Research Review Process & Selection Criteria
Review Process
- Applications are screened for completeness.
- A faculty committee of 3-4 faculty will review your application, examining your essay for evidence of the nature, extent, and quality of your research activities and the role you play in this research. Two of these reviewers will be researchers in areas close to the your project discipline, but may not be experts in the precise area of focus of the proposed project (e.g., a student working in marine biology might have reviewers from biology, fisheries, or marine biology). The third reviewer will be a "generalist." This reviewer is generally a faculty or staff member who understands the research enterprise well.
Reviewers provide numerical scores and comments, based on a rubric that encompasses the criteria specified under the Selection Criteria found below. - All applicants receive notification and all applicants, funded or not funded, are invited to receive feedback on their applications.
The review process takes up to 6 weeks.
Selection Criteria 
Listed below is the review criteria provided to the faculty committee reading the applications. There are four general criteria followed by bulleted points. Each bullet point does not need to be satisfied; they are factors that reviewers may take into account.
Quality of the applicant
- Evaluation of student’s demonstrated abilities and potential for success
- Student’s academic performance and any improvement over time
- Academic opportunities the student has engaged
- Academic background suitable for project
- Student’s motivation for being involved in research
- Faculty mentor’s assessment of the student’s performance and potential
Demonstrated understanding of the proposed research
- Clarity and depth of the project description
- Student’s ability to place his/her research in a broader context
- Student’s demonstrated facility with the concepts , methodologies, and questions in the field of study
- Student’s articulation of his/her responsibilities and how they relate to the overall research project
Quality and Intensity of the Experience
- The nature of the challenge (Is the challenge matched to the student’s point of development? e.g., more experienced student researchers might have more independence and creative input)
- Quality of faculty mentor’s support (e.g., attentiveness to student’s development)
- Student’s level of participation in research (e.g., the student’s individual contribution, engagement with research team)
- Student’s effort, commitment, and enthusiasm for the project as demonstrated in the essay as well as the number of hours the student is involved each week and/or sustained participation over time
- Opportunity for new learning and/or new experiences during time of funding
Educational and Long-Term Impact of the Experience
- Student’s ability to articulate achieved and potential learning benefits of the research experience
- Student expresses longer-term learning and/or career goals
- Research experience relates to student’s ambitions, intermediate or longer term goals
- Evidence in the application that the student is learning important transferable skills
- Impact of financial support to enable the student to engage more deeply with the research and to transform his/her education
Feedback on your Application
If you did not receive a Research Scholarship the first time you applied and are planning to reapply, you have the option to get feedback on your application. Even if you are not reapplying, you may still find it valuable to hear what aspects of your proposal could be improved if you are planning to apply for other scholarships, graduate school, grants or even a job.
To receive feedback on your application or interview, contact mgates@u.washington.edu .