SURG Small Grants Program
The Scholarly Undergraduate Research Grant (SURG) Program
The Scholarly Undergraduate Research Grant (SURG) Program is accepting applications from undergraduates in their final two years at UNC Charlotte. This program is designed to introduce undergraduate students to the process of seeking research funding to support meritorious research. Applicants should be undergraduate students who have prior undergraduate research experience and have developed a research question or project proposal for scholarly inquiry that is independent (not predetermined by a faculty member, graduate student, or staff member as a portion of an existing research project). Mentorship in the development of the proposal is expected, but the undergraduate student must be the primary architect of the proposed research and the student must conduct the majority of the research. If you don’t already have extensive research experience and a project or your own design, then the OUR Scholars program may be a better fit for you.
Eligibility:
1) Students must already have been engaged in a mentored undergraduate research program through the Office of Undergraduate Research or equivalent independent or directed study style “research courses” (not simply a research methods course) or an externally supported mentored research project.
2) The student must be enrolled at UNC Charlotte, have earned a minimum of 60 credit hours toward the degree, be in good academic standing, and be in good standing with the OUR office (no outstanding programmatic requirements incomplete).
3) The student must have an identified mentor, who also must be in good standing with OUR (no outstanding programmatic requirements incomplete).
Program Length: The term of the proposed research must be completed within one academic year or up to two academic semesters. Recipients will be required to present their findings at the Undergraduate Research Conference in April of the funding year.
Timeline: Application deadline will be typically around September 1 with a review period of 10 work days. The emphasis would be on funding decisions and fund availability by the end of September to allow adequate time for research project completion during the academic year.
Application Details: Students will submit a “grant-style” application with the following components:
1) A project proposal with specific objectives not to exceed 5 pages, which may include up to to 2 figures or tables (literature cited is excluded from page limit and should be listed on a separate page);
2) a budget and justification (see budget guidelines);
3) a publicly-accessible abstract or project synopsis;
4) a proposed project timeline;
5) a letter of support from the mentor testifying that the student is the principal project architect and will conduct the majority of the work in the proposed research project;
6) a resume that demonstrates previous research experiences;
7) documentation of institutional approval for any human subjects, live vertebrate, or biohazard related research when applicable.
Budget Guidelines: The proposed budget should include a list of potential expenses and a rationale for all expenditures. Travel (based on mileage) to conduct research may be included. Travel to present the research cannot be included. Items in your budget should clearly relate to the methodology described in your project proposal. No more than $2500 of the budget may be used to compensate the student for the work of the project through hourly wages (student must be eligible to work in the U.S.). While students are encouraged to provide a full budget of expenditures to complete the project, what is requested from SURG must be clearly indicated and a short statement that indicates how additional funding will be sought from other sources. The maximum request may not exceed $3500. If multiple funding sources are being sought, the portion funded by the SURG program must be clearly indicated.
Student applicants are encouraged to also apply for Yarbrough Grants (North Carolina Academy of Science), Grants In Aid of Research (Sigma Xi), or other disciplinary or honor society grant programs (e.g. Beta Beta Beta, Psi Chi, GSA).
Program Expectations and Requirements:
1) All research supplies and materials should be used during the award period. Any changes to the research plan or budget would need approval from the Office of Undergraduate Research.
2) Students must present the research as part of the Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) and meet all deadlines for participation. Projects can be presented at any stage of their progression.
3) Students must complete a mentoring agreement and learning assessment through the competitions portal by due dates.
4) Upload certificate of completion or documentation of Responsible Conduct of Research compliance through the Canvas support course.
5) Attendance at OUR Professional Development Workshop Series is encouraged but not required.
Note that any dissemination of research must include an acknowledgement of the Office of Undergraduate Research as a source of funding.
Contact OUR at undergradresearch@charlotte.edu if you have questions.