Undergraduate Research Program

Information for applicants

 

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Eligibility

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Deadline: August 1, 2022, 11:59 PM
To apply for support from the Washington Research Foundation Fellowship, a student must:

  • Be a current UW (Seattle, Bothell, Tacoma) undergraduate engaged in a research project in bio-science or a related field during their award period.
  • Propose to continue or initiate a research project for the duration of the award (2-3 quarters) that shows some level of independence and originality.
  • Be registered full time (at least 12 credits) during the award period, pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the UW Bothell, Seattle, or Tacoma campus.
  • Have completed the equivalent of two years of university-level coursework and have had at least 3 quarters of prior research experience at the time of application.
  • Receive guidance from a UW faculty member serving as the student’s research mentor (applicants may also be working with a graduate student, staff, and/or post-doctoral associate in addition to the faculty mentor).
  • Submit a completed online application.

If you have other scholarships, fellowships, awards or stipends supporting your research project and you are also selected for as a WRF Fellow, you may not be eligible to receive the full amount of the award.

Applicants may be awarded WRF/Levinson up to two times during their undergraduate education.

Application Components

As junior colleagues in an intensive research community, WRF Fellows will make involvement in research the driving force of their education as they pursue independent projects of their own design supported by their mentors and other members of their lab or group.

The WRFF application is joined with the Levinson Emerging Scholars Award application. You have the option to apply for both. WRFF applicants will be expected to submit the following via the online system:

  • An abstract of your research project (limit to 300 words)
  • Statement of educational and long-term goals: What are your long-term educational and professional goals? Please share the role that your proposed research plays in helping you achieve them. How does the award impact your ability to conduct this research? (up to 1 page, double spaced)
  • Research plan: Describe your proposed research, highlighting significant questions or problems the research addresses and your contributions to the project design. Provide an overview of your methods, proposed timeline, and explanation of the importance of your project to your field of study. Describe the ways in which your research could contribute to innovation in your field and/or the development of new technologies or applications. (Up to 4 pages, double spaced. You may also include no more than 2 additional pages for references and figures)
  • Faculty mentor recommender information: The student must submit contact information for one faculty mentor recommender. Faculty recommenders will receive letter-writing instructions via email. One additional mentor letter of recommendation may be added, if desired. (The secondary letter may be from another faculty member or from a graduate student, postdoctoral researcher, teaching assistant, or research staff member.)

Selection Criteria

Evaluation of each application will be based on:

  • Merit of the applicant’s academic record.
  • Demonstrated potential for the applicant to achieve significant scholarly advancement through completing the proposed research.
  • Level of independence and originality of the applicant’s proposed research project.
  • Willingness of the faculty mentor to allow the applicant to work independently.
  • Potential for applicant to make important future contributions to their field.
  • Potential for the project to eventually lead to interesting new applications or directions in a science or technology field.
  • The ability of the mentor and research environment to facilitate the project’s success.
  • Impact of this award on the student’s ability to conduct the project.

Requirements

WRF Fellows will be expected to:

  • Remain active in the research project described in their application for the duration of the award
  • Provide quarterly project updates to program administrators and funders
  • Present their research at the annual UW Undergraduate Research Symposium

The URP will provide support to WRF Fellows, including events to interact with other researchers and career development opportunities. WRF Fellows are also encouraged to attend UW events and other gatherings that welcome them to participate with a larger community of scholars.

Awards

Approximately ten students will be named WRF Fellows each year. Award amounts will be $7,500, to be disbursed in the amount of $2,500 at the beginning of Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters. During their award period, WRF fellows may request additional funding through the Undergraduate Research Program to present their research at a professional conference.