Apply for Faculty Grants
Faculty Grants Guide
How to Apply for Faculty Grants
Step 1
Prepare your proposal and submit your application, using the secure and accessible online forms linked on this site.
Step 2
Account Managers (named in the application) will be alerted to your submission and asked to verify speedtype (ST) information.
Step 3
UROP will follow-up with applicants and account managers as needed. Check out Faculty Grant Payment for details.
Step 4
Proposals are evaluated in a blind review process by members of the UROP Review Board after the application deadline.
Step 5
Decision notices are sent from urop@colorado.edu near the end of the spring term; UROP encourages you to add us as a "safe sender."
Check your eligibility to apply.
Students
Students must be full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates at the University of Colorado Boulder based on the following enrollment guidelines. All students grants must be supervised by an eligible faculty mentor.
- Academic Year term applicants must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours in the fall and spring semesters.
- Summer term applicants must not graduate before the end of the summer term, but are not required to be enrolled in credit-bearing coursework in the summer.
Faculty
Tenured/tenure-track, research faculty and contract instructors at the University of Colorado Boulder are eligible to mentor Student Grants and apply for Faculty Grants.
Graduate students or post-docs may serve in a supervisory role on student grants, but the faculty mentor must provide some direct mentoring to the undergraduate.
Special Circumstances
Students may not receive UROP funding for CUREs (course-embedded research)—that is, they are enrolled in a course with a research component. Students may earn course credit for their project activities while receiving UROP funding in the following circumstances:
- The student is enrolled in an independent study course with their mentor.
- The student is enrolled in a thesis or thesis prep. course.
Students graduating in the Fall Term (December) may apply for Academic Year Grants if they meet all other eligibility criteria and should be aware the following guidelines:
- Fall graduates will only be awarded half the value of the grant funding amount.
- Students must indicate the intent to graduate in the Fall when applying.
- The Final Survey deadline will be earlier for students graduating in the Fall term (December).
Students pursuing concurrent Bachelor’s/Master’s degrees are eligible for UROP funding until they transition to “graduate status." Students should consult with their departmental advisors about their program guidelines before applying for UROP funding.
Because UROP Grants are categorized as income, all student-athletes regardless of sport or scholarship status, may receive funding without financial aid implications. But student-athletes must report the award to CU Athletics.
We are committed to ensuring access to funding for ASSET/DACA students. Currently, ASSET/DACA students are not required to complete any additional paperwork to receive funding.
International students may apply for UROP Grants if they meet all other eligibility criteria, and should be aware the following guidelines:
- Student stipends offered by UROP are classified as fellowships and are not considered employee compensation.
- "Nonresident aliens" (a potentially offensive legal term used here to align with state and federal law) are subject to federal income tax withholding; thus, should schedule an appointment a university International Tax Specialist. The university is required to report the payments on the federal form 1042-S.
- Students without a social security number will need to apply for one to complete the payroll enrollment process even if they have an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN).
Students may not receive concurrent funding from CU Boulder's Biological Sciences Initiative (BSI) but may withdraw accepted UROP grants to participate in BSI.
Plan your application and project timelines.
UROP applications are reviewed and awarded annually. Applicants may apply for funding in the summer and/or academic year "grant terms" at the same time.
UROP does not offer fall or spring-only grants, but students graduating in December may apply for academic year funding.
Summer
May to August
Summer term proposal timelines should span most of the award period (from the end of the Spring term to the beginning of the Fall term) and come to a distinct, if not final, conclusion by the end of the term.
Academic Year
August to May
Academic Year term proposal timelines should span most of the award period (from the beginning of the Fall term to the end of the Spring term) and come to a distinct, if not final, conclusion by the end of the term.
Multiple Submissions
Applicants may submit proposals for more than one grant term, but they must submit separate applications for each and should know that all proposals are reviewed and awarded separately.
Continuing Projects
Applicants may submit proposals for projects that extend beyond the grant term, but all proposals should come to a distinct, if not final, conclusion by the end of the term.
Limitations
There is no limit on the total number of UROP grants applicants may receive, but students may not receive concurrent funding from CU Boulder's Biological Sciences Initiative (BSI).
Students may withdraw from UROP to join BSI.
Confirm policy compliance.
Human Subjects
Projects involving human subjects may require approval by the IRB and involve additional steps in the application and award process.
Students: Talk to you mentor as soon as possible and review the resources and guidelines on the IRB website.
Additional Prompts
Have you completed training in human subject research (IRB)?
- Yes: Attach your IRB training completion certificate.
- No: 100 words maximum: Explain your plan to complete the IRB training requirements for human subject testing.
Have you completed training in human subject research (IRB)?
- Yes: Attach your IRB training completion certificate.
- No: 100 words maximum: Explain your plan to complete the IRB training requirements for human subject testing.
Has your project been approved by the IRB?
- Yes: Attach your IRB approval.
- No: 100 words maximum: Explain your plan to receive IRB approval for your project, noting how you will identify and protect subjects during and after the project.
Has your project been approved by the IRB?
- Yes: Attach your IRB approval.
- No: 100 words maximum: Explain your plan to ensure all students complete the IRB training requirements for human subject testing and the project receives IRB approval, noting how you will identify and protect subjects during and after the project.
Animal Subjects
Projects involving animal subjects may require approval by the IACUC and involve additional steps in the application and award process.
Students: Talk to your mentor as soon as possible and review the resources and guidelines on the IACUC website.
Additional Prompts
Have you completed training the care and use of animals (IACUC)?
- Yes: Attach your IACUC training completion certificate.
- No: 100 words maximum: Explain your plan to complete the IACUC training requirements for non-human animal subject testing.
Have you completed training the care and use of animals (IACUC)?
- Yes: Attach your IACUC training completion certificate.
- No: 100 words maximum: Explain your plan to complete the IACUC training requirements for non-human animal subject testing.
Has your project been approved by the IACUC?
- Yes: Attach your IACUC approval.
- No: 100 words maximum: Explain your plan to receive IACUC approval for your project, noting how you will identify and protect subjects during and after the project.
Has your project been approved by the IACUC?
- Yes: Attach your IACUC approval.
- No: 100 words maximum: Explain your plan to ensure all students complete the IACUC training requirements for non-human animal subject testing and the project receives IACUC approval, noting how you will identify and protect subjects during and after the project.
NSF and NIH Projects
Students participating in projects with NSF or NIH funding must complete appropriate training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR).
Students: Talk to you mentor as soon as possible and review the resources and guidelines on the RCR website.
Additional Prompts
Have you completed training in the responsible conduct of research (RCR)?
- Yes: Attach your RCR training completion certificate.
- No: 100 words maximum: Explain your plan to complete the RCR training requirements for working on NSF and/or NIH-funded research.
100 words maximum: Explain your plan to ensure all students complete the RCR training requirements for working on NSF and/or NIH-funded research.
Travel
We are currently reviewing our travel policy and will post updates here as information is available.
See how proposals are scored.
Proposals are evaluated in a double-blind review process to ensure applicants receive fair and informed evaluations of their proposed projects and comply with university policy.
UROP encourages faculty to serve on the Review Board to evaluate proposals, learn more about the process and help ensure timely decisions—even if they plan to mentor or apply for funding.
Project Categories
Proposals are evaluated by one of six UROP Review Board sub-committees based on the following project categories (selected at the time of application).
- Arts and Humanities
- Business
- Education
- Life/Bio-Sciences
- Math, Physical Sciences and Engineering
- Social and Behavioral Sciences
Check out the Grant Directory for examples.
Ensuring Blind Review
Proposals must not contain the student's or mentor's personal information (name and gender) to ensure the integrity of blind review.
Make these substitutions in your proposal:
- "student" for the student's name
- "mentor" for the mentor's name
- "additional supervisor" for the supervisor's name
- "lab/research team" for the team's name
- "they" for gendered pronouns (s/he)
Faculty Grant Review Criteria
UROP faculty grants are scored based on the value of the proposed student learning experiences and the potential to advance inclusive excellence.
Learning Experiences
Rate the overall quality of the proposal based on the value of the learning experiences provided.
Inclusive Excellence
Rate the overall quality of the proposal based on the potential to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.