FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM APPLICATIONS

Application instructions for the Undergraduate Research Fellows Program (URFP), Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF), Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP), UCLA/Keck Humanistic Inquiry Undergraduate Research Awards (Keck), Research Revealed, Summer Research Incubator (SRI), and the Transfer Research Entry Program (TREP) can be found on the scholarship pages for each program.

Answers to some of our most frequently asked questions are listed below. If you have any further questions, email urhass@college.ucla.edu or call 310-825-2935.

Q: What percentage of applicants get accepted into the URC scholarship programs?

A: This can vary from year to year and from program to program, and it depends on a number of factors, including the amount of funds available for scholarships each year and the number of applicants. All programs are competitive, and students should plan ahead to ensure they have time to discuss their plans with a faculty mentor and complete all parts of the application. We recommend that students attend program information sessions (scheduled in the weeks leading up to the application due date) and schedule one-on-one advising appointments in advance to discuss their application with our Graduate Research Mentors, or schedule appointments with advisers at the Undergraduate Writing Center or UCLA Library Inquiry Labs.

Q: How do I construct a project proposal and timeline? Can I see some examples?

A: The UCLA WI+RE group offers a great online workshop to help you construct your research or creative arts plan: https://uclalibrary.github.io/research-tips/workshops/. This workshop is also offered every quarter as an in-person workshop as a part of the Cornerstone Research Workshop Series. Students can also attend the URC’s Research and Creative Proposal workshops each quarter for help with writing a proposal, or schedule an advising appointment to view samples of successful project proposals. While those proposals will include timelines, students should note that every project is different and students should discuss their plans with a faculty mentor or one of the URC’s Graduate Research Mentors.

Q: I’m a transfer student and have only known my prospective faculty mentor for a few weeks. Can I still apply?

A: Yes. For programs where a letter of recommendation is required (MMUF, URSP, and Keck) your mentor should attest to their support for your research or creative project and their commitment to mentoring you.

Q: Can I apply if I am doing research as a part of a collaborative or group project? If so, how should I complete the application?

A: Yes, we welcome applications from students working on collaborative projects, including faculty-initiated projects (e.g., work in a lab or on a research team), and proposals for student-initiated collaborative research or creative projects. Please note that all our awards are made to the student and not the project. In drafting your application you should write the research or creative proposal in your own words and clearly specify your role and individual contribution to the project, along with a timeline of your activities or deadlines. You should also specify how the project or research or creative experience relates to your personal goals or interests.

Q: My GPA is slightly below the minimum GPA requirement for the program I wish to apply to, but I expect it to be above the threshold at the end of the quarter and before the program begins. Can I still apply?

A: Yes. GPA will be taken into consideration as a part of your application, but you will still be eligible for the program if you are accepted and meet the requirements by the time the program begins

Q: Who will review my application?

A: The review committee is made up of UCLA faculty across a range of departments.

Q: Do I need to submit a FAFSA or have financial need in order to be accepted to a program?

A: No. Financial need will not impact whether you will be offered a spot in the program; however, in some cases UCLA is prohibited from disbursing additional need to students already receiving grants meeting their cost of attendance. Scholarships are available regardless of known need status; however, all applicants must check the box to allow the financial aid office to share student need information with the Undergraduate Research Centers.

Q: Are undocumented, AB540, DACA, and permanent resident students eligible for URC-HASS scholarships?

A: Yes. Undocumented, AB540, DACA, and permanent resident students are eligible to participate in URFP, MMUF, URSP, Keck, Research Revealed, and the SRI and receive their scholarships.

Q: Are international students eligible for URC-HASS scholarships?

A: Yes. International students are eligible to participate in URFP, URSP, Keck, Research Revealed, and the SRI and receive their scholarships.

Q: What is FERPA? What does it mean if I do or do not waive my right to review a letter of recommendation?

A: FERPA stands for the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. FERPA guarantees you access to your own educational records, including letters of recommendation. However, if you do not wish to access letters of recommendation related to your program application, you may choose to waive your FERPA rights to access, which will be communicated to your letter writer. Your FERPA preferences are not considered in evaluating your application.

Q: How long until I can expect a decision?

A: MMUF and URFP decisions are typically announced by mid-December. URSP and Keck decisions are typically announced by early September. Research Revealed decisions are typically announced leading up to the start of each quarter. Summer Research Incubator decisions are typically announced by early June.

Q: Will I have to submit a budget to show how the scholarship funds will be used, or to account for how they were used?

A: Keck students must submit an itemized budget to receive their research funds.
If you are admitted to one of our other programs with funding, the scholarship is an award made to you, the student. The office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will apply the scholarship to your Bruin Bill to offset any outstanding balances or reduce loan amounts. Any remaining funds will be sent as a check to the address on file with the Financial Aid and Scholarship office, or deposited into the bank account specified on Bruin Direct.
If you expect to incur significant direct costs to carry out your research or creative project, we recommend that you discuss these additional costs with your academic advisor and faculty mentor. They may be able to suggest additional opportunities for financial support or ways to minimize your research expenses.

Q: I plan to study abroad (or in Washington, D.C.) during one of the program quarters. Can I still participate if accepted into the program?

A: Requests to study abroad during our scholarship programs are assessed on a case-by-case basis. In all cases it is expected that the student is continuing research or creative work and maintaining communication with their mentor during the period away from campus. Plans to study away from campus must be communicated in your program application. In most cases where the student maintains enrollment at UCLA (e.g., through CAPPP or UCEAP programs), scholarship disbursements should not be affected. If a student enrolls in a non-UCLA program, they will not be able to receive funding during that quarter.

If your study abroad case is approved by your program director, due to program requirements and events, URSP participants may only study abroad during the fall or winter quarters of their program. URFP students may only study abroad during the spring quarter. MMUF participants may only study abroad during the summer, only if all program requirements are met and with coordinator consent. Keck and Research Revealed students may not study abroad during their programs.

Q: I have a schedule conflict with the course and meeting times for the program. Can I still participate?

A: All participants must enroll in and pass the required Research Practice course(s) for URFP, MMUF, and Research Revealed. If you are offered participation in one of these programs, you must make arrangements to meet this requirement.
Similarly, participants in Keck and the Summer Research Incubator must attend the workshops and small group meetings for their program.

Q: Who is able to be a faculty mentor? Can I have a lecturer or adjunct professor mentor me?

A: All Assistant, Associate, and full Professors are automatically eligible to mentor students for URFP, URSP, Keck, and MMUF. Non-ladder faculty such as Adjunct Professors and Lecturers are eligible to mentor students for URFP and URSP with email approval from their Chair to mentor SRP 99 or upper-division research contract courses, as long as they will be employed at UCLA for the entirety of the time their student is in the program. If your non-ladder faculty and would like to become a faculty mentor, please have them fill out the Faculty Participation Form and email it to the Undergraduate Research Center (urhass@college.ucla.edu).

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

My research is interdisciplinary and I‘m not sure which center’s program I should apply to. Should I apply to URC-HASS or URC-Sciences?

Students engaged in interdisciplinary research that blur the lines between HASS (humanities, arts, and social sciences) and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) may have difficulty deciding which Undergraduate Research Centers (URC-HASS or URC-Sciences) they should apply to. Due to the specific eligibility criteria of each center and the large number of submissions our departments receive, we cannot transfer applications across centers. In short, your application will only be reviewed by the center you have submitted to.

Consider the experts who will be reviewing your application. For example, we would not want a materials chemist reviewing research applications focused on ethnographic studies of urban populations. Likewise, we would not want a cultural anthropologist reviewing research applications focused on single-cell RNA sequencing. To ensure that your application is reviewed fairly, make sure you apply to the center that best suits your research. We recommend that you consult with your faculty mentor about which center is most appropriate for your project.

Once you have made your decision, make sure you submit to the appropriate Survey application on myUCLA.

Below is a guideline to help determine the proper home for your project. If the following does not resolve your concerns or confusion, please email the respective center(s) for clarification.

Preliminary Questions for Individuals Planning to Apply to a URC-HASS Program

  • Does your research involve analyzing texts (i.e., literature, archival documents), other media (i.e., broadcast or social media), and/or art of various mediums?
    • If yes, apply to URC HASS. If no, continue with the next question.  
  • Does your research involve non-clinical qualitative studies such as interviews or ethnographies of human communities?
    • If yes, apply to URC-HASS. If no, continue with the next question. 
  • Does your research involve a creative project resulting in literary  narratives, or visual / aural artworks (i.e., music, dance, creative writing, film)?
    • If yes, apply to URC-HASS. If no, continue with the next question.  
  • Does your research involve the application of observational methods on humans in artificial or natural settings for the purposes of understanding human behavior?
    • If yes, apply to URC-HASS. If no, continue with the next question.  
  • Does your research involve some data analysis but for the purposes of understanding human behavior and/or communities?
    • If yes, apply to URC-HASS.

Preliminary Questions for Individuals Planning to Apply to a URC-Sciences Program

  • Does your research application involve model organisms, (i.e., rodents, flies, fish, worms)? 
    •  If Yes, submit to URC-Sciences. If No, continue with the next question. 
  • Does your research application involve reagents, solutions, biological samples, or biological data? 
    • If Yes, submit to the URC-Sciences.. If No, continue with the next question. 
  • Does your research application address questions about the mechanisms underlying diseases? 
    •  If Yes, submit to the URC-Sciences.. If No, continue with the next question. 
  •  Does your research application involve quantitative modeling using mathematical, computer, physical, chemical, or        biochemical approaches or strategies? 
    • If Yes, submit to the URC-Sciences.. If No, continue with the next question. 
  • Does your research application use large or complex technology to collect and analyze data, such as fMRI, PET-Scan, microscopes, telescopes, cell sorters, material ovens, or others? 
    • If Yes, submit to URC-Sciences.