Undergraduate Research & Creative Works Grants

Application Proposal details

Project Proposal Narrative specifications

2-page maximum (single spaced, Times New Roman, font size 12).

The proposal narrative must be uploaded as a pdf or word doc into the Qualtrics application form.

Project Proposal Narrative (Researchers/creative endeavors): 

If you are applying for research or creative endeavor purposes, please provide a compelling narrative (no more than 2 pages) that includes the following sections that should be included as subheadings in your proposal:

1. Purpose & significance of your project:
   • Describe how your project will contribute to the body of knowledge in your discipline.
2. Project Design and/or Research methods:
   • Describe the procedures and/or project design including any methods/methodology as applicable. Include if your project needs or has already obtained IRB approval for research with human subjects.
3. Oversight and supervision:
   • Describe the level of oversight and supervision that will be provided by the faculty advisor/sponsor or others involved, including frequency of meetings, and level of overall involvement of the sponsor.
4. Timeline
   • Include a timeline of project activities for the semester and  how it will be possible to advance on the project during the period. Can be in a table, bullet pointed list, or narrative.

5. Budget

   • List the amount requested for each of the categories below (list $0 if no funding is requested in that category) along with the breakdown of hours for stipend, breakdown of supplies purchases for supplies grants, and the breakdown of travel or other related expenses for conference, performance, or professional development activities:

• Research/creative endeavor supplies - maximum $1000
• Research/creative endeavor stipends - maximum $1000
• Conference or performance - maximum $1500
• Professional development (i.e trainings, workshops, master classes, professional organizational fees) - maximum $500
• Maximum Total Award Request: $1500

Stipend Requirements and Award Criteria:

Stipends will be awarded based on the available funding, the numbers of applications received, and the quality of the application materials. Students who receive a stipend from OUR will be expected to adhere to all UNC rules and regulations surrounding research and creative endeavors, including issues of plagiarism and rules governing human or animal subject research (e.g. IRB approval, CITI training, etc.). Recipients will be given explicit details of the disbursement and reimbursement process in their award letters.

Supplies funding options

If awarded supplies funding, you will have the option of two different methods of obtaining the funds:

1. Reimbursement directly to you or to the department if the department purchases the supplies specifically for use in your project.  Reimbursement is calculated based off of receipts for supplies purchased. If you have already purchased the supplies, then you will email OUR the receipts or other documentation of those expenses, and OUR will provide the reimbursement directly to you or the department.  If you have not yet purchased the items, you will submit the timeline for the purchase, and OUR can reimburse after the purchase based on submission of receipts via email to our@unco.edu. Supplies must be purchased prior to the end of the grant period for reimbursement purposes.
2. Gift card to be provided in the amount of the award for the supplies requested.  Proof of amount may be required in advance.  Receipts must be submitted after the purchase(s). If the receipts are not submitted for the entire amount of the grant offered, then you my be liable to refund the unspent grant back to UNC. Gift cards should be spent and receipts provided to OUR for the expenses prior to the end of the grant period. (Copies of receipts must be included in the final report).
3. Direct Department Purchase may be allowable in some instances where the supplies need to be purchased by the department in order to be used by the student, or direct department purchase is the most efficient or feasible manner of purchasing the supplies. In this case, the OUR credit card will be used for the purchase, either through OUR directly or through the student's related department (e.g. Biology).  The faculty supervisor must approve this type of purchase. 
4. Reimbursement of other UNC Department may be allowed in certain circumstances for items specifically related to the student's project (and not for items that would be generally available for all students or for the faculty sponsor's specific work, without the applicant's involvement).  

Post-grant reports

Each student who receives funding must prepare and submit a post-grant report at the end of the grant period that provides a summary of the project-related activity, including the ways in which it enhanced the student’s education.  This document will be two to three pages in length and will also include an itemization of the project-related expenses covered by the award.  The report must also include images of receipts or evidence of all expenditures that were covered by the supplies grant. The post-grant report must be submitted no later than 2 weeks after the end of the grant period.  Failure to submit the post-grant report will make you ineligible for future funding from OUR.  If a student abandons the project, or fails to complete the work for which the funding was provided, they must notify OUR, and a refund of the stipend will be required.  

Grant Report Template

The report should be approximately 3 pages (double spaced) in length. You can use the following headings as a template for you document.  Save the report as either a Word .doc or .docx OR as a .pdf and name the document: lastname_firstname_semesteryearawarded (e.g., Smith_John_Fall2020). Please  send  your complete report to our@unco.edu by 2 weeks after the end of the grant period.

1. Semester and year awarded (e.g., Fall 2020):  
2. Student name:
3. Project title: 
4. Faculty sponsor name: 
5. Exact amount of funds received:
   1. Stipend amount:
   2. Supplies amount:
   3. Conference/travel/professional development amount: 
6. Please provide a detailed description of your research-related or creative endeavor activities and how these experiences enhanced your education. Please be as specific and detailed as possible (2 pages). 
7. If your grant included travel, please be very specific about what happened with the travel or conference, and if there are excess/unused funds, you will need to return those funds to UNC (1 page). 
8. If you presented at a conference or participated in a performance or other creative exhibition, please include a description of that experience and what you learned (1 page). 
9. Include an itemization of all the research-related or creative endeavor expenses covered by the funding and provide back-up documentation for all expenses. 
10. Include 2-5 photos of students engaging in the work associated with the grant. Please submit these as .jpg files.

Priority Categories

Stipend Award applications will be prioritized according to the following categories along with the level of independence of the student in regards to the project, the significance of the project, and the clear articulation of project goals: