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1. Regarding the question about your summer, I would first like to congratulate you on the funding. About your summer plans, we fully understand that faculty need to be away for part(s) of the summer, for a variety of purposes. In those circumstances, we suggest that you designate an associate in your lab for the day-to-day mentoring/supervision of the WISE student and her research. Also, while you are in Boston, will it be possible for you to remain in email or phone contact with the WISE student and her designated mentor. In this way, you should be able to continue to provide the mentoring needed for the WISE program.

2. We have had a number of students contact us regarding the position. As such, I asked for additional funding from my department head, and he has agreed. Would it be possible to hire 2 research assistants?

Please note that WISE does not assign two students to a given mentor. So if you would like to have two WISE students in your area, please have one of your collaborators submit a second project, and have some of the student applicants select that project on their application. Your current project lists Professors PPPP1 and PPPP2 as the mentors; your second project can have you as the lead mentor and Professor PPPP3 as the second mentor, or it can have a totally different mentor or mentors from your area.

Feel free to call me on my cell phone (513-226-8146) if you would like to talk about any of this, or need any clarification.

Looking forward to receiving some applications from your area, with the students selecting your project on their application(s).

3. We would be interested in participating in the WISE REWU program this summer by mentoring a student.

I am happy to know that you are interested in participating as a mentor in the WISE program. Here is a brief summary of the program procedures. As a prospective mentor, you will need to submit research project description(s) now, so I can post it (them) on the WISE website for prospective applicants to view and make their selections. The application process requires that the students meet with the mentors and subsequently complete the application, and submit it by the due date. So I need to receive your project description(s) in sufficient advance of the due date. Please see the attached document for format; in essence, you need to provide input on the magenta-colored items.

You will need to provide me an abstract in the format attached here. I will get it up on the WISE web page for students to include in their selection for their application. You will need to provide input on the magenta-highlighted items, and then remove the magenta color, so the final write-up is in black font only.

The program also has a matching funds requirement of $2,000, plus student benefits at the rate of 7%, for a total of $2,140 per student. These matching funds may be provided by either the mentor or the department head or a combination of these sources.

Thank you for your interest in WISE.
Please note that the extended deadline is March 7, 2012, so you need to get your project to me right away, along with a statement of commitment for the matching funds. Feel free to call me on my cell phone 513-226-8146 any time, if I can answer any additional questions for you about WISE.

4. And yes, you have the option to screen and select the students with whom you will work.

Question: How much of a voice does the faculty member have in selecting the student for the project? I know that some of these programs ask for a project description, then the students pick the projects they desire, and then someone else matches the student and project. Is that the case for this WISE program?

Your understanding of the usual matching process is quite correct. WISE goes one step beyond that process. In WISE, you have the opportunity to meet the student(s) who select your project for the Summer and might want to work with you. You also have the opportunity to provide input into the matching process by communicating your feedback about the students with whom you would have met during the application process, and also provide a ranking, in case you met with more than one student.

Outlined below is the step-by-step procedure for student selection:

  1. The students should visit the WISE website, and decide on 3 projects.
  2. Then they should arrange a meeting with the mentor for each of their selected projects before submitting the application.
  3. In fact, they are required to report these meeting dates on the application.
  4. The students will then list their final selection of three projects on their application in order of their preference, along with the dates of their meetings with the respective mentors.
  5. On the other side, the mentors will then email to the WISE Program Director their assessment of the students who met with them.
  6. Based on the mentors' and students' preferences and on the WISE Committee's assessment of the students' qualifications for the WISE Program, the WISE Committee will determine the student-mentor match.
  7. The accepted students will be informed of the outcome of the matching process; a copy of that communication will be sent to the respective mentors.
  8. In some cases, it may be necessary for the Committee to ask some students to make alternate project selections. In those cases, the student will meet with the corresponding project mentor, and both the student and the mentor will communicate with the WISE Program Director the outcome of the meeting, prior to final assignment.
  9. The remaining applicants will be informed of their non-acceptance in the Program for that summer.

This is a summary of the program procedures. Please be sure to contact the WISE Program Director if you have questions. Thank you for your interest in WISE.