Breadcrumb
We encourage students to share this guide with their mentors as they develop projects and prepare proposals for submission.
Navigate using the tabs at the top of the guide.
Step 1
Review this guide with your mentor to confirm your eligibility, plan your timeline, and ensure policy compliance.
Step 2
Prepare your proposal with your mentor and submit your application, using the secure and accessible online forms linked on this site.
Step 3
When you submit your application, your mentor will receive an email with a unique link to access the Mentor Endorsement form.
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."
Navigate using the tabs at the top of the guide.
Students
Students must be degree-seeking undergraduates at the University of Colorado Boulder to apply for UROP funding and should not plan to graduate before the end of a proposed project's grant term—no exceptions. All student grants must be supervised by an eligible mentor.
Mentors
Tenured/tenure-track research and teaching faculty, professional researchers and practitioners, and postdoctoral scholars at the University of Colorado Boulder and Anschutz Medical Campus are eligible to mentor Student Grants and apply for Faculty Grants.
Additional Supervisors
Graduate students may serve as the "Additional Supervisor" on student grants and provide the majority of mentorship, but the project mentor must provide some direct mentoring to the undergraduate.
Special Circumstances
- The student is enrolled in an independent study course with their mentor.
- The student is enrolled in a thesis or thesis prep. course.
- 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).
- Student grant funding is classified as a fellowship and paid as a stipend using the university's payroll system (job code 3205). Although students typically need an employee identification number (EID) and payments are made through the payroll system, UROP funding is not considered payroll wages or employee compensation. See IRS Publication 970 for guidance regarding fellowships/stipends.
- Payments to recipients who are U.S. citizens are not typically subject to federal and state income tax withholding and payroll taxes (i.e., FICA and Medicare taxes). The university has no tax reporting requirement for these payments (no W-2), but is required to report payments on the federal form 1042-S. Students should know that payments may be taxable income and should consult with their tax advisors. Non-residents are subject to federal income tax withholding and should schedule an appointment with an International Tax Specialist.
- If you do not have a social security number (SSN), you might need to apply for one to receive payment from UROP (or arrange an alternative form of payment). If you are a non-resident, we will work with you to find the best payment option for your circumstances. Contact us at urop@colorado.edu or (303) 492-2596 for instructions and documentation—and let us know as you have questions.
Navigate using the tabs at the top of the guide.
We fund projects throughout the year in two "grant terms" (summer and the academic year), but applications are reviewed and awarded annually in the spring.
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 projects in the summer and/or academic year at the same time and should be aware that budgetary limitations often restrict our ability to fund more than one proposal in any application cycle. If applicants plan to submit proposals for more than one grant term, they must submit separate applications for each–and should be aware that proposals may be reviewed 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.
Fall or Spring-Only Projects
UROP does not currently offer fall or spring-only grants–except when students plan to graduate in the fall semester.
Navigate using the tabs at the top of the guide.
Working with
Human Subjects
Working with
Animal Subjects
Working on
NSF and/or NIH Projects
Projects Involving
Travel
Navigate using the tabs at the top of the guide.
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.
Project Categories
Proposals are evaluated by one of six 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
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)
Navigate using the tabs at the top of the guide.
Context and Objectives
The project proposal's objectives are clearly positioned within the "bigger picture" of the disciplinary frame or wider context.
Methodology and Strategy
The project proposal clearly explains the methodology and/or strategy to achieve meaningful outcomes and objectives.
Scale and Scope
The project proposal achieves meaningful learning outcomes in the award period without interfering with regular coursework and extracurricular obligations, including a timeline of activities.
Relevance
The project proposal advances the student’s academic goals and/or professional aspirations.
Resources and Materials
Individual Grants Only
The project proposal makes thoughtful, efficient use of available resources.
Originality and Creativity
Individual Grants Only
The proposal demonstrates originality of thought and creativity in approach and project design.
Check out our reports.
See summaries of previous application decisions in our Scoring Reports, and read what students and mentors have said about their experiences in the Survey Reports.
Navigate using the tabs at the top of the guide.
Before you submit your application, review your responses for these common issues. If you notice any of these issues on your proposal after submission, contact urop@colorado.edu to request changes. Please include your application reference number and copy your mentor.
- Is all of your information and your mentor's information accurate (name, email, ID numbers, etc.)? Mistakes could delay the review of your proposal and/or your award payment.
- Is your mentor eligible to mentor UROP projects? Check our eligibility guidelines, and contact us with questions. If your mentor is not eligible, they might be a suitable "additional supervisor" with a faculty member as the project "mentor."
- Does your proposal include personally identifiable information (PII), such as your name or your mentor’s name? You need to remove all PII to ensure blind review.
- Have you answered all of the university compliance questions accurately? Be sure to check with your mentor if you don’t know how to respond, check out our Compliance page for additional information.
When students are awarded funding, UROP expects them to
- Maintain eligible status as an undergraduate at CU Boulder throughout the award period
- Complete all applicable university compliance procedures related to university-sponsored travel, human and animal subject testing, and/or the responsible conduct of research
- Respond to UROP communications in a timely manner
- Maintain communication with their mentor
- Conduct the proposed project to the best of their ability
Assistantships
Assistantships provide funding to students to partner with a faculty mentor to help on an existing project.
Individual Grants
Individual Grants allow students to take ownership of part or all of a project with an original proposal.