights movement. As part of the screenplay development, he visited the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was given access to thousands of resources. “Being able to touch exquisitely preserved documents dating back almost a century was jaw-dropping. Likewise, as a filmmaker, viewing some of the earliest photographs ever taken, hearing remarkably crystal-clear audio clips recorded using what at the time was considered ground-breaking equipment is, simply put, breathtaking. My trip to the archives was 10 times better than I ever anticipated.”
“I will always be indebted to the American Jewish Archives at Hebrew Union College for providing me with the strong foundation that will influence the historical accuracy of my script,” Shinder says. “I think it must be true when they say that knowledge is power. For me, spending six hours in a library, reading more than I have ever done in my life, might be one of my proudest moments as a scholar. This moment will forever serve as what we writers call the ‘inciting incident’ at the dawn of my professional career.”
The deadline for applications for the YRF 2022 cycle is Thursday, March 31. The program is open to students in all disciplines. To be eligible students must:
To apply, visit the student application link.
Faculty mentors must:
Faculty mentors are typically tenured or tenure-track faculty. For faculty with other kinds of appointments, please contact the SOURCE. The faculty endorsement link can be found here.
If you have questions or need more information, call the SOURCE at 315.443.2091 or email Odette Rodriguez at orodri02@syr.edu.
The SOURCE provides funding opportunities and serves as a hub to foster and support diverse undergraduate engagement in faculty-guided scholarly research and creative inquiry across all disciplines and programs at Syracuse University. CFSA’s mission is to make students, alumni and faculty aware of nationally competitive fellowship and scholarship opportunities; to help students and alumni identify scholarship opportunities appropriate to their interests and backgrounds; and to assist them through all stages of the application process, from planning to submission to interviews.
