Funding & Eligibility

Stipends, Supplies, Travel, 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 priority is given to students who have been funded fewer than three times. Students graduating in May are not eligible for funding the summer after graduation.

For summer 2023, international students must be working in the US to receive stipend funding.

Types of Funding

  • Stipend Awards: paid directly to the student as taxable income; the hourly rate will reflect the current federal minimum wage
  • Supplies Awards: provided to the mentor’s department to cover project supplies
  • Travel Awards: reimbursement for research- or conference-related travel expenses
  • 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 awards available for students with the greatest financial need

Stipend Awards (beginning spring 2023)

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. For students taking classes in the summer: the average number of in-class hours (including all lectures, discussions, labs, and prelabs) across both summer one and summer two plus your requested UROP stipend hours must not exceed 40 hours/week.

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. For students taking classes in the summer: the average number of in-class hours (including all lectures, discussions, labs, and prelabs) across both summer one and summer two plus your requested UROP stipend hours must not exceed 40 hours/week.

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 who are working another job on campus are required to report this in their award acceptance paperwork. Failure to do so may result in revoking your award.
  • If you have questions about receiving UROP funding while working another job on campus, please contact the office to discuss this further.

Supplies Awards

Awards are no more than $600. You cannot apply for supplies funding and stipend funding during the same funding period. You must choose either a supplies award or a stipend award, not both. If you are receiving academic credit for your research, you cannot apply for a stipend, but you can apply for supplies. Students may not receive more than one supplies award per academic year.

These awards are granted on a rolling basis. Students may not receive more than one supplies award per academic year. Funds are transferred directly to the faculty mentor’s department.

Travel Awards

Research-Related Travel Awards are typically no more than $600. These awards are granted on a rolling basis.

Conference Participation Travel Awards are typically no more than $600. Students applying for this award must either present a poster during the conference or have their abstract published through the conference. These awards are granted on a rolling basis. Students may not receive more than one travel award per academic year.

Housing Supplement

Each summer we will offer a limited number of supplements of up to $1,000 each to off-set the cost of summer housing for UROP participants. Only students working 40 hours/week are eligible for the supplement. Funding is granted to students solely based on financial need as determined by the Financial Aid Office. To receive the award, you must be living in and conducting research in the Boston area, and you must show receipts for your rent.

Find more information about applying for these awards.