UROP Recognition and Funding

• All applicants must be enrolled at UCI as degree-seeking undergraduate students through at least winter quarter 2026
• Must have UCI Academic Senate Faculty Mentor guidance
• Must be in good academic standing (2.0+ GPA)
• Applicants may apply as an individual or a group 
• All REF recipients who are enrolled at UCI in spring quarter 2026 must present at the UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium in May 2026. You will need to register to present your project separately from this application, in spring 2026.

Funding Eligibility (if requesting funding)

Due to limited funding available, we prioritize supporting investigator-initiated research over class and club projects.

• • Students enrolled in independent research units (e.g. 197, 199, Honors, etc.) or those whose project is not affiliated with a class or club may apply for needs-based funding for project-related supplies.
  • Students enrolled in other classes or clubs are not eligible to apply for funding. Students in these situations may still apply for a non-funded REF award, and should refer to their home school for guidance on financial support.
• Maximum of one individual funding request. Students may also be part of one or more group projects requesting funding.
• Maximum amount of funding request is $500. Please only request the amount you need from UROP to complete your project that is not available from other sources.
• Students may apply for a project that has been funded in the past, but the proposal must be updated to include work that has already been completed on the project, likely including changes to the introduction, timeline and budget, among other areas.

First, review the Research Experience Fellowship (REF) Application Guide.

Your application must include:

• Proposal
• Personal Statement
• Faculty Mentor Agreement

Resources to help with your application:

• REF Application Guide
• Attend a REF Information Session (optional)
• Watch the REF Information Session Recording (optional)
• View our sample proposals (refer to updated instructions in the REF Application Guide, as some details have changed)
• Projects involving human and/or animal subjects must adhere to UCI’s research protections. Students and Faculty Mentors should review the Research Protections Instructions to determine if IRB or IACUC review is required, and if applicable, receive guidance on procedural details.

Submit your proposal and all supplementary documents online by the deadline of Monday, November 3, 2025 at 11:59 pm.

Team and Eligibility

Team: Must be part of a team led by one PhD graduate student and two to four undergraduate students working on a project that is interdisciplinary in nature. To foster interdisciplinarity, undergraduate students must be from at least two different schools (preferred) or two different departments within a school.

Eligibility Requirements:

• All applicants and co-applicants must be enrolled at UCI as degree-seeking students through at least spring quarter 2026
• All applicants must be in good academic standing (2.0+ GPA)
• Maximum of one award per team and student

Faculty: Graduate students must have their UCI Faculty PhD Advisor’s approval. Active involvement and mentoring from the faculty advisor is optional, but considered a plus for the project to be selected. Preference will be given to projects affiliated with active CALIT2 faculty and that are experiential in nature.

• The lead Calit2 IRT faculty will be available for additional advising at a few key times (TBD)

Project Requirements:

• Research takes place from January through May 2026
• All projects should be completed and funding must be expended by the end of May 2026
• All teams are required to present their projects in person in May or June (Date TBD) and submit a final report by the end of May 2026.

First, review the Interdisciplinary Research Teams (IRT) Application Guide.

Your application must include the following documents:

• Research Proposal with Itemized Budget. Can request up to $2,000 for project supplies.
• Personal Statement (one per team member, combined into one statement)
• Graduate Student Mentor Agreement Form

Resources to help with your application:

• IRT Application Guide
• Attend the IRT Information Session:
  Wednesday, October 15, 12-1 pm, Calit2 Auditorium.
  FREE LUNCH PROVIDED
  RSVP by October 7 on ZotSpot.
• View our sample proposals
• Projects involving human and/or animal subjects must adhere to UCI’s research protections. Students and Faculty Mentors should review the Research Protections Instructions to determine if IRB or IACUC review is required, and if applicable, receive guidance on procedural details.

IMPORTANT: PhD Graduate Student Leads must create an online application using the link below and submit the application and all supplementary documents by the deadline. Undergraduate students should not submit the application.

Application Deadline: Monday, November 3, 2024 at 11:59 pm. 

• Must be enrolled at UCI as degree-seeking undergraduate student through at least fall quarter 2025
• Must have UCI Academic Senate Faculty Mentor guidance
• Must be in good academic standing (2.0+ GPA)
• Must have some prior research experience. Recommended: at least one quarter working on a research project at UCI
• Must submit an individual application. If you are part of a group project, your focus of the project must have unique independent aims which you must be able to articulate in your proposal. Multiple group members should not submit the same proposal as part of their individual applications.
• Maximum of one individual funding request per student for this summer (can submit another proposal for non-funded recognition)
• You may apply for a project that has been funded in the past, but you must update your proposal to include work that has already been done on the project, likely including changes to the introduction, timeline and budget, among other areas

Review the SURP Application Guide

Your application must include the following documents:

• Proposal
• Personal Statement
• Faculty Mentor Agreement Form

Resources to help with your application:

• SURP Application Guide
• View our sample proposals
• Watch SURP Application Overview and Submission Information Session (optional)
• Watch the How to Get Involved in Summer Research Information Session Recording (optional)
• Projects involving human and/or animal subjects must adhere to UCI’s research protections. Students and Faculty Mentors should review the Research Protections Instructions to determine if IRB or IACUC review is required, and if applicable, receive guidance on procedural details.

Submit your proposal and all supplementary documents online by the deadline on Friday, April 4, 2025 @ 11:59 pm.