Undergraduate Research Scholarships

Application dates

The applications typically open up in late December. The scholarships typically have a deadline in late-February. For 2025, most URS applications will be due on February 28, 2025, 11:59 PM. Exceptions to this deadline are as follows:

• Undergraduate Research Hub Research Scholarship for Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences is due March 24, 2025, 11:59 PM
• Starbucks Sustainable Solutions and Learning Opportunities Research Scholarship is due March 30, 2025, 11:59 PM

Program dates

• June 23 - August 29, 2025

 Award notification (updated 2/18/2025)

• Students can expect to be notified from mid-April through mid-May. Please note that each scholarship has different review committees, and so applicants may be awarded at varying times within this time frame. Your status in the portal will indicate whether you are still being considered for a particular scholarship. If your application shows as "submitted", it means your application is still being considered. 
• If you have a situation where you need an expedited review before hearing back about your status in URS (e.g., if you have been accepted into another program and you need to let them know whether you are accepting their offer), please reach out to the program coordinator (contact information below), and we will do our best to offer an expedited decision.
• If you would like to sign up for summer courses and do not yet know your status, you are welcome to register for courses. If you are awarded a URS opportunity and accept, you will need to drop the course before the program begins. 

• Mentored research experience: Conduct ~30 hours/week of research mentored by a UC San Diego faculty member
• Conference presentation and networking experience at the Summer Research Conference
• Professional development: A series of workshops on topics such as, but not limited to, research ethics and presenting your research.
• Co-Curricular Record: Recognition of some research-activities on your co-curricular record.
• Network: A close rapport with a faculty mentor can open up your world to a wider research community and the chance to meet leaders, future colleagues, and lifelong friends who share your intellectual curiosity.
• Conference travel funding: By participating in URS, you qualify to apply for URH's conference travel funding.

Requirements

• Conduct research activities for 36+ hours each week during the 10-week program
• Attend the Summer Research Program Orientation
• Attend a few specified Summer Research Program seminars (will be noted at the start of the program)
• Attend one Library Training seminar
• Attend weekly cohort meetings
• Present at the Summer Research Conference (usually the end of the 3rd week in August)
• Submit a Final Product
• Submit a Scholarship Program Summary (Between 1 paragraph and 1 page)

Exclusions

• Students must not be in the process of completing a 5-year BS/MS or BA/MA degree.
• Students must not be graduated before the program begins.
• Students may not take classes (either session 1 or session 2) during the scholarship period.
• Students may not hold a job during the scholarship period and may be asked to sign a form indicating they have ended all employment for the summer. Your job for the summer is participating in this program.
• Students may not be concurrently paid through their research group for work done during the summer.

• All current UC San Diego undergraduates in any major who will be enrolled the following school year (through at least Fall Quarter after the summer program) are eligible to apply.
  • Students who plan on graduating mid-year may also apply, provided the project and final report are completed before graduation.
  • Students will not be eligible if they will have graduated before summer. 
  • Students also cannot be part of a BS/MS or BA/MA program during the award period. 
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or eligible under AB540 "California Dream Act".
  • International students may also be considered for: 
    • Research Scholarship for Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences;
    • Research Scholarships for Science and Engineering;
    • HIV Institute - Transgender/Gender Non-Binary Community Health Research Scholarship; 
    • Starbucks Sustainable Solutions and Learning Opportunities Research Scholarship
• The project must be completed while the applicant is a UC San Diego undergraduate. 
• The applicant must be a UC San Diego undergraduate.
• Applicants may re-apply for the scholarship, even if they've been awarded a scholarship in previous years.
  • There is no guarantee to receive the scholarship, even if you've been awarded in the past -- all applicants are considered against the applicant pool of that year only.
• The subject matter does not have to be related to the student's major, minor, or other coursework, although preference may be given to those that do have a major related to specific scholarship goals, depending on the scholarship(s) the student is applying to. 

*Each scholarship has additional eligibility requirements. See more details on the URS Scholarship page.

These scholarships do not consider race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories as part of the application and/or selection process.

Review scholarships

• Review available scholarships on the URS Scholarships page. 
• Applicants can apply to multiple scholarships but must submit one research proposal per scholarship. The same proposal may be used for multiple research scholarship applications, as indicated on the application form. 

If chosen for more than one scholarship, a student may only accept one scholarship during the summer research period.

Find a faculty mentor

• Don't have a research mentor yet? Check out our URH tips on how to find a research mentor.
• If it feels overwhelming to get started with a research mentor or you have had trouble finding a research mentor on your own, consider making an appointment with the URS coordinator to discuss strategies in approaching a potential research mentor. 
• If you already have a faculty research mentor, you're set! This will be the person who will write your letter of recommendation/support for this project.
• Note: For the URS HIV Institute opportunity, you do not need a mentor ahead of time -- you can apply first, and if selected, you can be matched with an mentor if you do not have one already. 

Expectations of faculty mentor - When contacting/meeting with potential mentors, be sure to share this list with them so they know the expectations before agreeing to be your mentor.

• Mentor and oversee the student's research/artistic endeavor/public service project. 
• Provide the student with resources and training as appropriate. 
• Ensure that the student completes all training and certifications required by the field prior to starting any research. In some instances, this will include Laboratory Safety Training. 
• Understand that the student researcher is required to work approximately 30-40 hours a week on research activities which I will assign. 
• Provide at least two hours a week of direct individual supervision or assign someone to assist the student in my stead. 
• Understand that there are programmatic requirements that may take the student away from research activities such as cohort meetings (1 hr/week), program seminars (up to 1 hr/week), and other professional development activities throughout the summer. 
• Understand that the student is required to submit a research paper or final product. 
• Provide feedback on the student's research paper/final project.   
• Understand that the student researcher will present their research at the Summer Research Conference, typically at the end of Week 8 of the program. 
• Agree to approve the student’s abstract and oral presentation for the Summer Research Conference.  
• Time permitting, complete program surveys to provide useful feedback. 
• Optional: If possible, attend the Mentor Orientation Breakfast that takes place prior to the start of Summer Research Program. 

Application Process

The following items are required to apply to the URS Program:

1. Applications

• General Application and Undergraduate Application (When you finish the general application, you will be automatically directed to complete the undergraduate application).
• Scholarship Specific URS Application (After you finish the previous two applications, you will be given the opportunity to choose to complete the Scholarship Specific URS application.)

2. Essays (as part of the URS Application)

• Research proposal: Each scholarship application (opportunity) will require a research proposal to be submitted. We suggest you work with your research mentor on this research proposal -- it is NOT required to come up with a brand new idea on your own. Your project can also be a continuation of a project that has already begun. You can submit the same proposal to multiple scholarships since each scholarship is reviewed by a different committee.
  • Please follow these guidelines:
    
    • Title
    • Overview / abstract of project (250 words max) 
    • Detailed description of the project: (1,000 words max) 
      • research question
        • the goal of the work
        • the potential significance of the project
      • preliminary work accomplished and/or relevant experience
      • methods or theoretical/critical frameworks you will use, with appropriate citations
      • timeline of the work you expect to accomplish over 10 weeks of the summer -- late June to end of August
      • list of references cited (not included in the 1,000 word maximum)

    • Note: for the URS HIV Institute opportunity, a research proposal is not a required element of the application. If selected for the opportunity, you can be matched with a mentor and project, if you do not have one already. 

• Personal statement: Describe how carrying out this summer research project would advance your academic and professional goals (600 words max). 
  • Points to include:
    • academic and personal achievements
    • talents, experiences, interests (related to your field of interest/research)
    • academic and professional goals – the kinds of contributions you would like to make and how this research will advance your academic and professional goals
    • (if applicable) role models, influences (related to your field of interest/research)
    • (if applicable) special circumstances you feel the committee should consider as part of your application. This could include personal or academic challenges you may have overcome to get you where you are today.

Be sure to proofread and edit your answers many times before submitting. It is also advised to have someone else review it and provide feedback. In addition to spelling, grammar, and punctuation, review your personal statement for clarity, flow, and continuity of points. Remember to use paragraphs to separate the main points.

Individual scholarships may also have additional essays associated with the application:

• URS Starbucks - Sustainability Essay
  • Explain how your project objectives relate to sustainability issues and/or what outcomes from this project will address key issues in sustainability i.e. food/water scarcity, agriculture, carbon reduction, nutrition, waste minimization concerns? (300 words maximum)
• URS  Howell - Women's Health
  • Explain the relevance of your research project to women's health. (300 words max)

3. IRB declaration

• Question: Is Internal Review Board (IRB) approval necessary for this project, and if so, has it been obtained by you or your faculty mentor? 
  • Not necessary, project does not involve "human research"
  • Project qualifies under "human research", deemed exempt from IRB regulation by the board
  • Project qualifies under "human research", has IRB approval
  • Project is in the process of being reviewed by the IRB

4. Copies of transcripts

• If you have attended UC San Diego for at least 1 quarter:
  • A copy of your unofficial UC San Diego transcript - (How to download your transcript)
  • If you completed coursework prior to attending UC San Diego (e.g., transfer credits), they will appear on your UC San Diego transcript. You do not need to upload transfer transcripts.

5. Letter of recommendation

• The letter of recommendation should be from the faculty member/principal investigator (PI) you plan to work with for the summer URS project. Graduate students, postdocs, lab managers, or other members of the research group can co-write this letter, but the letter itself should be submitted by the faculty member. 
• The letter of recommendation is due at the same time as the URS application (usually late February, early March).
• Only 1 letter is needed for this application. This letter can be utilized for all URS applications. 
• What we're looking for in the letter of recommendation / support:
  • potential significance of this project
  • review of the student's qualifications to carry out the project
  • advisor's assessment of the student's potential to make contributions to the field
  • comparison to other students faculty has mentored
• What if I don't really know the faculty member / PI well?
  • Faculty can write this letter, even if you've only just started a research project by focusing on the second and third points above: discussing your qualifications and potential to make contributions to the field.
• How to request a letter of recommendation:
  • In order to submit the name of your faculty member, you must first complete the General Application. Once you see the list of Recommended Opportunities, select the name of the opportunity you would like to apply for (e.g. Summer URS Ledell Family Research Scholarship for Science and Engineering). The first question you'll see is URS - Faculty Sponsor and Contact Information. Once you answer the question with your faculty's name, email address, and department, and you click on "save and keep editing", an email will be sent to the reference inviting them to complete a reference questionnaire.
  • If you wish to use the same letter for all URS opportunities, you can select the name of that faculty from a drop-down list in any subsequent opportunity that you click on. 

Note: for the URS HIV Institute opportunity, a letter of recommendation is not needed or requested. For this opportunity, a student just needs 2 references who may be contacted if students are selected for the opportunity. 

6. CV

Individual scholarships listed below will also request a copy of your CV:

• URS Eureka! Research Scholarship for Biological Sciences Majors
• URS HIV Institute Research Scholarship for Transgender/Gender Non-Binary Community Health

Selection Process

The scholarship selection committee may include: the Faculty Committee on Undergraduate Scholarships and Honors, department faculty, program affiliates, or judges selected by sponsoring donors. The scholarship selection committee is chosen based on criteria set forth by sponsoring donors associated with each individual scholarship. This committee selects the winners, who will be notified by e-mail or on the application portal in late April/early May.

Note:

• Students not awarded will be notified via the application portal (usually in late May). The application status will say "not offered".
• Students will not receive more than one research award.
• If the student's project changes significantly between the application and the award period, the review committee reserves the right to request and review an updated proposal.