Individual Grants ($1,500 to $3,000) allow students to take ownership of part or all of a project with an original proposal.

Guidelines

Review the student eligibility guidelines and note the following.

  • Students may apply for more than one grant type and/or grant term, but can only accept one grant per term, which means consecutive funding is acceptable whereas concurrent funding is not allowed.
  • There is currently no limit on the total number of UROP grants a student may receive as an undergraduate at CU Boulder.
  • Students may apply by submitting similar proposals for different grant terms but should ensure proposal timelines are appropriate for the term.
  • Students may not receive concurrent funding from CU Boulder's Biological Sciences Initiative (BSI) but may withdraw accepted UROP grants to participate in BSI.

Student Grant amounts vary based on grant type and term, according to the following guidelines; summer grants are larger to account for additional cost of living.

  • Summer Individual Grants are $3,000.
  • Academic Year Individual Grants are $1,500.

Note: Student stipends offered by UROP are fellowships/stipends and are not employee compensation; visit the Financial and Tax Information page for more information.

Award Payment Information

Though all UROP Student Grant proposals are reviewed and awarded on an annual basis with one deadline around mid-February each year, eligible undergraduates may apply for funding in the following grant terms.

  • 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 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.

Note: Students may apply for more than one grant term and/or type per application cycle but must submit a separate application for each.

Continuing Projects

Students are allowed to submit proposals for continuing 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.  Students submitting proposals for continuing projects spanning more than one grant term should clearly state end points in each proposal.  Applications with proposals for continuing projects are evaluated and awarded independently.

UROP Individual Grant proposals are evaluated in a double-blind review process in which committee members cannot identify student or mentor based on the following criteria.

  • 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: The project proposal makes thoughtful, efficient use of available resources.
  • Originality and Creativity: The proposal demonstrates originality of thought and creativity in approach and project design.

Project Categories

UROP Grant proposals are evaluated by one of six faculty review committees organized by the following disciplinary categories (selected at the time of application). 

  • Arts and Humanities
  • Business
  • Education
  • Life/Bio-Sciences
  • Math, Physical Sciences and Engineering
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences

Note: Students and faculty should select the category that most appropriately describes the proposed project.  For interdisciplinary projects, students and faculty should select based on the project's focus.

Ensuring Blind Review

UROP proposals must not contain the student, mentor, or additional supervisor's personal information to ensure the integrity of the blind 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 additional supervisor's name
  • "lab/research team" for the lab or research team's name
  • "they" for gendered pronouns (s/he)​

Because Individual Grants require students to take ownership of at least part of their proposed research, scholarly or creative project, these prompts ask students to describe the purpose and context of their project, explain how they intend to do the work with a clear timeline, note how they will acquire the resources and materials for the project, and reflect on what they plan to learn.

Context and Objectives

  • 100 word maximum: State the specific objectives/purpose of your project and, if applicable, of the larger project within which yours is embedded. Explain the project's relevance and who stands to benefit.

    • Alternative Prompt for Creative/Performance Projects: Tell us the objectives, points of curiosity from which you're starting, hypothesis or question you're exploring and the guiding principles of the work. Discuss where and when the final project will be exhibited, displayed or performed.

  • 100 word maximum: Situate your project within other work in the field by providing a summary of the work done and discuss the theoretical traditions influencing your project.  Note what is original about your project and what contribution it makes to the field.

    • Alternative Prompt for Creative/Performance Projects: Discuss what theoretical, aesthetic, and/or creative traditions influence your project. Include what contributions you're making to the field. Include your own creative/performance history and talk about how it's prepared you for this project.

Methodology and Strategy

  • 200 word maximum: Explain the method(s)/strategy used in this project, including justification for your approach. Also justify international travel, if your project requires it. 

  • 50 word maximum: Note any experience, training and/or coursework required to complete this project, and explain how you have prepared.

Timeline

  • 150 word maximum: Outline the major phases of your project, providing a timeline of activities.

Resources and Materials

  • 75 word maximum: Indicate the resources and materials needed for your project, and explain how you plan to acquire and make use of them.

Learning Objectives     

  • 100 word maximum: Describe how this project advances your personal, academic and/or professional goals, including how it fits within your degree plan.

Proposal Writing Advice

Your UROP project proposal explains the “what,” “how,” “when,” and “why” of the research, scholarly or creative work you plan to do in partnership with your faculty mentor—and, if applicable, additional supervisors. Proposals also explain your “learning objectives,” or what you intend to learn as you work with your mentor.

Consider the following when preparing your proposal:

  • State your “thesis” first. Begin your proposal with the project’s goals.
  • Highlight broader impacts. Explain who will benefit from the project’s outcomes.
  • Frame the “bigger picture.” Note how the project fits into the larger field.
  • Answer the “so what?” question. Make clear what is important.
  • Communicate urgency. Explain why the project needs to happen now.
  • Avoid jargon/technical language. Reviewers are faculty with expertise in your project area but may not be specialists familiar with some terminology.
  • Leave out citations/references. Your proposal’s claims are vetted by your faculty mentor in the “Mentor Endorsement” form.

Tip: Prepare your proposal in a word document before submitting it online.

Apply for an Individual Grant