IBACS is offering another year of the undergraduate summer research awards! Please share with the undergraduate students in your labs.
Note: The summer award is different from the academic year research supply award application for up to $1,000 which is still open – the spring deadline is 2/2/26. See separate email for details.
This summer award provides funding for undergraduate students conducting an independent research projectover the summer consistent with the Institute’s mission. Funds can be used for research supplies and a stipend to support students over the summer. Students can apply for awards of up to $5,000.
Open to: Undergraduate students working with an IBACS-affiliated faculty member. Students who received academic year funding are eligible to apply for the summer research grant program, provided that they are still a UConn student at the time.
Key Application Dates: The summer application deadline is January 30, 2026.
Applicants must fill out the online application including a research plan, budget, and letter of support from a faculty sponsor. The funding is meant to defray the research-related costs such as materials & supplies, software, animal or participant-related costs. The budget should reflect these expenditures.
The IBACS undergraduate award academic year applications are reviewed based on the following criteria:
- The project description is well-written and clearly explains the project and the project timeline is feasible.
- The project clearly focuses on a research area associated with the IBACS mission.
- The budget is itemized, appropriate to the project described, and reports the total cost of the project (even if it exceeds the funding requested).
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The faculty advisor is familiar with the student’s project and rates the student’s work to date highly.
- Students are expected to develop the submission with the mentorship of their research advisor, and research mentors are encouraged to provide feedback to applicants, but the submission should be primarily the student’s own work. Where project applications are equally meritorious, the reviewers will take note of how the student’s project will contribute to the advisor’s research goals.
- The student and his/her project meet the eligibility criteria.
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The student has secured research compliance approval(s) if necessary for the project. No award will be issued until documentation of approval(s) is received.
Please visit the award webpage for more information and contact our Institute Coordinator, Crystal Mills at crystal.mills@uconn.edu f you have any questions.