Faculty at undergraduate institutions like UW-Whitewater may think they are at a competitive disadvantage when applying for federal research grant funding. But the National Science Foundation's Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) program turns a perceived disadvantage into a leg up. The program operates by setting aside a certain amount of funding within each directorate for research proposals from institutions that grant fewer than 10 PhD degrees per year, have a majority undergraduate enrollment, and award baccalaureate degrees in NSF-supported fields. RUI proposals to a particular directorate are evaluated for scientific quality right along with all other proposals so your work must be scientifically competitive. However, directorates work to balance funding between RUI and non-RUI applicant institutions to maintain a diverse funding portfolio that supports undergraduate scientific education.

For more information about NSF's RUI program:

Visit the NSF RUI Program Funding page

For information on an overview on NSF and its various programs, including RUI:

How to get NSF funding: a view from the "inside"

Funding Opportunities at the National Science Foundation Strategies for Success

For a description of the RUI program from the perspective of a Program Directory:

Components of an RUI Proposal

Last updated: July 2012