Undergraduate Research Scholarship and Creative Activities (U-RSCA) Grants

Projects that require oversight of compliance must be addressed as such and grant funds cannot be released until all research compliance issues are satisfied. Please keep in mind that research compliance issues may take several weeks to be resolved and must be resolved within one month of notification of selection for funding. 

Funds awarded will be dispersed to the home department. 

Students awarded a U-RSCA grant will be required to sign an acceptance letter prior to disbursement of the funds to their home department. 

Students awarded a U-RSCA grant must submit a final report by the deadline designated on the acceptance letter and must present their data at an annual UNF SOARS (Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship) conference. 

Students who do not use their funding must coordinate with their mentor’s department to have the funding returned to the Office of Undergraduate Research by the end of the semester. 

Each application includes several sections: Title, Summary, Proposal, Literature Cited, Roles of student(s) and mentor, Timeline, Budget, and the Faculty Mentor Letter of Recommendation. It is important to prepare the sections before beginning the application process. All sections must be uploaded as a word or pdf file. After submission, the faculty mentor will be contacted to submit the Faculty Mentor Letter of Recommendation. All application materials must be received by the application deadline. 

Summary – 200 word maximum - Provide a summary of the proposed project. The summary should be clear and concise and should be written in language that is understood by reviewers from other disciplines. It should “sell” your proposal to the reviewers. 

Proposal – 2000 word maximum – Provide a brief literature review, the research question or problem, the proposed methodology, the significance of the study, and the anticipated products or outcomes. Include pertinent references or citations in the style utilized by your academic discipline (APA, MLA, Chicago). 

Literature cited - Include the references or citations used in the proposal in the style utilized by your academic discipline. 

Roles of student(s) and mentor – 500 word maximum - Provide information regarding the responsibilities of each student and the mentor. 

Timeline – Provide details of the timeline for implementing the various steps of the project.  This can be provided as a graphic or in paragraph form. 

Budget – Provide an itemized budget to complete the proposed project. Consult the Budget Guidelines before submitting the budget section of the proposal. 

Faculty Mentor Letter of Recommendation – Provide comments on the feasibility of the project; the initiative, tenacity, and abilities of the student(s); your previous experience working with students on RSCA and willingness to provide oversight of the project. The letter should be signed and dated. Department letterhead is preferred. 

Grant funds awarded to students must be applied to tangible research expenditures. Applicants should discuss research needs with their faculty mentor before submission of their proposed budget.  

Examples of allowable expenses: 

• Costs for laboratory or artistic supplies, software and databases, and small equipment. 
• Costs for training programs directly related to the project. 
• Travel to offsite locations to conduct research, such as archives, libraries, companies, museums, or collections containing materials related to the project. Make sure to use the Florida Statutory mileage rate for trips involving the use of a personal vehicle. 
• Photocopying of research-related materials of purchase of books not otherwise available at or through the University Library. 
• Program fee costs associated with a research-intensive study abroad program to include materials and supplies needed to conduct the research abroad. 

Examples of non-allowable expenses include, but are not limited to: 

• Costs associated with attendance or presentations at professional meetings. 
• Gas and food expenses associated with travel. 
• Stipends, living expenses, tuition, or laboratory fees.
• The hiring of assistants or other external services. 
• Lessons or cost associated with professional development. 

Grant proposals are reviewed by a panel of faculty members from a wide variety of departments. Applicants should ensure that proposals can be understood by an educated non-expert. Proposals will be evaluated using a rubric. Faculty evaluators will discuss the proposals and make their recommendations for funding.  The Office of Undergraduate Research will then make the final selections. Feedback will be provided to students whose proposals are not selected for funding.