Application Guidelines

Applications are reviewed by faculty members from a variety of disciplines across CANR. Because reviewers may not have expertise in your specific field, applications should be written for a broad scientific audience using clear language and minimal technical jargon. Before beginning your application, review the Evaluation Rubric to understand how proposals are evaluated.

Applications that receive the highest scores are clear, specific, and provide sufficient detail for reviewers outside the applicant's discipline to evaluate the proposed work.

GPA Requirement

Once the minimum GPA requirement (2.5 cumulative GPA) is met, application quality, project feasibility, mentor support, and anticipated student benefits are generally more important factors in funding decisions.

Time Commitment

Most students spend approximately 8-10 hours per week on their URP research project. Projects typically span one to two semesters.

Project Description

Write an ~ 500-700-word project description (maximum 4,500 characters including spaces). The project description must be written entirely by the student and reviewed by the faculty mentor prior to submission. The project description must include the following section headers (in bold):

Problem Statement: Explain the problem or question your project will address and why it is important.
Objectives: Describe the project objectives, including the hypothesis you will test and/or the research question(s) you will address.
Approach: Summarize the primary methods, techniques, or procedures you will use to complete the project. Provide enough detail for reviewers to understand how the research will be conducted and evaluate the feasibility of your approach.
Anticipated Outcomes: Explain what you expect to accomplish and how the project may contribute to knowledge in the field.
References (optional): Include citations referenced in your project description.

Successful project descriptions clearly explain why the project is important, what will be done, how it will be conducted, and what outcomes are expected. Provide enough detail for faculty reviewers from a variety of disciplines to evaluate your proposal.

Statement of Benefits

Write an ~ 200-400-word statement of benefits (maximum 2,500 characters including spaces). In the Statement of Benefits, explain what you hope to gain from the research experience and how it will contribute to your academic, professional, and personal development.

What skills and knowledge do you hope to gain?
How will this experience complement your academic program?
How will this experience support your future educational and/or career goals?

Plans to Present Results

With input from your faculty mentor, describe where and when you plan to present your research results (~ 1 paragraph, maximum 1,500 characters including spaces). URP recipients are expected to present at:

MSU's University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF) within 12 months of completing their project
One additional professional venue, such as a professional conference, departmental or college research symposium, campus research event, or other presentation opportunity.

Include the proposed venue, date (if known), location, and presentation format (poster or oral presentation).

Research Budget

Prepare a detailed budget and budget justification (~100-300 words, maximum 2,000 characters including spaces) explaining how the requested funds will support the proposed work.

Maximum request: $2,000. Most applicants request the maximum award amount; however, students should request only the funds needed to successfully complete the proposed project.
At least 80% of requested funds must directly support the student through student hourly pay, travel, and/or presentation expenses.
Up to 20% of the total request may be used for travel expenses.
Up to 20% of the total request may be used for lab or field supplies.

Successful research budgets clearly explain how requested funds will support the proposed work. Your URP request may not exceed $2,000, even if it is part of a larger project budget. If additional funding sources will support the project, faculty mentors should describe them in their reference form to demonstrate overall project feasibility.

Example Budget

Student Hourly Pay: $1,500
Student Travel: $300
Presentation Expenses: $50
Lab/Field Expenses: $150

Example Budget Justification

Student Hourly Pay ($1,500): I will be paid $15/hour for approximately 100 hours of work during summer 2027. Research activities will include conducting a literature review (10 hours), preparing samples and materials (15 hours), collecting field data (30 hours), entering and analyzing data (25 hours), meeting weekly with my faculty mentor (10 hours), and preparing a final presentation and project summary (10 hours).

Student Travel ($300): Mileage reimbursement ($150) for travel to field sites once a week for 4 weeks (approximately 200 miles total at $0.75 per mile). Conference registration fee ($150) to attend a regional conference in fall 2027 where I will present the results of my project. Other expenses for the regional conference will be covered directly by my mentor.

Presentation Expenses ($50): Poster printing for planned presentation at UURAF 2028.

Lab/Field Supplies ($150): 100 sample collection vials ($60), Flagging tape and labels ($25), Test strips ($40), and disposable gloves ($25) used during summer data collection.

Please note that the above values are provided for illustrative purposes only. Actual costs (hourly rate, reimbursement rate, supply costs, etc.) will vary by project. Michigan minimum wage is $15/hour effective January 1, 2027.

Contact Rose Stewart at stewa684@msu.edu with any questions.