Undergraduate Research Grants
UGRs offer financial support for materials, travel, and fees related to faculty‐sponsored student research, individual study projects, and conference participation. UMW students may apply for funding if they are enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at the time they pursue their project. The student is responsible for every aspect of the grant process, including application, writing reports, and filling out paperwork for reimbursement. Additionally, the student must be centrally involved in framing the problem, developing a research strategy, and conducting the project. Assuming equivalent project quality, funding is more likely for proposals involving more students rather than fewer and for less expensive projects.
How to Apply
Applications are due to the Office of Academic Affairs and require the following items from the applicant. See due dates under Calendar Tab on our homepage.
1. Cover Sheet
Generated by the Office of Academic Affairs, this form must be completed in full and have all necessary signatures or will not be considered. If applying for a full‐year grant (two consecutive semesters), clearly indicate this on the cover sheet.
* airline/train tickets to his or her corporate SPCC) OR Accounts Payable (if the student purchased airline/train tickets with his or her own money).
The form requires projected costs (like those given in the budget proposal during the application process). In addition, several approval signatures are required (including the college president’s, if traveling outside the country). NOTE: For out‐of‐country travel please attach an email confirmation from Accounts Payable of per diem and lodging rates.
2. Project Report
(Note: If a project report is not submitted, students who apply will not receive funding in the future.)
How to Pay for Expenses
If a project is funded, either the student and/or the sponsor must pay for travel and other expenses using a corporate credit card or personal funds. Reimbursement for these expenses requires the completion of specific forms.
Faculty Sponsor Guidelines
Our office manager, Kelly Pickering, may charge airline/train tickets and other non‐travel expenses directly to her corporate SPCC. When filling out the monthly cover sheet, Kelly will charge the expenses to the full account number given to the student for the project. If purchasing airline/train tickets for overnight travel, the student must attach a completed “Request for Overnight Travel Form” (see Kelly) with the receipt for her records (this form is completed by the student and not the faculty sponsor). Original paperwork will be filed in our office.
Student Guidelines:
Reimbursement for Travel
Reimbursement for travel includes the cost of car rentals, mileage, hotel costs, meals (“per diem”), and incidentals (parking fees, tolls, taxis, etc.). To be reimbursed for charges, a student must fill out and submit a “Travel Expense Reimbursement Form”, along with all receipts to Accounts Payable soon after the travel occurs. This online form is an Excel document and calculates all expenses entered into it. Accounts Payable offers a thorough guide to understanding and filling out the Travel Reimbursement form. To download the form and learn more, visit the following URL:
http://www.umw.edu/ap/forms/documents/ReimbursementRequestForm.xls
Reimbursement for Other Expenses
For reimbursement of non‐travel expenses, a student must submit a completed Request for Reimbursement form (available in the department office) and all receipts to Kelly Pickering (Melchers 217).
Tip: Account Name: Undergraduate Research Grant/Account Number: the number given to a student in the letter acknowledging receipt of a grant.