Overview of Funding
The Office for Undergraduate Research offers three unique funding opportunities for UB undergraduate students.
Each requires students to work under the guidance of a faculty mentor. This page outlines key details you need to know as the faculty mentor.
Undergraduate Student Funding Opportunities
Maximum funding for individual projects: $750.
Maximum funding for group projects: $1,000.
This funding opportunity aims to make faculty-mentored projects possible for undergraduate students who otherwise wouldn’t have access to this funding.
We are unable to give funds directly to students. We transfer the funds from our account to your departmental account as indicated on the required signature form. Once the funds are transferred via IDI, you and your departmental financial administrator will oversee the spending of funds according to the approved budget. These are IFR state funds and must follow state procurement guidelines.
Maximum funding for individual conference presentations: $750.
Maximum funding for group conference presentations: $1,000.
This funding opportunity aims to support students who have been accepted to present their work at a conference. Students must show proof that they have been accepted to present.
We are unable to give funds directly to students. We transfer the funds from our account to your departmental account as indicated on the required signature form. Once the funds are transferred via IDI, you and your departmental financial administrator will oversee the spending of funds according to the approved budget. These are IFR state funds and must follow state procurement guidelines. The funds may be used to reimburse for any prepaid expenses.
Maximum funding for the Enrichment Award: Up to $2,500.
The Enrichment Award is an individual award opportunity for current juniors and seniors to support experiential learning activities that build upon a completed project and digital badge in transformative ways.
To be eligible, students must have earned a Mentored Research Digital Badge managed by the Office for Undergraduate Research for the project they wish to build upon through their proposed activities.
Funds can support research, travel, participation in conferences and workshops, or other approved activities that build on their initial projects and integrate with their academic and professional goals.
What You Should Know As The Faculty Mentor
General Information
- Applicants must be current UB undergraduate students.
- All students are required to complete signature forms, which must include signatures from:
- You (their faculty mentor).
- Your department chair.
- Your departmental financial administrator (the person responsible for managing your departmental IFR accounts).
- Students will be directed to you for help in obtaining these signatures.
- Students will receive detailed instructions in their applications on how to create an itemized budget and submit proof of the exact cost for each item.
Use of Funds
- Funds must be used to support student projects directly and cannot be used to build out faculty labs or research infrastructure.
- Funds cannot be used to purchase gifts or to compensate anyone, including research participants, for their time.
- This funding opportunity is not intended to subsidize courses. Senior design projects and course-required projects are NOT eligible for this funding.
- Please contact our office if you are unsure if a specific budget item is allowable.
Timeline
- After the funding deadline, our staff will review all submitted applications.
- Students will receive a funding decision via email, and the faculty mentor will be copied on it.
- Decisions can take 1-2 weeks, depending on the volume of submissions.
- After funding decisions are announced, the IDI (transfer of funds) may take several additional weeks to complete.