• New or returning mentors (faculty/staff) are eligible

   • Faculty/staff mentors should be actively engaged in a scholarly or creative project

   • Priority will be given to mentors who have at least two years without mentor grant involement (excluding Group Grants), however all mentors are welcome to apply.

On the Research Scholars Program Application, make sure to select the "Grants for Faculty and Staff Members" category and pick "Research Scholar Program." All application materials are due by 4pm on the following dates.

   • Fall Scholars is due October 7, 2022

   • Spring Scholars is due February 18, 2023

Faculty/Staff submit the following online:

   • 1-2 page proposal with the following information:

        ○ Description of the project for which the research assistant will contribute

        ○ Details on what tasks the research assistant(s) will undertake and an explanation of how this research opportunity will contribute to the research assistant’s understanding of research methods in the applicant’s field

        ○ A description of how the research assistant will be recruited

   • Current CV

   • If you have already identified a potential undergraduate student to serve as a research assistant, please include them as contributing team members on the project in your application.

Projects are reviewed by the Undergraduate Research Program staff and/or council members as needed.

Projects are scored on the following criteria:

   • Application clearly describes the work of the student and relevance to student development

   • The outlined actions are logically connected to research goals, objectives, and outcomes

   • Project is realistic to the time frame, funding amount, and student’s background

   • Project has the potential to lead participating student(s) into future URP grants or student presentations at a future Undergraduate Research Day

   • Each faculty/staff mentor who is awarded a research scholar will select the undergraduate student research assistant, who will be hired through the Undergraduate Research Program

   • The exact terms of employment (i.e. pay rate, number of hours per week, etc.) are to be determined by the mutual agreement between the faculty/staff mentor and the selected student

   • Faculty/staff mentors can decide on a stipend payment to the research assistant(s) or for their pay to be hourly

   • Students do not receive academic credit for being a part of this program

   • All funding must be spent by the third Friday of April

   • Full-year assistantships are only available to Fall term applicants

   • Assistants can be hired through this program for a maximum of one academic year for the entire duration of their college career at UW-Whitewater

   • The student research assistant(s) contributes in tangible and significant ways to the faculty research project and is trained in appropriate research skills

   • For Fall awards, mentors and students are expected to complete a mid-year online survey

   • All recipients are expected to complete an online final survey at the end of the academic year

   • Student Research Assistants are encouraged to present results at Fall Undergraduate Research Day and consider applying for a URP grant to continue the project in the following academic year as appropriate

The Following Students Are Ineligible:

   • Students who have applied for another Undergraduate Research award (Fall or Spring grant, SURF, RAP, Research Scholars)

   • Students who have received an Undergraduate Research award (Fall or Spring grant, SURF, RAP, Research Scholars)

On the Group Grant Application, make sure to select the "Grants for Faculty and Staff Members" category and pick "Group Grant." All application materials are due by 4pm on the following dates.

   • Fall Group Grant is due October 20, 2022

   • Spring Group Grant is due February 1, 2023

Faculty/Staff submit the following online:

   • Description of the research project/scholarly activity and its merit

   • Expected number of students involved in the project supported by the Group Grant

   • Presentation/competition event at the conclusion of the project (date, location, and other details as appropriate)

   • If this is part of a course, please include the course syllabus (optional)

   • CV of faculty/staff and/or co-leaders

   • Estimated budget of the project

         ○ Project activities can include student(s) not eligible for a Group Grant but budgetary support cannot be requested for such students

         ○ URP contribution to this budget is limited to 30% of the total budget, and cannot exceed $500 times the number of students eligible for support (whichever is lower)

         ○ Budget must include travel for presentation

Projects are reviewed by Undergraduate Research Council members and faculty/staff as needed.

Projects are scored on the following criteria.

   • Clearly outlined project with outlined actions logically connected to research goals, objectives, and outcomes

   • Project is realistic given the time frame and the amount of funding

   • Budget follows guidelines and is cost-effective

Permitted Expenditures:

   • Materials for conducting research project (software, equipment, supplies, etc.)

   • Books (no more than $100.00 per grant)

   • Conference presentation travel

   • Publication fees

Prohibited Expenditures:

   • Salary/wages for students, mentors, and/or participants

   • Furniture

*All materials purchased with grant funds belong to the university. Funds must be spent following university guidelines and within the university's fiscal year. For more information see our Grant Purchasing Page.

   • The student research assistant(s) contributes in tangible and significant ways to the faculty research project and is trained in appropriate research skills

   • The group must present at an on campus AND off-campus presentation/competition/conference (if funds are requested for travel purposes).

   • Students participating in the Group Grant are encouraged to present the group's research at Spring Undergraduate Research Day

Eligible Students Must:

• Be a single author on project. No group projects are eligible for this award
• Have sophomore status or higher at the time of application
• Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 at the time of application
• Be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student during project completion
• Have the project endorsed by a faculty/staff member holding at least a 50% appointment
• Preference will be given to students who are returning to UW Whitewater for an entire academic year
• Preference will be given to students working with a Faculty member returning to UW-Whitewater for the next academic year
• Preference will be given to students who have not received a SURF grant in the past

The Following Students Are Ineligible:

• Current or upcoming McNair Scholar students
• Students enrolled in course credit for summer research projects
• Group projects

On the SURF Application, make sure to select the "Grants for Student Researchers" category and pick "Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)." All application materials (including the mentor recommendation) are due by 4pm on the following date.

   • SURF UWW Grant is due April 28th, 2023

Students Submit The Following Online:

   • A proposal up to 15,000 characters including the following sections:

        ○ A statement of goals and objectives for the project with a clear research question appropriate for the discipline.

             ◘ One for the upcoming summer and another for the upcoming academic year.

             ◘ The two sets of goals and objectives should be connected as the summer work should inform the academic year work.

             ◘ An outline of the method or design for carrying out the project including participants, data collection, and analysis procedures (should be the largest section of the proposal).

             ◘ A statement of the anticipated significance of results (i.e. briefly describe possible outcomes of the project and why they are likely to be of interest).

             ◘ A brief explanation of the preparedness to undertake the project.

             ◘ A statement of how this research will continue into the academic year and how it aligns into your future career or postgraduate study plans.

   • A complete timeline using the template below (include step-by-step actions to meet the goals, objectives, and results of the project in both the summer and academic year):

        ○ Timeline template

   • A complete itemized budget and justification using the template provided below

        ○ Budget template

        ○ All supplies should be listed with their estimated costs, justification, and web link if applicable

        ○ Travel costs must comply with university travel reimbursement requirements

        ○ Budget should not exceed the funds of the project

        ○ Funds over the $500 limit should have an explanation of where the additional funding is coming from (i.e. mentor's external grant funds, department funds, personal funds, etc.)

        ○ Names of two individuals for letters of recommendation, one of which should be the student’s mentor

Mentors provide the following to students:

   • One-page letter endorsing the student, the feasibility of the project, the scholarly merit of the research, the mentor's commitment to supervise this project, and the experience of the mentor in supervising student research and/or creative inquiry projects

Second reference provides the following:

   • Letter of recommendation from any instructor or employer

        ○ Should address the scholarly merits of this project and the personal or academic background of the applicant

NOTE: This page provides information on the SURF UWW program. You may apply to both the SURF UWW and SURF CBR programs, but be aware that each program has different requirements, so be sure to adjust any application materials accordingly.

Applications will be reviewed by members of the Undergraduate Research Council. The review committee may ask select applicants to provide revised proposals before further evaluations are made. Up to 30 finalists will be invited to a 20-minute interview with the selection committee. The selection committee will evaluate fellowship applications on the following criteria and will also consider representation of different disciplines among the supported summer fellowships.

   • The applicant demonstrates that the project is feasible and has scholarly or creative merit

   • The applicant demonstrates that they will acquire significant new skills or experiences as a result of this project

   • The applicant presents a clear and compelling case for how the fellowship will allow them to continue their undergraduate research during the academic school year and how this summer fellowship will contribute to their career or post-graduate study plans

   • The applicant demonstrates that they can successfully complete the 10-week fellowship

   • The applicant is prepared for the fellowship (coursework, experience, etc.)

   • Letters of support from the applicant's mentor and proposed community partner attest to the merit of this project

   • Mentor letter demonstrates enthusiasm, appropriate experience, and time commitment to supervise this project

Please address any questions to the Undergraduate Research Program at urp@uww.edu.

  • Stipend

   • Materials for conducting research project (software, equipment, supplies, etc.)

   • Books (no more than $100.00 per grant)

   • Conference presentation travel

   • Publication fees

*Stipends will be taxed. If more than one student is working on the SURF project, the study team will need to provide a plan for how the $2,500 will be distributed among the students.

*All materials purchased with grant funds belong to the university. Funds must be spent following university guidelines and within the university's fiscal year. For more information see our Grant Purchasing Page.

Awarded Students Must:

   • Attend a grant orientation meeting

   • Submit a brief report, which includes findings, by the end september to the URP Director (if awarded, the urp will contact you with more information).

   • Devote 10 weeks of part-time effort (20 hours per week) to their project (NEW! SUMMER 2023)

        ○ If they hold any other employment(for more than 20 hrs) and/or take any courses during the period of their fellowship they must submit a separate document along with the application detailing their summer obligations and how they will fulfill the goals of their fellowship

        ○ This document must be approved by their project mentor(s) and the director of URP

   • Complete documentation of the summer project throughout the summer and provide the documentation to URP by the end of August or specified deadlines

   • Commit to continuation/extension of their summer projects during the academic year

   • Submit an abstract and present results at both Fall and Spring UW-Whitewater Undergraduate Research Day Program

   • Attend a travel orientation meeting

   • Submit an abstract and present work at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) or the University of Wisconsin Symposium

   • Complete a web survey at the end of the academic year

   • Become a member of the Student Undergraduate Research Organization (SURO)

   • If research involves human or animal subjects, you must hold or obtain approval from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP). Undergraduate Research Program award funds will not be disbursed to you until you provide the appropriate protocol number from ORSP to URP.

        ○ Human Research Compliance Policies and Process

        ○ Animal Research Compliance Policies and Process

If Awarded a Grant, Mentors Must:

   • Provide student(s) with mentorship throughout the research project

   • Provide student(s) with feedback on required abstracts and presentations

   • Complete a web survey at the end of the academic year

Students must be enrolled in an international travel-study course that requires intensive research/scholarly/creative project(s) of all students enrolled, irrespective of their individual URP grant status.

On the Travel Study Application, make sure to select the "Grants for Faculty and Staff Members" category and pick "Travel Study Grant." All application materials are due by 4pm on the following dates.

   • For Spring Semester travel (Jan - May): October 20th

   • For Fall Semester travel (Sept - Dec): February 1st

   • For summer travel (June - Aug): Consult with URP Director

Faculty/Staff submit the following online:

   • A clear description of the research/scholarly/creative activities that the students are expected to conduct for their projects, the skills they are expected to gain, and how the activities are aligned with the stated course learning goals.

         ○ An explanation of why such activities must be conducted while traveling abroad as opposed to on-campus or over the internet.

   • A course syllabus showing the percentage of the total course grade that counts towards research/scholarly/creative activities.

         ○ Expected outcomes/artifacts from the research project(s).

         ○ Potential dissemination opportunities, as well as opportunities to sustain the project(s) beyond the specified travel dates.

   • The CV of the faculty/staff leader and any co-leader(s) highlighting relevant experiences, publications, and qualifications to supervise the proposed international project.

   • Expected number of students involved in the course

         ○ For courses with travel dates in January, the student names and IDs should also be included with the application.

         ○ For courses with travel dates in May or later, student names and IDs should be provided to URP in as soon as the final list of registered students is made available.

   • Estimated budget for the trip

         ○ Budget template 

         ○ Equipment or consumables for required course research

         ○ Group travel expenses (no funds will be allocated to individual students)

         ○ URP contribution to this budget is limited to 30% of the total budget, and cannot exceed $500 times the number of students eligible for support (whichever is lower)

Projects are reviewed by Undergraduate Research Council members and faculty/staff as needed.

Projects are scored on the following criteria:

    • Course clearly requires travel for intensive international research/scholarly/creative project(s)

    • Syllabus clearly outlines rigorous research project(s) and the outlined activities are logically connected to course learning objectives and outcomes

    • Project(s) is realistic given the time frame and the amount of funding

    • Budget follows guidelines and is cost-effective

*Based on availability of funds and number of qualified applications, the URP Director will determine the final award amount.

Permitted Expenditures:

    • Materials for conducting research project(s) (software, equipment, supplies, etc.)

    • Group travel expenses (group airfare purchased via Fox World Travel, payment to travel vendors, etc.), to bring down the total cost of the travel study course. No funds will be allocated to individual students

Prohibited Expenditures:

    • Salary/wages for students, mentors, and/or participants

    • Furniture

*All materials purchased with grant funds belong to the university. Funds must be spent following regular university guidelines and within the university's fiscal year. For more information see our Grant Purchasing Page.

If awarded, all students enrolled must:

    • Attend a travel orientation meeting

    • Submit a group abstract and present results at Spring UW-Whitewater Undergraduate Research Day

    • Complete a web survey at the end of the academic year

    • If research will entail or entails human or animal subjects, you must hold or obtain approval from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP). Undergraduate Research Program award funds will not be disbursed to you until you provide the appropriate protocol number from ORSP to URP.

        ○ Human Research Compliance Policies and Process

        ○ Animal Research Compliance Policies and Process

If awarded a grant, faculty/staff must:

    • Provide students with mentorship throughout the research project

    • Provide students with feedback on required abstracts and presentations

    • Complete a web survey at the end of the academic year

    • Submit a summary of outcomes of the travel-study research projects.

    • Provide representative samples of student research/scholarly/creative artifacts for promotion, display, or other purposes

• What is it?
  • The Sustainability Award supports students who are engaged in research dealing with environmental and sustainability issues.
• Who is eligible?
  • The proposed research can be conducted by either a single or multiple student investigators who are working with a faculty or staff mentor.
  • All rules governing Undergraduate Research Grant projects apply to recipients of the Sustainability Award.
  • Multiple awards may be given each grant competition period.
• How to submit.
  • The itemized budget must provide details on costs related to the research project. This award will provide up to $500 in addition to the $500 from the URP (total award up to $1000)
  • To apply for this grant, fill out the UR Grant application and check the appropriate box for funding in the survey

What is it?

   • The Discovery Endowment Award supports students who are engaged in course-based research projects.

   • Students enrolled in an Independent Study (Research 498 (R)), Honors Thesis, or a Research Methods course may request up to $500 in approved research-related expenses in addition to the $500 maximum research budget allowed under the Undergraduate Research Grant.

   • The proposed project can be conducted by either single or multiple student investigators (with one student applicant clearly identified as the lead student investigator).

   • All rules governing Undergraduate Research Grant projects apply to recipients of the Discovery Endowment Awards. Only one Discovery Endowment Award may be offered per academic year.

Who is eligible?

   • Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above (note this is higher than the minimum GPA requirement of a regular Undergraduate Research Grant) as stipulated by the donor of the award.

   • Student must be enrolled in an Independent Study (Research 498 (R)), Honors Thesis, or a Research Methods course.

How to submit!

   • The itemized budget must provide a clear justification for the need of a larger budget (up to $1,000 instead of $500 total).

   • The letter of support from the mentor must clearly indicate the student applicant(s) is enrolled in 498(R) or a specific Research Methods course during the semester of the grant application.

   • To apply for this grant, fill out our UR Grant/SURF application and check the appropriate box for this funding!

What is it?

   • A total of six awards are available per academic year, and each award request can be up to $500 in research budget (on top of any other grant budget request).

   • Applicants are selected among eligible and successful undergraduate research proposals that show high quality of research and justification for increased research budget.

Who is eligible?

   • Biology majors conducting Biological Sciences research.

   • Students with at least a sophomore standing.

   • Students with an overall GPA of 3.0 or above.

How to submit!

   • To apply for this grant, fill out our UR Grant/SURF application and check the appropriate box for this funding!

*If you are interested in applying, please email the Undergraduate Research staff at urp@uww.edu. Applications are reviewed by the URP staff.

Who is eligible?

   • A registered student at UW-Whitewater.

   • All candidates must be a native of Wisconsin (preference given to candidates from Wautoma, WI).

   • Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.

   • The candidate may be a sophomore, junior, or senior at the time of application.

   • Students need an approved faculty mentor as part of URP and must be conducting academic research.

   • The candidate should submit a completed application a semester prior to receiving the scholarship.

Selection process

   • The selection of the candidate(s) will be made by the Director of the Undergraduate Research Program, with input from other appropriate persons with regard to finalist candidates and the criteria below must be adhered to.

   • After finalist candidates are selected, if there is a candidate from Wautoma (Waushara County), that candidate will receive the scholarship.

   • To be considered as a finalist candidate, student(s) must have a superior research project proposal, provide prior evidence to suggest high-caliber work will be completed, and have a demonstrated passion for research.

How to submit!

   • To apply for this grant, fill out our UR Grant/SURF application and check the appropriate box for this funding!

DUE TO LACK OF FUNDING, THIS GRANT HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! Please email the URP director for further questions.

What is it?

   • A thesis-like capstone project is an in-depth and ambitious project typically conducted in the senior year of a student's college career.

   • Provides an additional $500 for each grant.

    • The thesis or thesis-like project must result in an outcome that is significantly greater than the outcomes expected from regular UR projects.

Who is eligible?

   • Students conducting a thesis-like capstone project that need additional financial support (i.e. beyond the normal $500 Undergraduate Research Grant budget).

   • Students can only request one such thesis-like supplement in the course of their college career.

How to submit!

   • Address in a proposal why the proposed project is equivalent to a thesis project in its scope and/or deliverables and thus, merits special consideration for extra funding.

   • A mentor must also address this issue in a letter of support.

   • Appropriate documentation(s) to provide evidence that the project is more advanced than an average project.

   • To apply for this grant, fill out our UR Grant/SURF application and check the appropriate box for this funding! (Application is closed)

*One award available per student

Temporarily closed due to budget restrictions

What is it?

   • Up to $800 are available to support travel for each of ten awards in total awarded annually.

   • This award supports and encourages research by our most talented undergraduate researchers.

   • The specific goal of this program is to provide support for students to travel with a faculty mentor to a national, international or (less preferred) regional professional meeting to make a research presentation (either oral or poster).

   • This program is intended to complement the experience students gain by presenting at NCUR through the support of the Undergraduate Research Program. It is particularly suitable for students who have already presented at NCUR.

Who is eligible?

   • Students must be enrolled full-time in a College of Business and Economics major.

   • Applicants must be juniors or seniors.

   • Students need a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher.

   • Mentors must be on the College of Business and Economics tenure-track, tenured faculty, OR academic staff members holding at least a 50% appointment. If there is an excess of grant applications, the following criteria will be considered in awarding travel grants:

        ○ Student GPA

        ○ Student interest/success in research (participation in the UW-Whitewater Undergraduate Research Program and work toward a research-based honors thesis are especially relevant here)

        ○ Faculty history of successful mentoring of research students (including student authorship on publications, student conference presentations or other relevant activities)

        ○ Distribution of funds among mentors and departments/programs

        ○ Travel arrangement is cost-effective

How to submit!

   • Requests will be accepted in each academic year from July 15 to March 15.

   • Support for faculty travel should be requested through the College Professional Development Plan, or funded extramurally.

   • Faculty must request funds on behalf of student presenters using the form available here.

   • Please also paste copies of the student's unofficial transcript, student's CV, a description of the research project/scholarly activity to be presented (highlighting the student's role), and a brief mentor CV into the Word file containing the form.

   • Email this file as an attachment to the Undergraduate Research Program (urp@uww.edu) as early as possible. When sending the respective email, please insert "CoBE Student Travel Award Application" in the subject line.

   • For faculty, all out-of-state travel must receive prior approval from the College. Please use the form provided here and submit it to Dean Dr. John Chenoweth (Hyland Hall 4300B) for approval before out-of-state travel commences. Applicants should NOT finalize travel arrangements (i.e. purchase plane ticket, register for conference, etc.) before approval.

Reimbursement

   • Travel must be completed and reimbursement forms submitted by June 20 of the academic year in question.

   • All reimbursements must follow state and UW System guidelines as described by the UW-Whitewater Travel Information Office.

   • All forms must be turned in the Undergraduate Research Program office, McCutchan 12, via hard copy. Please see our FAQ page for additional information: FAQ.

What is it?

   • Up to $800 are available to support travel for each of ten awards in total awarded annually.

   • This award supports and encourages research by our most talented undergraduate researchers.

   • The specific goal of this program is to provide financial support for students to travel with a faculty mentor to a national, international or (less preferred) regional professional conference to formally present their research (as part of either a panel or a poster session).

   • This program is intended to complement the experience students gain by presenting at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research.

Who is eligible?

   • Students must be enrolled full-time in a College of Letters and Sciences major.

   • Applicants must be juniors or seniors.

   • Students need a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher.

   • Mentors must be College of Letters and Sciences tenure-track, tenured faculty, or academic staff members holding at least a 50% appointment. Support for faculty travel should be requested through the College Professional Development Plan, or funded extramurally. The following criteria will be considered in awarding travel grants:

        ○ Student GPA

        ○ Role of student in research project/scholarly activity and presentation

        ○ Student interest/success in research (participation in the UW-Whitewater Undergraduate Research Program for multiple years and work toward a research-based honors thesis are especially relevant here)

        ○ Faculty history of successful mentoring of research students (including student authorship on publications, student conference presentations or other relevant activities)

        ○ Faculty mentor must attend conference with student presenter

        ○ Only one student per paper/presentation will be funded

        ○ Distribution of funds among mentors and departments/programs

        ○ Cost-effectiveness of travel arrangements

How to submit!

   • Requests will be accepted on a rolling basis, but application materials must be received no later than 90 days before the scheduled conference travel.

   • Faculty mentors must submit the L&S Travel Award application on behalf of their student presenters using the form available here.

   • Please also paste copies of the student's unofficial transcript, student's CV, a description of the research project/scholarly activity to be presented (highlighting the student's role), and a brief mentor CV into the Word file containing the form. 

   • Also, when possible, provide a copy of the preliminary conference program that lists the student's role as a presenter. In special cases, where such documentation is not yet available when applying, an exception may be considered. However, in order to receive the award, such documentation MUST be provided. Please email the complete application file as an attachment, to the Undergraduate Research Program (urp@uww.edu) as early as possible. When sending the respective email, please insert "L&S Student Travel Award Application" in the subject line.

   • The Director will make recommendations to the L&S Associate Dean. Award decisions will be announced by email as soon as possible and awards are available until funds are exhausted.

   • Following official university policy, ALL travel arrangements must be completed with the Fox World Travel Agency. Therefore, applicants should NOT finalize travel arrangements (i.e. purchase plane tickets, register for conference, etc.) with other vendors as official policy will not allow them to be reimbursed. Should you have any questions about this travel policy, please refer to UW-Whitewater's Financial Services Policies about travel here. For general questions, please inquire with the Travel Office by email travel@uww.edu or call 262-472-1331.

   • All airfare must be purchased using the Concur booking tool or by calling Fox World Travel 866-230-8787. PLEASE inquire with the Travel Office with any questions on traveling because if policies are not followed, you WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED.

Reimbursement

   • Once you have been notified that you are an award recipient, you will need to complete an electronic Travel Authorization form. This must be completed at least two weeks prior to your travel. To learn more about this, go to this site and scroll down to How to create a travel authorization. Should you have questions about how to proceed, please work with your mentor who will likely be able to assist.

   • Upon return from your conference, you will need to submit an electronic expense report, also known as an eTER, in order to get fully reimbursed. All eTERs must be submitted no later than June 15th of the academic year in question.

   • All reimbursements must follow state and UW System guidelines as described by the UW-Whitewater Travel Information Office. Please see our FAQ page for additional information: FAQ.