Welcome to the URCA Grant Application Guide!
URCA Grant Applications open October 1, 2025 and must be submitted by midnight, November 14, 2025.
Eligibility Requirements
- Be a UCSB undergraduate in good academic standing and remain so throughout the funding period, which is the academic year in which you apply.
- Be engaged in or planning a student-initiated research or creative project. Grants cannot be awarded retroactively for completed projects.
- Groups of up to five undergraduates can submit a shared group application
- Identify a faculty member who is willing to supervise your project, and will fill out an online form on your behalf as a part of your grant application. Your faculty mentor must be the instructor of a department seminar or a member of the Academic Senate. (You can view the membership list here)
Award Terms
If you are awarded an URCA grant, you must participate in at least one of the forums at UCSB Undergraduate Research Week in May. The funding period is limited to the academic year in which the grant was awarded and funds must be spent by June 1.
Group Applications
New this year, groups of two or more students working on a joint project are asked to submit a single group application with extended project plan and consolidated budget form. Groups may have up to five members. Awards are limited to $500 per member.
Students working in pairs or groups may not submit individual applications for the same project, such applications will be disqualified.
Application Support
Students are strongly encouraged to have URCA staff review their applications before submitting them. This will ensure everything is in order and give you the best chance at a successful application. Check out our Workshops page for more information about events to help you prepare your application.
This year, we will offer regularly scheduled working hours at the URCA Center, where students can drop in, work on their applications, and talk with staff. Check the calendar on our workshops page for the full schedule. You may also make an appointment, email, or visit our office hours for additional support or to have your application checked prior to submission.
You can also use our new self-assessment tool to review your own work, or ask a peer to review you packet. We also have printable worksheets to assess compliance with instructions from our application guide.
Interactive Self-Assessment Tool
Detailed Instructions
Review Process
Applications will be reviewed and scored on a rubric included below. You can use our self-assessment tool, developed by grant reviewers to address common issues, as a guide your editing your submission. You may also consider asking a mentor or peer to use it as a feedback form to review your application.
Criteria for Funding
Review Scale: Very visible–somewhat visible–not evident
Project Goals
The project goals are clear, such as a research question being answered or clearly defined creative project being developed.
Project Background and Context
The proposed project is situated in its relevant context. The proposal demonstrates familiarity with the literature and existing work in this area.
Methods
The proposal provides a comprehensive description of how any data will be collected, what data sources will be analyzed, plan of analysis or measurement instrument. For creative projects, the proposal provides relevant description of how the project will be developed.
Student Initiated
The proposed project is initiated by the undergraduate applicant. To avoid confusion, use "I" or your last name and singular pronouns when referring to only yourself. Do not say "we" except when referring to multiple clearly identified people.
Clarity
The proposal uses appropriate technical and non-technical language that is accessible to a non-specialist academic audience.
Timeline and Feasibility
The project is feasible in scope. The outlined milestones are reasonably achievable and the plan manageable. Relevant milestones are in the grant period.
Budget
The budget is clearly itemized and is appropriate for the activities proposed. The expenses correspond to what is described in the methods. Cost estimates are realistic and justified.