Review Process and Criteria
Proposals are evaluated in a double-blind review process conducted by members of the UROP Review Board based on these criteria to help ensure applicants receive fair and informed evaluations of their proposed projects and conform to the highest ethical standards.
UROP encourages faculty to serve on the UROP 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. Reviewers have the option to recuse themselves from proposals that present a conflict of interest.
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, faculty mentor, or additional supervisor's personal information (name and gender) to help ensure the integrity of blind review. Applicant information will be separated in the review process.
Make the following 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)
Team Grant Review Criteria
Reviewers are asked to assess student learning experiences and the opportunities for under-represented groups with consideration of the project's academic merit. UROP encourages applicants to review our guide to Building Teams.
Do you feel this project provides valuable learning experiences for the students involved?
Rate the overall quality of the proposal based on the value of the learning experiences provided.
Do you feel the faculty mentor has an effective plan for making excellence inclusive?
Rate the overall quality of the proposal based on the potential to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.