Undergraduate Research Supply Award

The Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences (IBACS) offers awards for undergraduate students to cover the cost of supplies and expenses associated with their research projects. The awards help the student take their project to the next level and gain additional experience that will prepare them for graduate school.

Program Overview

The IBACS Undergraduate Research Supply Award provides funding for undergraduate students conducting an independent research project. The student’s project must contribute to the Institute’s mission, and their faculty advisor must be an Institute affiliate. Students can apply for awards of up to $1,000. Recipients are expected to use the funds within one academic year cycle. 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.

Eligibility and Conditions

The Undergraduate Research Supply Award program is open only to students working with an IBACS-affiliated faculty member.

Eligibility Requirements

  • This opportunity is open to undergraduate students in any major.
  • Applicants must be active undergraduate students through the end of the project timeline.
  • The student’s advisor must be an Institute-affiliated faculty member.  
  • The research project must support the Institute’s mission.     

Conditions for Award Recipients

  • Recipients must present their work at the Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition. 
  • As a condition of these awards, the faculty advisors of recipients will be asked to serve a one-year term on the IBACS review panel, reviewing seed grant, graduate fellowship, and undergraduate award applications. 

How to Apply

Required Materials

All applicants must complete and submit the Undergraduate Research Supply Award Application by the deadline. You will be asked to provide the following materials with your application: 

  • A research plan that outlines your topic, faculty sponsor, and project timeline. The plan should be formatted as four single-spaced pages maximum, not including references, in 12pt Times New Roman font with 1” margins.  
  • A detailed budget that explains how you will spend the funds. 
  • A letter of recommendation from the faculty sponsor. This letter should comment on the ability of the student to carry out the proposed project, the resources available to the project (e.g. lab space, lab equipment, technical support), and a statement explaining how much support the advisor provided in writing and developing the project. Once you submit the application, an email will be sent to the faculty sponsor with directions for how to submit the letter.

Review Criteria

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). 
  • The advisor is familiar with the student’s project and rates the student’s work 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. 
  • 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. 

Key Dates

This application will open on Aug. 26, 2024.  

Applications for the fall 2024 semester are due on Sept. 16, 2024.

Applications for the spring 2025 semester are due on Feb. 4, 2025.  

Contact Us

If you have questions about the Undergraduate Research Supply Award program, including the applications, please email ibacs@uconn.edu or contact the IBACS Program Coordinator.