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The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship is a $2000 award offered through the Psychology Department. You can only receive funding from Psychology if a professor you want to work with is affiliated with the Psychology Department or one of its ancilliary branches such as Institute for Behavioral Science. Psychology has roughly $16,000 which is split into eight individual awards. Proposals are due in Spring, with awards given in early May. Proposals should include applicant's background, such as course work, research interests, as well a research plan. The research plan should include an introduction to subject, methodology, and expectations about what you expect to find. The application for Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program Grant is a fairly good example to follow.
Dick Jessor (492-8148), Director of the Institute of Behavioral Science or Mary Axe (492-8148) are probably the first people to contact. Find out if they are offering SURF awards for the summer, what the application procedure is, and when the applications are due.
Judy Lampman, (492-5094) Assistant to Associate Vice Chancellor Mark Dubin, is a good person to contact. The Vice Chancellor's Office provides the Psychology Department with the $16,000. This is supposed to be automatically transferred to Psychology, but it is always a good idea to find out first.
The only departmental funds for undergraduates come from a special fund created by the Associate Vice-Chancellor Mark Dubin to encourage student-faculty interaction outside of the classroom. In the past, this money has been used to support undergraduate student travel to participate in academic conferences on the presidency, international law, and American Politics, for non-classroom film series, and various get togethers between faculty and students outside of regular class meetings. This is not a fund for undergraduate research nor can it be used to fund student activities, e.g. Mock Court competitions unless there is some faculty involvement in those activities. To find out more information contact Sam Fitch at 492-2945.
UROP awards usually average around $650, but in exceptional cases students can receive up to $700. Call Larry Boehm or J. McKim Malville at 492-2596, to receive an application. With exceptions you can submit applications pretty much anytime during the semester. The exception is graduating seniors who must submit their application two weeks before the beginning of their final semester.
UROP also has their own $2000 SURF awards. Applications are due in February, so most likely you have missed the application deadline for this summer. For more information call Larry Boehm or J. McKim Malville at 492-2596.
Council on Research and Creative Work
These are $600 grants from the Faculty Council on Research and Creative Work. Faculty members submit applications anytime during the year to receive funding for their research. This money can be used for pretty much anything, but you'll want the funds to be earmarked for lab or research assistants. The application will be forwarded directly to UROP if you are an undergraduate, but CRCW might still fund you anyway. Note, this application is made by the faculty member and not the student, thus you lose valuable experience in putting together grant proposals, and do not receive "credit" for the grant. To find out more information call Pat Peterson. Her number is 492-1069.
National Science Foundation Grants
No, National Science Foundation money is not just for professors and graduate students. The NSF has a substantial amount of money earmarked specifically for undergraduate education. To receive funding the professor you are working for must receive NSF money. If this is the case then you might be eligible for a NSF supplemental Grant known as an REU, or Research Experience for Undergraduates. In general, supplemental grant proposals are submitted in cases of unexpected expenses. REU's cut into the total amount of supplemental funds a project can receive. Therefore, REU's take away from a project's ability to meet unexpected challenges. However, if you can find someone who is willing, these grants can fetch you up to $1000 a month for up to five months. To find out more information and to receive an application, contact Katie Eaton of the Office of Contracts and Grants. Her phone number is 492-2691.
Eligibility requirements for financial aid are loosened somewhat during the summer to allow undergraduates to receive work study money. To start the process, fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid available from the Financial Aid Office.
If you have questions, suggestions or comments about the Undergraduate Program at CU, please send e-mail to: Laura.Cooper@colorado.edu.
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