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Undergraduate Scholars Grant
The purpose of the Undergraduate Scholars Grant (USG) is to facilitate research and creative activities at UCM through compensation for related expenses.
Such expenses include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Consumable supplies, materials, technology, and equipment (e.g. chemicals, DNA products, coding software, material for costumes, incentives for research participants)
- International or domestic airfare, hotel, food, gas, parking, registration or other travel-related expenditures incurred while presenting, performing, or exhibiting work at a conference, workshop, or seminar
- International or domestic airfare, hotel, food, gas, parking, registration or other travel-related expenditures incurred for field-work, training, or an experiential-based opportunity that is directly related to research or a creative project (e.g. travel to location to interview participants, statistical software training, writing workshop, archival visits)
- Please note that the grant cannot be used to cover tuition or a study abroad trip (unless research or creative activity is conducted in addition to the study abroad class requirements)
The following conditions apply to grant applications:
- All UCM undergraduate students in good academic standing are eligible for one grant per year.
- All applications are required to have an IRB/IACUC protocol number or a Determination of Research letter from the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Integrity indicating their project does not require review. USG recipients are required to present at the annual UCM Scholars Symposium.
- All applicants are required to submit a budget form as part of their application (see below).
- A maximum of $800 per grant application will be awarded to individual applicants.
- If more than two students are working on the same or closely-related project or if more than two students are making a group presentation at a conference, a maximum of $2000 total can be awarded for the research or travel, regardless of the total number of students participating.
- Students may receive partial funding depending upon demonstrated need, available resources, location (domestic versus international travel), and merit of the proposal as ascertained by criteria identified below.
- Projects must be sponsored by a faculty member who has independently reviewed and affirmed the quality of the work.
We will evaluate USG applications on a rolling basis. Decisions regarding awards are based on the following criteria:
- (1) academic/creative quality of work
- (2) contribution to the field of study, and if applicable
- (3) level of participation at conference, event, or experience
- (4) availability of funds
What are my next steps?
Review USG FAQs
Find answers about eligibility, requirements, and tips to help you prepare a strong application.
Submit a DOR Form
Confirm your project details by submitting the required form to the Office of Undergraduate Research.
Fill Out a Budget Worksheet
Use the budget worksheet to clearly outline the anticipated expenses for your project.
Apply for USG
Once you’re ready, apply for funding to support your research or creative work.
