Assistantships

Applying

Student Grants

These grants provide funding to students to partner with a faculty mentor to help on an existing project.

Award Amounts

Our Assistantship award rates are standardized as follows: $1,000 in the Academic Year and $2,000 in the Summer term (unless recipients plan to graduate in the Fall Term). Students graduating in the Fall Term (December) may apply for Academic Year grants but should be aware that they will be awarded half the value of the standard rate ($500) due to the shorter term of the project. Award amounts are larger in the summer term to account for the additional cost of living in the Boulder area, travel expenses and other factors.

Student grant funding is paid as a stipend using the university's payroll system (job code 3205). Although students need an employee identification number (EID) and payments are made through the payroll system, UROP funding is not considered payroll wages or employee compensation. UROP funding is considered "Other Financial Aid" (OFA) according to the university's policy on paying students and all award information will be reported to the Office of Financial Aid.

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.听Grants, scholarships and awards received as OFA may need to be reported on tax returns if the amount exceeds qualified educational expenses as defined by . Grants and scholarships are listed on a 1098-T. Students are responsible for accurately reporting their income.

Project Proposal

Your proposal explains the 鈥渨hat,鈥 鈥渨hy,鈥 鈥渉ow,鈥 and 鈥渨hen鈥 of the research or creative work you plan in partnership with your faculty mentor鈥攁nd argues its' importance. You will also explain your 鈥渓earning goals,鈥 or what you expect to learn鈥攂eyond project outcomes. 听UROP prioritizes learning objectives over project outcomes, even in Individual Grant proposals, so you should also clearly state what you will learn beyond the results of the project. In addition to the project proposal, you might need to complete additional steps if your project involves any of the following:

Proposal Prompts

This is the first part of the proposal reviewers will see and serves as an introduction to the project. Your goal is to capture your reviewer鈥檚 attention and get them excited about your work.

Student Prompt

100 word maximum: State the specific objectives/purpose of your mentor's project. Explain the project's relevance and who stands to benefit.

Creative/Performance Projects: Tell us the objectives/purpose of your mentor's project, explaining the 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.

Mentor Endorsement Prompt

100 words maximum: Comment on the development of this proposal, noting the origin of the idea and its potential impact in the field.

Section Advice

Keep in mind that reviewers might not be familiar with your topic, so you will need to provide some background. 听But avoid spending too much time introducing the project, which your mentor can do in their comments. Be sure to make the purpose clear and consider starting with your 鈥渢hesis鈥 sentence (where you state the purpose). 听Even though you might not have developed the project, reviewers need to see that you understand the project鈥檚 goals.

This section follows the introduction provided in the 鈥渃ontext and objections鈥 portion and serves to explain what you will do to achieve the project goals.

Student Prompt

100 word maximum: Note any experience, training and/or coursework required to conduct this project, and explain how you are preparing.

Mentor Endorsement Prompt

100 words maximum: Comment on your mentee's ability to perform this project, highlighting relevant coursework, experience with methods and/or materials, and other relevant certifications and qualifications.

Section Advice

Communicate clearly but avoid overly detailed and technical descriptions of methods. 听Make the overall strategy clear and highlight important skills and methodologies. Be sure to explain how you have the training and skills needed for the project or how you will learn them. 听You might have limited experience when applying for an Assistantship, but reviewers need to see how you will gain the skills needed.

This section follows the 鈥渕ethodology and strategy鈥 portion of the proposal and serves to highlight how participation in the project will help you achieve your professional goals.

Student Prompt

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

Mentor Endorsement Prompt

100 words maximum: Respond to your mentee's learning goals, commenting on 1) how you and/or an additional supervisor will support these objectives and 2) how this project will advance their academic and/or professional goals?

Section Advice

UROP prioritizes student learning objectives over project outcomes, so you should clearly state what you will learn and how you plan to apply what you learn.

This is the last section of the proposal and serves to highlight when you will do the activities outlined in the 鈥渕ethodology and strategy鈥 portion.

Student Prompt

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

Mentor Endorsement Prompt

Optional: Provide additional information about this project timeline.

Section Advice

Avoid overcrowding the timeline with details more suitable for other portions of the proposal. Be sure your timeline aligns to the grant term to which you are applying (summer or academic year). Students submitting proposals for projects continuing into the academic year might have similar proposals in their applications, but the timelines should be distinct.

听听Student Grants Guide

Apply for UROP by

February 14, 2025

Mentor Endorsements are due Feb. 21, 2025.

State your 鈥渢hesis鈥 first.

Start with the purpose of your work to get reviewers鈥 attention.

Frame the 鈥渂igger picture.鈥

Place your project in the context of the field of study.

Highlight broader impacts.

Be clear about the benefits of your project beyond impact in the field of study.

Answer 鈥淪o what?鈥

Be sure reviewers understand why the project is needed.

Communicate urgency.

Explain why the project is not only needed鈥攂ut needed now.

Avoid jargon.

Use language accessible to reviewers who might not be familiar with the topic.

Leave out citations.

UROP accepts the mentor endorsement as verification of sources without citation.

Visit the Writing Center.

Consider consulting with the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder Writing Center as you draft your proposal.

听

Enable Transformative Learning

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) represents an opportunity to enable student-centered education that makes the most of 欧美口爆视频 Boulder鈥檚 global leadership in research and creative production.听

With well-documented benefits from persistence to postgraduate success, engagement in the research and creative life of the university can clarify career paths and prepare students for the future of work. We invite you to explore our programming, consider giving and contact us as you have questions. Donations support empowering opportunities in all fields of study. .