Every year, each of the 13 CUR divisions create an action plan in support of the CUR strategic plan. Many of those plans include awards for both mentors and students, to support research projects, provide funding for conference presentations, and to honor exemplary mentoring.
Currently Open Divisional Awards
The Engineering Division aims to recognize both those who directly mentor undergraduate researchers as well as those who administratively enable the institutionalization of undergraduate research on campuses.
Deadline is April 15, 2024
To highlight student research, the CUR Engineering Division has launched the Student Research Video Competition. Undergraduates share their research videos with the public via the CUR Engineering Division and will also be eligible to be recognized publicly and potentially receive a cash award.
Deadline is April 8, 2024
The Geoscience Division of the Council of Undergraduate Research (GeoCUR) recognizes the critical work of developing best practices in undergraduate research. This award highlights individuals who place undergraduate research at the center of professional activities. GeoCUR annually recognizes individuals who are initiating creative, impactful, and/or innovative undergraduate research activities. An awardee for the Geosciences Mentor Award will be selected in the summer and the award will be presented at the Geological Society of America Fall Meeting at the GSA Education Division/NAGT/CUR join luncheon.
Deadline is June 1, 2024
The Geosciences Division of CUR annually recognizes an individual who serves as a role model for productive and transformative student-faculty mentoring relationships and for maintaining a sustained and innovative approach to the enterprise of undergraduate research. An awardee for the Geosciences Mentor Award will be selected in the summer and the award will be presented at the Geological Society of America Fall Meeting at the GSA Education Division/NAGT/CUR join luncheon.
Deadline is June 1, 2024
Offering a limited number of grants, up to $200 each, for undergraduate Social Science students presenting the results of research that they have conducted at a regional or national, discipline-specific meeting (in person or virtually) during the academic year 2023-2024. In addition, two awards will be set aside for students attending an international conference. If they are not used, they will be given to students on the waiting list.
Rolling Deadline.
Currently Closed Divisional Awards
The Council on Undergraduate Research’s Arts and Humanities Faculty Mentor Award recognizes exemplary faculty mentors of undergraduate researchers in the arts and humanities fields. Mentors are leaders and role models for those involved in undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activities.
The Division of Arts and Humanities is offering four $300 scholarships to support undergraduate student research and creative inquiry projects at any stage of development up to and including presentation.
For ConnectUR on-site registered attendees affiliated with an HBCU, HSI, community college, or small liberal arts institutions of 3,000 students or less (Carnegie Classification below Medium), $250 stipends are available to help support your attendance at ConnectUR conferences. With this stipend, awardees will be required to participate in the At-Large Collaborations and Connections session. To be considered for a stipend, attendees must provide a one-page statement of interest in developing undergraduate research at your institution, plus a letter of support from another member of the institution indicating an interest in developing undergraduate research opportunities at your location. Awardees must be willing to act as a regional intermediary between the C&C session team and their own institution, as well as other institutions of similar type and interest in their area for assistance in initiating and undergraduate research program appropriate for their institution’s size, capacity, and resources.
The CUR Biology Division Mentor Awards honor biology mentors for their long-term efforts in supervising undergraduate research students. Individuals may be self-nominated or be nominated by CUR institutional or Institutional-Enhanced members, individual CUR members of the Biology Division, or the mentor’s research students. Faculty mentoring interdisciplinary projects are eligible as long as such projects involve a major biological component. Awards will be made in three categories: Early Career, Mid-Career, and Advanced Career.
The CUR Biology Division is pleased to announce a limited number of research supply grants, up to $275 each, to members of the Biology Division. These grants are intended especially for projects with undergraduates in which a small grant will make a big difference. Grant funds will be given as a stipend and do not need to be used during this fiscal year.
The Biology Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) is offering a limited number of travel grants, up to $250 each, for undergraduate students presenting original biological research results at a regional or national, discipline-specific meeting in Spring 2024. Award recipients are required to acknowledge CUR for support of their travel in their talk or poster, to complete a short online survey about their meeting experience and to submit a PDF file of their poster. Students from traditionally underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
CUR’s Chemistry Division seeks to honor exceptional mentoring and advising by higher education faculty across all subdisciplines of chemistry with Outstanding Mentorship Awards. These awards recognize transformative mentoring and advising of undergraduate students in mentor-led chemistry research projects. Each award will consist of a plaque, a small cash award, and a letter of commendation from CUR that shall be sent to the recipient’s institution. In each award cycle, up to three awards will be given.
The Education Division is pleased to announce its Student-Faculty Collaborative Research in Education Award. Two (2) awards of $250 each will be made available each academic year (dual and double majors in teacher education programs and other related fields). Undergraduates at any stage of their undergraduate programs are encouraged to apply.
The Education Division of CUR is offering two $500 grants to faculty members interested in integrating undergraduate research within one of their courses. Faculty can choose to design a new research-infused course or redesign an existing course to include a substantial undergraduate research component that provides students with an opportunity to learn about educational research/scholarship and conduct course-based research.
The Education Division of CUR is offering eight (8) $110 stipends for Student Registration to NCUR 2022. Applicants must be an undergraduate student who is presenting at NCUR 2022 and has indicated that his/her presentation is in the field of education.
The Geoscience Division of CUR gives annual awards to full-time undergraduate students currently enrolled in a two-year or four-year educational institution engaging in research emphasizing the geosciences, such as geology, oceanography, atmospheric sciences, etc.
This awards honors exceptional higher education mentors across all health sciences subdivisions. This award is for mentors but not for classroom teaching. Mentors are leaders and role models for undergraduate research, scholarship, creative activities, or innovative projects. Health science disciplines focus on the core curriculum of health, wellness, disease, health care, or health management. In addition to traditionally considered health science disciplines, kinesiology, counseling, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology are also considered part of health sciences.
This award covers the cost of registration (up to $150) for undergraduate students in the health sciences presenting original research at NCUR2024. The goal is to celebrate and support students’ participation in NCUR while contributing to their discipline and future growth.
The CUR MCS Division Inclusivity Award is an annual recognition of a member who has shown excellence and sustainable work to broaden access to mathematical, computational, or statistical sciences with a focus on the implementation of real-world research projects for undergraduate students. A desirable contribution would be one that has to influence the community in a significant and positive way on a national scale or has the potential to do so especially engaging a wider audience, similar to the NSF’s famous goal of “broader impacts.”
The Mathematical, Computing, and Statistical Sciences Division of CUR is pleased to announce three awards (Early, Mid, and Advanced Career) to honor mentors for their success in mentoring undergraduate students in research. Faculty mentoring interdisciplinary projects are encouraged to apply as long as those projects involve a major mathematics, computer science, or statistics component.
The CUR Physics and Astronomy Division would like to honor Mentors in our disciplines for their long-term efforts in mentoring undergraduate research (UGR) students. Individuals mentoring interdisciplinary projects are eligible as long as those projects involve a major physical or astronomical component. Mentors with 3 or more years of experience in a primary role are eligible.
The Physics and Astronomy Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research requests applications for the Nadine Barlow Undergraduate Research Support Award. In memory of CURPA Councilor Nadine Barlow, a limited number of Undergraduate Research Support Awards (URSA), with a maximum amount of $500 each, will be offered to help undergraduates (1) conduct faculty-mentored research, (2) present their research at national conferences, or (3) publish their research in peer-reviewed journals.
The Psychology Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research requests nominations for a Mid-Career Mentoring Award. This award is for a CUR Psychology Division member who has influenced undergraduate research through their own research, through scholarly or creative projects with undergraduates, and/or through demonstrated leadership activities. The award consists of $500. In addition, the awardee will have the opportunity to present their research mentorship style and philosophy with the CUR community and the profile and accomplishments of the awardee will be featured on the Psychology Division’s website.
The CUR Psychology Division is offering a limited number of research (e.g., supplies or expenses) or presentation (travel/conference registration) awards for undergraduate students conducting original psychological research (up to $400 per project).
This award recognizes an outstanding mentor of undergraduate research in the social sciences for their role in 1) supporting, 2) encouraging, 3) promoting a positive and inclusive scholarly and teaching environment for undergraduate students, and 4) contributing to their students’ professional and personal development inside and outside of the classroom. The awardee will receive $200 and a plaque, and will be featured in the CUR Social Sciences Division’s newsletter.
This award recognizes an outstanding doctoral students, early first-year faculty, or lecturers of undergraduate research in the social sciences for their role in 1) supporting, 2) encouraging, 3) promoting a positive and inclusive scholarly and teaching environment for undergraduate students, and 4) contributing to their students’ professional and personal development inside and outside of the classroom. The awardee will receive $100 and will be featured in the CUR Social Sciences Division’s newsletter.
Please note that all CUR award recipients are responsible for any and all applicable tax obligations associated with receipt of the award.
All students, faculty, mentors, organizations, and institutions honored with becoming a part of the CUR award recipient community, you have the professional and ethical responsibility to maintain the highest professional conduct standards and embody the CUR Code of Ethics for Undergraduate Research in your words, actions, and deeds. In addition, all participants are expected to abide by the CUR Code of Conduct. Expectations for awardees are to show courtesy and civility in both their personal and professional communications while forever representing CUR and the distinguished honor of the specific award rewarded. One must conduct oneself in a manner both professional and ethical.