UROP

Boston University faculty are encouraged to design research opportunities for undergraduates. These projects can be framed as volunteer projects (for students who are seeking initial, practical, hands-on experiences), as projects for credit (a rigorous independent study), or as paid opportunities. Any such opportunities that are available for web posting can be submitted to UROP using our on-line form. In gneeral, projects should be worthy of academic credit and exceed normal academic course requirements.

Faculty are encouraged to support paid research opportunities using external grants or other funding sources. For example, any faculty member who holds a grant from the National Science Foundation may apply for an NSF-REU Supplement, which is designed expressly for supporting an undergraduate researcher during the summer.

In addition, UROP offers active undergraduate researchers who are not receiving academic credit for their work a chance to apply for two modes of financial assistance. These funds include Faculty Matching Grants and Summer Research Awards.

Chemistry/BMB and Biology/BMB majors may also apply for the Mark W. Riemen Summer Research Prize. This prize is open to Chemistry/BMB or Biology/BMB majors in alternate years; check with UROP if you are eligible in a given year.

UROP also offers three other types of financial support for research projects: FROGs (supply grants), Research-Related Travel Awards, and Conference Participation Travel Awards.

Please feel free to contact UROP with any questions about participating in the program.

An undergraduate may contact you to do research in response to taking one of your classes, seeing a research opportunity that you have posted on the UROP web site, or searching the Faculty Research Interests Catalog.

In order for a student to apply for funding from the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, he or she must write and submit a Project Proposal using our PDF Application Form. The Project Proposal must be written by the student, but should be designed in consultation with you, the faculty mentor. The student is encouraged to first read the Student's Guide to Applying for Funding before filling out the application form.

Deadlines for applying for UROP funds are firm. No late or incomplete proposals will be reviewed by the Faculty Advisory Committee. (Faculty Recommendations must also be received on time for the student application to be considered.)

Faculty Recommendations

Students who are applying for UROP funds must have their faculty sponsor's recommendation submitted every time that they apply for funding. These references must be submitted electronically. Paper recommendations and previously submitted recommendations are not acceptable.

Different on-line UROP recommendation forms are available. Please read the recommendation guidelines for further information regarding the specific program your student is applying to.

A student who is applying for a Faculty Matching Grant, Summer Research Award, Riemen Prize, FROG, and/or Research-Related Travel Award will need to have his or her faculty sponsor submit a Faculty Recommendation Form in support of that application.

If the student is only applying for a Conference Participation Travel Award, then the faculty sponsor must submit the on-line Conference Recommendation Form in support of that proposed travel.

Faculty members whose students are applying for Faculty Matching Grants need to provide the BU accounting codes for the faculty portion of the award when submitting their on-line recommendation forms. Please obtain this information before completing the recommendation form, as late forms may not be accepted after the deadline and incomplete recommendations may not be forwarded to the Committee for review.