Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) Funds

The Office of Undergraduate Research sponsors a limited number of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (URCA) funds during the academic year. The URCA funds are designed to enhance undergraduate involvement and experiences by supporting the following:

  • Supplies or materials to conduct research (for example, software, materials for the arts, scientific supplies, books/journals that cannot be provided by the library, etc.)
  • Student Stipend
  • Conference registration and/or travel costs for students presenting at a conference**
    • International travel must be approved by the Office of International Safety and Security before an URCA proposal can be reviewed. Please email globalsafety@kennesaw.edu for more information
    • The Office of Undergraduate Research funds may only be used to pay for early registration fees (or the equivalent cost) unless there is a justified reason as to why the applicant was unable to register on time.
  • Participant incentives (for example, gift cards for individuals who participate in a survey or experiment)
  • Publication costs
URCA Guide Questions?
student holding ball and controller with robot arm in background

 

**Please note: URCA funding cannot be used to support NCUR travel

Use of AI Disclaimer

If you choose to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to write your proposal, abstract, or  presentation, it’s important to first seek approval from your Primary Investigator (PI). Even with approval, you must include a disclaimer in your submission that clearly indicates the role AI played in your work. Keep in mind that while AI can be a helpful resource, it’s not infallible – AI-generated content can contain inaccuracies or biased information. As the author, you are fully responsible for the accuracy, ethics, and quality of the content, even if AI-generated. Failure to acknowledge the use of AI tools not only misrepresents your work but also constitutes a breach of academic integrity. 

Details and Deadlines

Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (URCA) Fund Types: Description: Application Dates:
Research Stipend URCA - maximum funding $1,000*

This URCA funding is for student research personnel with a planned research work schedule for the semester. The pay rate may not exceed $10 per hour. Students already receiving a stipend from another OUR program or course credit through a directed study for the research work are not eligible for consideration. 

The number of hours planned for the semester, along with a description of the work, is required to be provided in the application. The student and Primary Investigator (PI) are required to provide justification as to why this work cannot be turned into a directed study course to allow the student to earn course credit towards their degree.

 

*Stipend URCAs are due at the beginning of the semester to encourage proactive planning out the schedule of work by the student and PI. The Office of Undergraduate Research will only award a total of 10 stipend URCAs per semester.

Stipend applications will only be accepted at the beginning of each semester and will be paid out in full, immediately upon being awarded.

Fall Semester 2025:

  • Applications open on Friday, August 1, 2025
  • Deadline to apply is Wednesday, September 3, 2025 by 11:59pm 

Spring Semester 2026:

  • Applications reopen on Monday, November 17, 2025
  • Deadline to apply is Wednesday, January 21, 2026 by 11:59pm
Conference Registration & Travel URCA - maximum funding $1,200*

This URCA funding is for student researchers who have been accepted to present their research at a conference. Please wait to apply until you have been accepted to present. A copy of your conference acceptance is required as part of your application submission. We are not allowed to fund students to attend conferences or workshops where they are not listed as a presenter.

One (1) application may be submitted for consideration for one of the following funding requests:

  • Individual Travel: One (1) accepted student author receives the full URCA funding to present the project at a conference
  • Group Travel: A team of accepted student authors receives the full URCA funding to present at a conference

The Office of Undergraduate Research funds may only be used to pay for early registration fees (or the equivalent cost as a reimbursement) unless there is a justified reason as to why the applicant was unable to register on time.

Please check back for a list of recommended regional conferences (please note that this is not a comprehensive list of options, but rather a resource for those who may need it)

International travel needs to be approved by the Office of International Safety and Security before an URCA proposal can be reviewed.

*The Office of Undergraduate Research has approved an increase in the Conference Registration & Travel URCA funding, as cost increases in this area have shown evidence of a direct negative impact on the students, who this funding is intended to support.

**Please note: URCA funding cannot be used to support NCUR travel

Applications open on Friday, August 1, 2025 and are accepted on a rolling basis through Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 11:59pm.

 

 

Awardees will be contacted immediately to begin the process of scheduling travel arrangements.

Supplies, Incentives, & Publication Costs URCA - maximum funding $1,000

This URCA funding provides student research support through awarding funds for things like software, materials for the arts, scientific supplies, gift cards for individuals who participate in a survey or experiment, publication costs, and more. These supplies ensure that the student researchers have enough of what they need to conduct their research, with minimal down time due to shortages.

Upon notification of awarded funding, the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) purchasing team will begin processing orders, based on p-card spending limit availability, and/or fiscal year deadlines.

Please note: Packing slips are required by KSU's Fiscal Services as proof of receipt of order, when the OUR Purchasing team turns in their monthly purchasing card reports. Immediately upon receipt of any items purchased for your project by the OUR, you must notify our@kennesaw.edu and provide the packing slip. You can provide the packing slip via photo (must be clear and readable) or by sending via inter-department mail to the Office of Undergraduate Research (MD 4808). 

  • Failure to provide packing slips on a consistent basis will result in all future purchases being delivered to the Office of Undergraduate Research suite so that the packing slip can be retrieved by OUR staff. After which it will be your responsibility to pick them up from the suite.

Applications open on Friday, August 1, 2025 and are accepted on a rolling basis through Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 11:59pm.

 

Awardees utilizing funds for participant incentives will be contacted immediately to begin the purchasing process.

 

Additional Information:

  • As soon as you need funding, apply. We stop accepting applications in March due to to fiscal year deadlines, but you can apply up until that point.
  • Due to fiscal year deadlines for state funding, funding will be utilized immediately in the requested manner.

Funding Limitations:

  • Limited to a maximum of $1,000 total URCA funding per student, per academic year, in order to provide as many opportunities for undergraduate researchers as possible.
  • Limited to a maximum of five total students funded, per Primary Investigator (PI), per academic year in order to provide as many opportunities for projects as possible.

Overall Requirements:

  • All KSU-supported research projects are administered in accordance with established University fiscal procedures and research policies.
    • These include all travel regulations, policies relating to the protection of human subjects, and policies related to intellectual property rights.
    • All publications and presentations must acknowledge the assistance of Kennesaw State University.
  • PIs and students are expected to obtain Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval prior to collecting any data if the project includes research involving human or animal subjects.
  • One application per student for one project.
    • Each student is required to write his/her own application. Copying from another student applicant will be considered plagiarism and will be penalized accordingly.
    • Sections written by the PI (Primary Investigator) can be identical among applications from different students.
  • Applications that exceed the stated word count maximums may be disqualified and not considered for funding.
  • Applications that include additional documents that were not requested may be disqualified and not considered for funding.
  • Requests for materials that could be obtained in another manner (e.g. a book available at the library, software available for free at KSU) will not be funded.
  • Students who wish travel support must show they have been accepted to make a formal presentation. State funding cannot be utilized to send students to attend conferences or workshops where they are not listed as a presenter. 
  • Violation of safety protocols or misuse of funds will result in ineligibility for future funding from the Office of Undergraduate for at least one year. The appropriate penalty will be determined by the Director of Undergraduate Research.
scrappy holding ksu flag on campus lawn

 

  • The inital application for each URCA Fund Type, which is to be completed by the student applicant, is comprised of mostly the same questions, including:

    1. Student Name
    2. Student Email Address
    3. Student Major
    4. Anticipated Student Graduation Date
    5. Primary Investigator (PI) Name
    6. Primary Investigator (PI) Email Address
    7. Primary Investigator (PI) Department
    8. Co-Investigator(s) Names(s), Department(s), and Email Address(es)
    9. Title of Project
    10. How long have you worked with your Primary Investigator (PI)?
    11. Has the student completed all relevant safety and/or ethics training to conduct the specified research activity? (yes, no, not applicable)
    12. Is the student currently enrolled in directed studies/directed methods/or other relevant research course designation with the listed PIs? (yes, no, not applicable)
    13. Project Narrative (Must be written by student. The combined word count from the following five sub-sections cannot be more than a total of 750 words.)
      • BACKGROUND. Provide brief, relevant scholarly or research context, including citations, that demonstrate how the research makes a unique contribution to the area of inquiry
      • KEY RESEARCH QUESTION AND/OR CREATIVE PROJECT GOAL
      • METHODS
      • RESULTS (OR ANTICIPATED RESULTS)
      • CONCLUSION/DISCUSSION
    14. Does this research project align with any of the Research Communities?
    15. Are you currently receiving any other research funding?
      • If yes, please list
    16.  References
      • Please upload a document list of references used in this application in the citation style used in your discipline (for example, MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)

    Additional Questions based on URCA Fund Type:

    • Research Stipend URCA
      • How many total hours for the semester are you scheduled to work?
        • Provide a detailed description of what you will be doing during those working hours (typically 150-300 words)
      • Please provide the Office of Undergraduate Research a brief justification as to why you should receive a stipend for the research work instead of completing a directed study (or equivalent) course to help you earn credit towards your degree (300 words max)
    • Conference Registration & Travel URCA
      • Is this funding application request for Individual Travel or Group Travel?
        • If Individual Travel, questions 1-4 will remain the same
        • If Group Travel, questions 1-4 will be a repeatable section and must be completed for each student presenter
      • Conference Presentation Date
      • Budget Table
        • The current budget table template can be downloaded from the application main page, under "Supplemental Documents" or from within the application itself.
        • Excel files only
      • Conference Acceptance
        • You must attach a copy of the conference acceptance which shows all accepted student presenters to the application, or the application will be denied.
    • Supplies, Incentives, & Publication Costs URCA
      • Budget Table
        • The current budget table template can be downloaded from the application main page, under "Supplemental Documents" or from within the application itself.
        • Excel files only
      • Quotes and Supporting Documents (one file)
        • If your budget table includes incentive gift cards, you must include the following: IRB Approval or Exemption AND Fiscal Compliance Approval

     

    As a reminder, the application answers should be written in your own words, even when in collaboration with your Primary Investigator.

  • The Primary Investigator (PI) Section on the applications for each URCA Fund Type, which will be auto-routed once the student section is submitted, is comprised of mostly the same questions, including:

    1. Primary Investigator (PI) Statement (Written by PI; 300 words max)
      • Describe your research portfolio (manuscripts, grants, presentations, awards, etc.) as well as your experience incorporating undergraduates into your research activities.
    2. How does this project meet the definition of undergraduate research as defined by the Council on Undergraduate Research: "A mentored investigation or creative inquiry conducted by undergraduates that seeks to make a scholarly or artistic contribution to knowledge." (Written by PI; 300 words max)
      • Briefly describe how this project meets this definition (application may be denied if criteria are not met).
    3. Institutional Impact Statement (Written by PI; 200 words max)
      • Describe the benefit to the institution related to this research activity (preliminary data for pursuing external funding, plans to publish/present, development of intellectual property, collaboration with reputable institutions, etc.).
    4. Student Impact Statement (Written by PI; 400 words max)
      • Describe how this work will positively impact participating undergraduates immediately and in their future endeavors.
    5. Has this project been granted approval by the IRB?
      • If yes, please provide the approval number
    6. Previous Office of Undergraduate Research Funding
      • Name of previous funding
      • Total amount of funding received
      • Deliverables that emerged from the work on the funded project

    Additional Questions based on URCA Fund Type:

    • Research Stipend URCA
      • Research Stipend Justification (200 words max)
        • The Office of Undergraduate Research requires justification as to why the student should receive a stipend for the research work instead of completing a directed study (or equivalent) course to help them earn credit towards their degree

     

    As a reminder, the application will not move forward into the review stage until the PI section is completed. It is requested that PIs complete their section within 7 days to avoid funding delays.

  • Students

    • Students must be current undergraduates at Kennesaw State University.
    • Students who have graduated one semester prior are eligible for conference registration, travel to present at a conference, and publication costs only (in other words, the project is finished, and the only part left is presenting or publishing).
      • The following criteria must be met by students who have recently graduated and are applying for URCA funds:
        • They are KSU students at the time they have done the work, submitted to the conference or journal, and applied for the URCA
        • They list KSU in their affiliation on posters/PowerPoint/conference registration/badges, etc.
        • They are covered by KSU insurance, or they sign a waiver releasing KSU from responsibility
        • It is no later than one term after graduation (summer if they graduate in spring; fall if they graduate in the summer; spring if they graduate in fall) 

     

    Primary Investigators (PIs)

    • PIs must be under contract at Kennesaw State University.
    • PIs can be full-time faculty, staff, and postdoctoral researchers
  • The Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research will review applications with input from faculty experts. URCA submissions are evaluated according to the following criteria:

    • Quality of writing
    • Scholarly merit
    • Impact on undergraduate researcher
    • Primary Investigator (PI) track record (or potential track record for new PIs)
    • Consideration will be given to feedback from end-of-year reports received by the Office of Undergraduate Research
    • Consideration will be given to use of previously awarded funding and their deliverables from the Office of Undergraduate Research

 

Application Process

Application Form Instructions

The form consists of two sections: the initial Student Application and the Primary Investigator (PI) Section.

It is the responsibility of the student applicant to begin the application process. Once completed, the PI section will be auto-routed for completion. PI's are requested to complete their section within seven (7) days of notification. The two sections together count as a completed application, and incomplete applications will not move on to the review process.

The student section should be clearly written by the student in their own words, and the Primary Investigator (PI) section should be clearly written by the PI. Student sections that appear to have been written by the PI or that are identical to other submissions will be immediately rejected. 

The application for the 2025-2026 academic year will open on August 1, 2025. 

Post-Award Instructions for Student Awardees

The Office of Undergraduate Research maintains the following requirements for all student awardees: 

  • Be listed as a co-author on an abstract submission and present at the Fall and/or Spring Symposium of Student Scholars
  • Complete an End of Experience Survey
    • Research Stipend and Conference Registration & Travel URCA awardees will receive their survey at the end of the semester during which the funding was utilized
    • All other awardees will receive the survey at the end of the academic year
  • Student and PI awardees also agree to be featured in any future news stories as deemed appropriate by the OUR

Post-Award Instructions for Primary Investigators (PI) Awardees

As this program provides a funding resource for the accepted research projects, the Office of Undergraduate Research maintains these requirements for all Primary Investigators (PIs):

  • Complete an End of Experience Survey
    • PIs whose student(s) were awarded a Research Stipend and Conference Registration & Travel URCA will receive their survey at the end of the semester during which the funding was utilized
    • PIs whose student(s) were awarded any other URCA type, will receive the survey at the end of the academic year
  • Commit a minimum of 1-hour to judge for the Symposium of Student Scholars, each semester
  • Serve as a reviewer for future funding opportunities for undergraduate research, as requested by the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research
  • Student and PI awardees also agree to be featured in any future news stories as deemed appropriate by the OUR

These requirements, particularly the progress reports and surveys, are vital to collecting data on how the funding is being utilized, as we rely on the PIs to relay this information to us. Should an audit of Office of Undergraduate Research funding usage be requested, this is our current reporting method. 

Failure to fulfill these requirements will result in ineligibility for 1-year of future funding from the Office of Undergraduate Research

Please email our@kennesaw.edu if you have any questions. 

Previously Funded URCA Awards

Research and Conference Support Archiveright arrow

 

Frequently Asked Questions

    1. Problem Area: Project Description
      • Too little detail (much fewer words than the maximum allowed).
      • Identical submissions from students working on the same project (note that PIs are permitted to submit the same wording in their sections when serving as the PI for multiple URCAs).
      • The description isn’t scholarly (e.g., no references are included).
      • No (or vague) description of the methodology of the research.
      • There aren’t results or hypothesized results (if you don’t have results yet for a Conference Registration & Travel URCA, explain your timetable for having results before the conference).
      • It is not clear if the project makes a unique contribution to the field.
      • The writing is too technical; it is not comprehensible to a general audience.
    2. Problem Area: Budget
      • Approved budget table template not utilized
      • Not itemized as specifically as reviewers like
      • Not added up
      • Research justification not provided
      • Obvious errors (e.g., “gas” instead of mileage; incorrect per diem amounts)
    3. Problem Area: Writing Errors
      • Grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.  
      • Consider visiting the KSU Writing Center for assistance.
    4. Problem Area(s): The PI Sections
      • Very short or vague
      • Too little detail
      • Incomplete section(s)
  • Typically, funding URCAs have the following characteristics: 

    • Clear, engaging, scholarly, well written description of the proposed research project, including how this research will make a unique contribution to the literature in this area.
    • The results of the study are described in the project description, including implications or applications (in other words, why this research is important).
    • Budget is itemized, totaled, and correct.
    • The PI has indicated his/her interest and enthusiasm for mentoring students in general.
    • The PI has indicated that students will learn a great deal from this project (e.g., making academic posters, networking, analyzing data, writing, public speaking, etc.).
  • The application should be initiated by the student applicant. Once completed, the PI section will be auto-routed for completion.

    PIs are requested to complete their section within seven (7) days of notification to avoid funding delays.

  • Sometimes departments and colleges will help support student research; ask your PI, department chair, and/or dean for more details.

    In addition, several divisions in the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) offer funding - more information.

    Finally, there are discipline-specific organizations that sometimes offer student funding; check with your PI for more information.

  • Because the funding comes from the Office of Undergraduate Research, the funding can only cover undergraduate students.

    Contact the Graduate College for information on graduate student research funding.