URiCA Academic Year Grant (Procedure #737.A)

This procedure outlines the call for proposals (CFP) for the Undergraduate Research, Innovative, and Creative Activities (URiCA) Academic Year Grants.

Director, URiCA

Academic Year Grant: A grant opportunity for undergraduate students and their mentors, sponsored by the URiCA Program. Work on these grants will begin at the start of the new academic year (late August/early September) and continue through the end of the academic year (mid-May).

IACUC: The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee is a federally mandated committee responsible for overseeing an institution’s animal care program, procedures, and facilities to ensure the ethical and humane treatment of laboratory animals.

IRB: The Institutional Review Board is an administrative body responsible for protecting the rights, safety, and welfare of human subjects involved in research.

Mentor: A faculty or staff member hired by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with expertise in the area of a student's project.

Project: Any research, innovative, or creative endeavor undertaken by a student and their mentor and funded by URiCA.

URiCA: The Undergraduate Research, Innovative, and Creative Activities Program funds projects for students across all disciplines at UW-Whitewater.

A)   Eligibility

1. Any student from any major is eligible to apply as Principal Investigator (PI). Applications from research teams working on the same project are welcome and may be submitted together as co-Principal Investigators (co-PIs). The Undergraduate Research, Innovative, and Creative Activities (URiCA) Program has not established research priorities; therefore, we will consider applications from all disciplines.
2. The URiCA Program will provide funding for the projects that are awarded.
   1. Up to $750 per student per project with a maximum allowed amount of $1,500 for research supplies, materials, travel expenses, and more.  All policies of the Universities of Wisconsin and UW-Whitewater regarding spending will be followed, and no exceptions to these rules will be permitted.

B)   Timeline

1. Application Deadline: Submit applications electronically to URP@uww.edu by the end of the day on April 15th.
2. Notification: The URiCA Program will inform all students and mentors listed in the proposal of its decision by May 15th,
3. Award Period: Applications for the Academic Year Grant competition are due by April 15th. The expenditure period runs from September 1st through April 30th. The Universities of Wisconsin and UW-Whitewater have set fixed cutoff dates for certain purchases; these dates cannot be changed. Expenditures are only permitted for the proposed project and cannot be used to support other projects or future mentor projects.

C)   Application Materials     

1. Applications must include the following:
   1. Cover Letter: Include a project title, the student(s) name(s), department(s), major(s), and mentor(s) name(s) and department(s). The rest of the application should omit any names or identifying details to ensure a blind review process.
   2. Summary: A short paragraph providing an overview of the project and its significance. This paragraph will serve as the cover page for the application narrative, which will be submitted to reviewers.
   3. Project Narrative: This section must not exceed six pages, are single-spaced, using a 12-point font with one-inch margins.
      1. Project’s Research Question or Creative Purpose: A brief statement that clearly states the research question, creative purpose, or primary goal of the project.
      2. Significance of the Project: A description of how this project aligns within the broader discipline-specific field. This may include, but is not limited to, a review of scientific literature, a summary of other creative works in the proposed discipline, etc.
      3. Project Methods: A section describing the methods needed to complete the project.
      4. Project Goals: A clear outline of specific objectives or steps necessary to address the research question or complete the creative project. Include a tentative schedule showing when these goals are expected to be met.
      5. Project Budget (with justification of expenses): A detailed outline of how funds will be allocated for this project. Each item must include a description of its purpose and explain how the expense supports achieving one of the project's goals.
   4. Reference List: A collection of sources used to complete the proposal.
   5. AI Disclosure Statement: Refer to URiCA’s AI Usage Policy below. In this part of the proposal, include the following: 1) the name of the Generative AI system; 2) the strategy used (e.g., editing grammar, translating transcripts from your non-native language to your native language, generating ideas, etc.); 3) prompts used; and 4) a list of sections containing AI-generated content.
   6. Mentor(s) Letter of Recommendation: All mentors involved in the project must submit a recommendation letter to URiCA for both the project and the student(s) participating. Please emphasize the importance of the project and the students’ ability to complete it on time in the letter.

D. Apply

1. Student(s): Submit the completed proposal as a single Word Document or PDF to urp@uww.edu with the subject line (P.I. Last Name) AYG Application. Applications must be received by the end of the day on April 15th.
2. Mentor(s): Please email the completed letter of recommendation as a Word Document or PDF to urp@uww.edu with the subject line (P.I. Last Name) AYG Application LOR. Recommendations must be received by the end of the day on April 15th.
3. URiCA staff will review your application within 48 business hours and send you an acknowledgment of receipt. If any parts are missing, you will be notified and have 48 business hours to respond. Applications not submitted within 48 business hours of notification will be rejected.

E. Review

1. Subject Review: URiCA will select at least one content expert to evaluate the proposal and rate it based on the following.
   1. Is the proposed project relevant to the field of study?
   2. Are the proposed methods for completing the research project sound according to current practices in the field?
   3. Will the proposed project generate original data, investigate a new question, or conduct secondary research that advances the broader field of study?
   4. Is the student ready to finish the proposed project by the deadlines outlined in the proposal?
      1. Review by URiCA/ORSP: At least one member of the URiCA/ORSP team will also assess the proposal and assign a rating based on the following:
         1. The same questions mentioned earlier.
         2. The application clearly defines the project's deliverables and expected outcomes.
         3. Do the student(s) and mentor(s) meet the URiCA criteria for the proposed project?

F. Award Notifications

1. Awarded proposals will be notified by May 15th.
2. Award Responsibilities
   1. All students and mentors involved in awarded projects must agree to the following:
      1. Before beginning work on the project (ideally between May 15 and September 1), students and mentors must:
         • Watch an AYG Orientation video made by the URiCA team.
         • Finish a Responsible Conduct of Research course.
         • If working with human subjects, complete a course in social, behavioral, and educational sciences.
         • When working with human subjects, ensure an approved protocol is on file with the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
         • If you work in the biomedical field, think about taking a Biomedical Sciences Research course.
         • Fill out an obligation form, agree to the SURF grant responsibilities, and submit demographic data for URiCA records.
      2. Grant Period Obligations. Grant personnel will:
         • Notify URiCA of any changes to the project's scope or expenses; these must be submitted in writing to URiCA before implementation. URiCA reserves the right to deny any of these requests.
         • Inform URiCA in writing if any student registers for research hours (e.g., 498, 498, 498R, 499 courses) to earn credit toward this project.
         • Reply quickly to any messages from URiCA, preferably within two business days.
         • Complete your end-of-year review of your experience with URiCA.
         • Present at UW-W’s Spring URiCA Symposium in April.
         • If invited, present their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR).
         • Present their research at the Universities of Wisconsin’s Research Symposium.
         • If invited, present at Research in the Rotunda, Science Alliance meetings, or other events held on campus or across the state. We encourage students to take advantage of these opportunities.
         • Notify URiCA of any additional professional presentations, published work, or public displays or showings related to the funded proposal.
         • Submit an extended abstract (2,500 to 4,000 words) to URiCA by the end of the Spring semester (i.e., May 15th). These abstracts will be stored on URiCA’s website to archive the projects completed in the program.

G) URiCA AI Usage Policy
 
See UWW Policy 736: URiCA AI Usage with respect to the URiCA Academic Year Grants program.

First approved: May 14, 2026

May 2031

Questions regarding the interpretation of this procedure should be directed to:

John Frye

Director, URiCA Program

fryej@uww.edu

262-472-1268