Funding & Eligibility

Stipends and Housing Supplements

Students interested in engaging in a research project should contact the faculty member directly. After you decide you’d like to work together, you have several options:

UROP provides research stipends, on a competitive basis, each semester and summer. Research projects may also be done on a volunteer basis, for academic credit, or for pay.

Funding Eligibility

Any undergraduate student enrolled full-time at Boston University is eligible to apply for UROP funding. All projects must be conducted under the supervision of a BU faculty member. A student may not simultaneously receive academic credit and a UROP stipend award for their research. Students on a leave of absence are not eligible to apply for funding. Students who have previously received UROP funding are welcome to apply, but students cannot receive funding more than three times. Students who have received funding 3 times cannot reapply.

Students graduating in May are not eligible for funding the summer after graduation.

Summer 2024:

  • International students must be working in the US to receive stipend funding.
  • A maximum of up to two students may be funded per faculty mentor per semester. 

Types of Funding

  • Stipend Awards: paid directly to the student as taxable income; the hourly rate will reflect the current state minimum wage
  • Humanities, Arts & Preprofessional (HAP) Scholars Awards: stipend and supplies for students conducting research in the Humanities, Arts, and Preprofessional programs
  • Housing Supplement: Up to $1000 toward summer housing, limited number of supplements available for students with the greatest financial need

Stipend Awards

Student Research Award (SRA): full amount provided by UROP
Fall or Spring Semester: Up to $1,500 for 10 hours per week
Summer: $6,000 for 40 hours per week for a 10-week program.

Faculty Matching Grants (FMG): half provided by UROP, half by the faculty mentor
Fall or Spring Semester: Up to $1,500 for 10 hours per week
Summer: $6,000 for 40 hours per week for a 10-week program.

Students may apply for different stipend amounts based on the approximate number of hours to be worked per week*:

Fall or Spring Semester:

  • 5 hours = $750
  • 8 hours = $1,200
  • 10 hours = $1,500

Summer:

  • 20 hours = $3,000
  • 30 hours = $4,500
  • 40 hours = $6,000

*While the award is for the semester or summer, it is paid in weekly installments over a 10 week period. 

Notes on Stipend Working Hours Stipulations

  • UROP stipend payments are paid as weekly salaried payments through Student Employment.
  •  Students are not eligible to work more than 20 hours/week during the academic year and 40 hours/week during the summer across on-campus jobs.
  • Students cannot receive double payment for working the same job. For example, if you work 10 hours/week during the academic year for a UROP stipend, you cannot be paid with work-study or departmental funds for the same 10 hours. However, if you work 10 hours/week during the academic year for a UROP stipend and an additional 10 hours on another job or on the same research project, you may be eligible to receive payment from work-study funding or departmental for the additional hours worked under the hourly guidelines listed above.
  • All non-UROP funding sources used to support your research project need to be discussed with your mentor.
  • Any summer-funded UROP students working another job on campus must report this in their award acceptance paperwork.
  • If you have questions about receiving UROP funding while working another job on campus, please contact the office to discuss this further.