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Grant Information

Funding Opportunities

The URCA program offers several competitive grants to support undergraduate research and creative activities, and to support travel to conferences to disseminate your work. During the academic year, there are two primary grants available to support undergraduate projects: AYRA (up to $300) and MAYS (up to $5000). Support for summer research can be obtained through a SURF grant (up to $6500), which must be submitted in early winter. Travel grants (up to $750) are provided through the RPG program.

The purpose of these grants is to expand the opportunities for undergraduate students and faculty to work collaboratively on scholarly projects. As part of this program the work must be done under the direction of a College of Charleston faculty member, and it is expected that the results of the project will be disseminated in appropriate academic or professional forums. These funds cannot be used to support graduate student research.

Each application requires at least two participants: an undergraduate student and a College of Charleston faculty member. The student applicant must be a full time, degree seeking College of Charleston undergraduate student with a minimum cumulative GPA of least 2.5. A faculty member at the College of Charleston must serve as the Principal Investigator on the project.

URCA GRANTS

The AYRA (Academic Year Research Award) is a small award (up to $300), intended to fund materials, supplies, and other essential needs of a project. To review the application guidelines and download the application forms, visit the Grant Forms page. Application deadlines for 2011-2012 are: Sept 5, Nov. 7, and Jan. 23-CANCELLED.

The MAYS (Major Academic Year Support) is a large award (up to $5000), intended to fund materials, supplies, computer equipment, technology, student salary, and other essential needs of a project. The student applicants must be full time, degree-seeking College of Charleston undergraduate students with a minimum cumulative GPA of least 2.5 overall and in the major, although GPA's above 3.0 are normally expected. MAYS awards are not to support research efforts of recent graduates of the College of Charleston. To review the application guidelines and download the application forms, visit the Grant Forms page. Application deadlines for 2011-2012 are: June 6*, Sept 5, Nov. 7, and Jan. 23-CANCELLED.

The RPG (Research Presentation Grant) provides financial support for students to present the results of their research or creative efforts. The RPG fund provides a maximum of $750 for international or national conferences, $200 for regional conferences, and $50 for state conferences. To review the application guidelines and download the application forms, visit the Grant Forms page. Application deadlines for 2011-2012 are: June 30**, Sept 5, Nov. 7, and Jan. 23-ONLY.

* For this date, MAYS applications will be accepted ONLY for projects that begin between August 1 and October 15, 2011. Provisional review will be completed in June 2011; grant funding decisions will not be finalized until 2011-2012 budgets are released.

**For this date, RPG applications will be accepted for conference travel that occurs August 1 or after (up to June 30, 2012). However, priortiy will be given to travel occurring early in the 2011-2012 academic year and ONLY for projects that are complete at the time of application.

SURF GRANTS

The SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research with Faculty) is a highly competitive award (up to $6500), intended to provide a student stipend (minimum $3000, max $3500), a faculty stipend (up to $2500), and materials, supplies, equipment, and other essential needs of a project ($1000 - $1500), that is carried out during the summer. The student applicant must be a full time, degree-seeking College of Charleston undergraduate student with a minimum cumulative GPA of least 2.5. A faculty member of the College of Charleston must serve as the Principal Investigator on all projects. To review the application guidelines, and download the application forms, visit the Grant Forms page.

All students and faculty mentors are encouraged to attend one of the two SURF Grant Information Session which will be held in Hawkins Living-Learning Center, Buist Rivers Residence Hall: Tuesday, December 6, 2011, 1:30 - 3:30  or Friday, January 13, 2012, 12:00 - 2:00.

 The deadline for 2012 SURF applications is February 6, 2012.

Grant Deadlines

AYRA, MAYS, and RPG grants are reviewed several times during the academic year. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible for funding. The deadlines for the 2011-2012 academic year are as follows:

  • June 6, 2011* - MAYS ONLY
  • June 30, 2011** - RPG ONLY
  • September 5, 2011
  • November 7, 2011
  • January 23, 2012

Applications for 2012 SURF projects are February 6, 2012.

Application Guidelines

  • All components of the application should be typed.
  • Read the application guidelines thoroughly and follow them carefully.
  • Before you write your grant, read at least one successful sample grant of the same type (e.g., MAYS, AYRA, RPG, SURF).
  • When you describe your research, write your summary so that it is accessible to non-experts in the field. Be sure to include a statement about the significance of the research so that reviewers will understand the merit and implications.
  • Always have your faculty mentor read your application before you submit it.
  • Always refer to your application check list to verify your application is complete before you submit it.
  • Your faculty mentor should help you with preparing your budget; provide specific figures rather than estimates whenever possible. Be as accurate as possible, and use college-wide per diem rates.
  • For travel grants, students attending the same conference should coordinate travel arrangements (e.g., rent a van together) whenever possible and should also share rooms when appropriate. Separate applications are required for each student.

Sample Successful Grant Applications

SURF Grants

External Funding Opportunities

There are often opportunities for undergraduates to do research in the summer at other institutions. It may be possible to get academic credit at the College of Charleston for undergraduate work done at another academic institution. Contact the appropriate academic department at the College of Charleston BEFORE you do any research off-campus to see if you might get credit for that work at the College. In addition to the sites listed below, many schools with graduate programs (like the MUSC link listed below) list opportunities for visiting undergraduates as part of their recruitment efforts.

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