URSA seeks proposals for coming academic year

July 10, 2024

The UAF Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity has opened the first three funding opportunities in its academic year 2024-2025 award schedule.

Our Climate Change Project Awards, Community-Engaged Learning Awards, and Student Belonging and Community Awards will be open for applications July 15-Sept. 8, 2024. Project work must take place between mid-October (when funds are accessible) and June 30, 2025. Awarded funds must be spent by June 1, 2025. Please see the award descriptions and links below for more information.

Climate Change Project Awards

This grant opportunity of up to $5,000 is open to all undergraduate students (from any discipline and any UAF-affiliated campus) who are interested in conducting scholarly work on various aspects of climate change, including but not limited to climate science, climate policy, visual or written communication of climate issues, and climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. We encourage proposals featuring interdisciplinary projects. Learn more and apply.

Community-Engaged Learning Awards

Degree-seeking UAF undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, postdoctoral researchers and staff from all disciplines and UAF campuses are encouraged to apply for awards up to $5,000 to engage with a community partner to explore a community need or problem through research or scholarly activity. Awarded proposals will clearly describe a project with a desire to collaborate with a community partner (leader, organization or population) who is willing to support undergraduate student involvement. Learn more and apply.

Student Belonging and Community Awards

Degree-seeking UAF undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, postdoctoral researchers and staff from all disciplines and UAF campuses are encouraged to apply for awards of up to $5,000 available for projects focused on cultivating a culture of respect, connection, belonging and community for undergraduate students at UAF and UAF-affiliated campuses. Priority will be given to proposals that align with UAF-wide initiatives for improving the experience for undergraduate students, promoting student success, and fostering a sense of belonging and community while advocating for fair treatment of students. Learn more and apply.

FAQs

Who may serve as an URSA mentor? Faculty, research staff, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and staff may serve as an URSA mentor.

Which campuses are affiliated with UAF? UAF campuses include: Bristol Bay, Chukchi, Community and Technical College, Troth Yeddha’, Interior Alaska, Kuskokwim and Northwest.

Undergraduate Student URSA eligibility:

• Must be a degree-seeking undergraduate student. Students of any year of study, from any UAF-affiliated campus, working toward an occupational endorsement, certificate, associate degree or bachelor's degree in any discipline are eligible to apply for and participate this award. Middle college students, graduated undergraduate students and graduate students are not eligible undergraduate students.
• Registration: Students must be enrolled in at least 3 credits at any UAF-affiliated campus for the funded award term.
• GPA of 2.3 or higher: Students with a GPA lower than 2.3 are not eligible.
• Students that have received full funding from another UAF program for the same project are not eligible for additional funding from URSA (for example, BLaST, INBRE, EPSCOR, Alaska Space Grant Program and URISE, among others).