All Undergraduate Research Scholarships

Gives consideration to proposals designed to pursue special studies and projects in the general areas of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

• Area of study: arts, humanities, and social sciences.

Gives consideration to those proposals designed to pursue special studies and projects in the general areas of environmental and ecological issues.

• Area of study: environmental and ecological.

Gives consideration to those proposals which involve the student as an active citizen in university governance, the local community, or national and international affairs. Also receiving preference are projects which lead to a heightened awareness of the relationship between the environment and society. Service in the community through volunteer activities or participation in programs related to the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation are encouraged.

• Area of study: an active citizen in university governance, local community, or national and international affairs.

Gives consideration research proposals designed to improve women’s health. Preference is given to applications that study disease prevention in, for example, diabetes, obesity and cancer. Proposals may describe an approach to examine biological, medical, cultural, economic, behavioral, psychosocial, or cross-cultural influences.

• Area of study: women's health.

Promotes engagement in basic and translational biology by facilitating students' participation in research opportunities both at the UC San Diego campus and at research facilities on the San Diego Mesa (located north of UC San Diego). Successful proposals will show evidence that the scholarship will provide the students with an opportunity to have a significant research experience. Preference for second-year and above students. 

• Area of study: basic and translational biology; student must have a declared major in the Division of Biological Sciences.

NOT AVAILABLE for Summer 2024

Promotes engagement in basic and translational biology by facilitating students' participation in research opportunities in Japan at Kyoto University. Students will be matched with a lab to do clinical and basic research for 8 weeks (late June-mid August). A research paper and an oral presentation at the UC San Diego Summer Research Conference (August) will also be required at the end of the program. Students will receive a $5,000 stipend for the summer to cover all expenses, including airfare, room, and board. Room and board will be at the University of Kyoto while in Japan. All activities will be in English, no additional language requirement needed.

• Area of study: basic and translational biology especially focused in the areas of medicine, biological research, and/or bioinformatics; student must have a declared major in the Division of Biological Sciences.
• Class standing: must be junior or senior standing (90+ units).
• Career interest: must be interested in pursuing an M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. or Ph.D. and an interest in the areas of medicine, biological research, and/or bioinformatics.

Gives consideration to health research related to the Transgender and Gender Non-Binary community. Preference may be given to members of the Trans/Gender Non-Binary community, but consideration is given to anyone passionate about conducting research in this area.

• Area of study: Any health-related topic within the Trans/Gender Non-Binary community, particularly (though not limited to): access to medical care, community education, sexual health, and topics in HIV (epistemology, transmission, pathogenesis, treatment, prevention, education).

Note: No faculty mentor or project description required to apply

Application link for UC San Diego students
Application link for external institutions (must be an undergraduate at another university or college)

Gives consideration to students whose career objectives are in health care, medicine, medical research, pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, or public health. Must be junior or senior standing by the beginning of summer. Minimum GPA 3.5 (and above). Preference may be given to students with extenuating circumstances or financial need, although this is not a requirement for consideration. 

• Career Interest: health care, medicine, medical research, pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, or public health career objectives

Gives consideration to proposals designed to pursue special studies and projects in physical sciences (including mathematics), life/biological sciences (including Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)), data science, engineering, or other similar fields in science and engineering.

• Area of study: physical sciences (including mathematics), life/biological sciences (including Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)), data science, engineering, or other similar fields in science and engineering.

Gives consideration to students working on SIO projects and/or engineering projects.

• Area of study: Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and/or engineering projects.

Note: this scholarship has changed requirements as of 2021 -- the requirement that projects be cross-disciplinary has been relaxed, so any student doing a project in SIO or engineering (or both) are welcome to apply. 

Gives consideration to those proposals designed to pursue special studies and projects in physics. Preference is given to students with a physics major. 

• Area of study: physics
• Named scholarships:
  • Robert C. Dynes and Ann Parode Dynes
  • Frances Hellman

Gives consideration to those proposals designed to pursue special studies and projects in sustainability, including resource conservation or agricultural environmental practices. 

• Area of study: sustainability, including resource conservation or agricultural environmental practices.