Enrichment Award
Supporting UB undergraduate students who are ready to take their research further.
Through this competitive funding opportunity, we invest in current juniors and seniors who have completed a faculty-mentored research project and earned a digital badge.
The award helps students build on what they’ve learned, turning experience into purposeful next steps that deepen their work and advance their academic, creative and professional goals.
Award Overview
Funding may be used to support activities that build upon a student’s initial research project, including travel, conference participation, workshops or other approved scholarly or creative activities.
Awards are available for up to $2,500.
- Enroll in a new Mentored Research digital badge for this proposed funded experience and complete the Preparation Phase activities by the application deadline.
- Completed applications must be submitted by the stated deadline (late materials will not be considered).
- Students may receive the Enrichment Award once during their UB undergraduate career.
- Download the Enrichment Award Signature Form (PDF).
- All required fields and signatures must be completed before upload.
- Upload the completed form as part of your online application.
Note: If you begin the application and need to stop, select “Save and Resume Later” to generate a unique link. You may return to your application using that link within 30 days.
Deadlines
Applications are due:
- Nov. 11, 2026
- March 24, 2027
Before You Begin
To apply, you must:
- Be a current UB junior or senior undergraduate student.
- Have earned a digital badge through the Office for Undergraduate Research (formerly the Experiential Learning Network).
- Secure a UB faculty mentor who agrees to oversee your proposed activities and administer the funds awarded according to the approved budget.
Faculty Mentor Required
Faculty mentorship remains central to undergraduate research at UB. All students applying for funding through the Office for Undergraduate Research must partner with a UB faculty mentor who agrees to:
- Oversee the proposed experience.
- Administer funds in accordance with the approved budget.
- Support the scholarly or creative direction of the work.
Funding must directly support your student research project.
Funds may not be used to:
- Build or expand faculty lab or research infrastructure.
- Purchase gifts.
- Compensate anyone (including research participants) for their time.
- Provide wages or income to student researchers.
- Subsidize courses.
Senior design projects and course-required projects are not eligible for this funding.
If you are unsure whether a specific budget item is allowable, contact the Office for Undergraduate Research before submitting your application.
Because this is a highly competitive award, only completed applications submitted by the deadline will be considered. Funding applications will be evaluated using the following criteria:
- Complete application: All materials received on or before the deadline.
- Signature form: Completed and submitted on or before the deadline.
- Quality of writing: All responses are clear, professional and well-written with evidence of proofreading. (The Center for Excellence in Writing is available to support the development of your application.)
- Clarity of proposed activities: Explanation of how the initial completed project will be built upon in a meaningful way.
- Connection to goals: Clear articulation of how the proposed activities will support your academic or professional goals.
- Transformational learning: Thoughtful explanation of how the proposed activities will deepen your learning and growth.
- Budget quality: The proposed budget is itemized, accurate and well-documented with proof of the exact cost for each item.
- Funding justification: Clearly describe each requested budget item and explain how it supports or enables the proposed project activities.
Note: Funds must directly support the proposed activities and may not be used to build out faculty lab or research infrastructure. If you are unsure whether a specific budget item is allowable, contact our office before submission.
- Applications are reviewed after each deadline.
- A funding decision will be emailed to you within 1–2 weeks.
- After awards are announced, the transfer of funds may take several additional weeks.
Please note that there are no exceptions to this timeline.
Before submitting your Enrichment Award application, you must:
- Sign up for a Mentored Research digital badge.
- Within 1-2 business days of submitting your sign up form, you will receive an email confirming your enrollment in the digital badge through UBLearns. You must log in to the digital badge on UBLearns and complete the intake form and the two preparation-phase activities by the funding deadline.
Ready to Apply?
Take your next step now.