Application Process

Need funding for your independent project?

Apply through October 28 for the Fall 2024 Undergraduate Research Project Grant! See below for eligibility and details before applying. Funding will be for the 2024-2025 academic year.

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WHAT IS A PROJECT GRANT?

URI’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovation provides students with grant support for undergraduate research, creative, and innovation projects. We invite applications for undergraduate project grants each semester, with funding available to students in the following semester. All grant applications will be submitted through InfoReady Review.

Students may request $1,000 for a one-person project, $1,200 for a two-person team, and $1,400 for a three-person team working on a joint project. These projects require supervision by a faculty sponsor. Proposals for these grants will be reviewed by a faculty panel. Successful proposals will demonstrate initiative, clarity, and feasibility of the proposal.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

All full-time and part-time matriculated undergraduate students in good standing are eligible for funding. Project proposals are encouraged from students in all URI undergraduate majors. Students are eligible for one award each academic year. Please note: Projects that are required as part of coursework, such as Capstone classes, are not eligible for this funding. Grants are not awarded to students who are research assistants on faculty projects without a student-originated project.

HOW DO WE APPLY?

To apply, submit a short proposal including:

● Project Description
● Faculty Mentor Support Letter
● Budget Worksheet and Explanation

All grant applications are submitted through InfoReady Review. 

When submitting, please provide this heading on your proposal: Project Title, Student Name(s), Project Start Date and End Date, and Amount of Funding Requested.

Project Description: Write your description for a general audience, avoiding jargon. Your description should address these questions in 2 to 3 pages:

  1. Goal: What is the overall goal of your project?
  2. Project objectives: what do you hope to achieve, questions you are trying to answer, problems you are trying to solve, or creative/innovative projects you plan to complete?
  3. Project plan: What you will do, when you will do it, and how you will do it? Be very specific. For team projects involving more than one student, please outline what each individual student will be working on.
  4. Your Contribution to the Project Concept: What is your contribution to the development of this project concept? (Please note: the project cannot involve a student merely carrying out the research of a faculty member. The student must make an original contribution, even if the project fits into a faculty member’s overall research program.)
  5. Plans for Results: Who will benefit from your work and how will you share it with others? (For example, presenting your project at a symposium, conference, or performance.)
  6. Value of the Project to You: How does this work fit into your academic or career goals?
  7. Reference List: Provide full citations for any articles referenced in the Project Description. Use whatever citation style is standard for your discipline.

As required by University regulations, research with human participants must be approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and research involving vertebrate animals must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Contact the Office of Research Integrity for assistance at 874-4328. In addition, any proposal for which IRB or IACUC approval is required must say so in the proposal, and also state whether such approval is integral to the project. IRB/IACUC approval needs not be in place prior to applying for a grant. If the project is selected for an award, the applicant will have to provide proof of IACUC or IRB approval before funds are disbursed. The burden of proof for IRB/IACUC approval lies with the applicant(s), and the determination of the selection committee will be final.

Faculty Mentor Support Letter:  Proposals must include a letter of support from a faculty mentor. This letter should include a statement explaining the role the faculty member will play in the project, and in what ways the project constitutes the student’s original work. Faculty should explicitly confirm that students have an original contribution.

Budget Worksheet and Budget Explanation: The proposal must include the budget worksheet and an explanation on a separate page that explains how the funding request will support project activities. The budget must not exceed $1,000 for an individual student, $1,200 for a two-person team and $1,400 for a three-person team. Funds requested for equipment and supplies should be specific (do not ask for miscellaneous supplies) and be for items that are not normally available in your department. Budget figures must be totaled. Eligible expenses include purchasing equipment and materials, books, photocopying, postage, and transportation costs. Travel to conferences will be considered if the student is making a presentation. The maximum amount that will be awarded for travel is $300 and a department match or a match from another funding source is strongly encouraged when requesting funds for conference travel. Any equipment purchased with an award will revert to the department of the faculty sponsor at the conclusion of the project. Photocopying should be estimated at the Campus Copy rate. Ineligible expenses are meals and accommodation, and salary. 

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL

You will be asked to attach two separate files to the application in InfoReady. The first file should include the Project Description and Faculty Mentor Support Letter. The second file should include the Budget Worksheet and Budget Explanation. Please label your documents using this format: Last Name_First Initial_Undergraduate Project and indicate Proposal or Budget [for example: Smith_J_Undergraduate Project Proposal]. For team projects, use each person’s last name only [for example: Smith, Jones, Brown_Undergraduate Project Proposal]. Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis during the application period.

PROJECT OUTCOMES

On completion of a funded project, students are required to submit a Project Completion Report or create a Project Poster Presentation and are strongly encouraged to present their work at a URI undergraduate research event or outside conference. Faculty mentors will review the student report/project poster and provide a brief evaluation of the project. Grantees are requested to cite this support in any publicity or presentations that may result from their project.

QUESTIONS?

Contact URI Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovation – uri2@etal.uri.edu