Faculty Research Assistance Program (FRAP)

Faculty

The FRAP Directory is a great tool for faculty to bring undergraduates into the fold of their research. By posting your research project in the directory and working with undergraduates, you can apply for up to five (5) $350 grants every Fall, Winter and Spring quarter.

Students

If you want to give research a try, explore the directory to find opportunities – and don’t feel tied to just your major – interdisciplinary undertakings are scattered throughout the directory! As a participant in FRAP, you earn academic credit for your time spent researching.

Directory

Because so many students want to get involved with undergraduate research, we created a directory that connects professors doing research with undergraduate research assistants. The FRAP Directory is updated on a rolling basis, and completely cleared every two years.

Faculty

General Information for Faculty

If you are willing to have undergraduate researchers from the College of Letters & Science join your project, you are eligible to apply for up to five (5) $350 grants per quarter (Fall, Winter and Spring).

Applications for grant funding are due no later than 11:59pm on October 14, 2022 for Fall, January 20, 2023 for Winter and April 21, 2023 for Spring.

In order to receive funding, you must:

  1. Post your research project to the FRAP Directory
     
  2. Have undergraduate researchers enroll in your department’s 99/99RA or 199/199RA course with you as the instructor on record. The student must be from the College of Letters & Science to be considered for funding.
     
  3. Be a member of the Academic Senate
     
  4. Not apply for funding with the same student for more than three (3) quarters
     
  5. Submit one application per research assistant by the quarterly deadline

Additional Information

The funds awarded are to be used for project-related expenses, excluding salary, furniture, or computer or other hardware.

Undergraduate research assistants may not be paid wages from this award. The funding must be used up by the end of the fiscal year (June 30) in which they are awarded, and any unused funds must be returned to the College of Letters & Science before the start of the next Academic Year.

Faculty and students are encouraged to complete a Research Learning Contract, an agreement designed to guide a conversation about responsibilities and expectations.

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities will contact all students listed in grant applications with a survey toward the end of the quarter.

Although you may apply for up to five (5) grants per quarter, funding is not guaranteed for all applications.

Students

We bet when you think of “Research” your mind automatically brings up pictures of beakers, chemicals, and all things science. You aren’t wrong, but research can take many different forms and look different across the disciplines. Whether you are examining the correlation between the Cool Jazz Era and the Modern Bolero, exploring cancer relapse or utilizing special collections to inspect World War I battle maps, there are so many directions you can take with undergraduate research at UCSB.

If it all seems a little overwhelming, don’t worry – we understand the struggle and are here to make this educational journey easier! The Undergraduate RA Directory is a great tool to start with – it will give you an idea of different research opportunities that are out there.

If you find yourself confused or unsure how to begin, stop by our office in the Library during student hours or make an appointment and we’ll help you out. Are you wondering how to contact a professor to express interest in their work? Come in and we’ll help you draft an email! Whatever your question or concern may be, we want to help, so don’t be shy about visiting us.

Students and their mentors are encouraged to complete a Research Learning Contract, an agreement designed to guide a conversation about responsiblities and expectations.

Research Learning Contract

Directory

The Undergrad RA Directory is your go-to place for discovering new research projects taking place on campus. Professors can submit projects on a rolling basis to have their listing hosted on the directory. Although the Directory is categorized by department, don’t allow that to limit you – a number of projects on the directory look for students from across the disciplines, so feel free to explore your interests outside of your major or minor and get involved in interdisciplinary research.