Provost Undergraduate Research Initiative

Call for AY2026-2027 Applications
 

The College of Social Science has renewed funding for the Provost's Undergraduate Research Initiative program in the College of Social Science (CSS-PURI) for Fall 2026-Spring 2027. This program supports undergraduate research through awards to students of up to $1,000 per semester (up to $2,000 per academic year).
 

CSS-PURI program provides talented undergraduate, from first-year students to seniors, with an opportunity to work closely with faculty on substantial research projects—usually, but not exclusively, as part of the faculty member’s own scholarly project. Student researchers report that their experiences have been transformative, enabling them to integrate and apply the knowledge, methods, and skills they have learned in new and challenging environments outside the classroom.
 

The College requests CSS-PURI proposals from faculty who wish to participate in this program. Proposals for student researchers to work one-on-one with a faculty member or as members of a research team involving faculty and graduate students are both acceptable. The College will also consider funding innovative approaches for undergraduate research, including unit or multi-unit research training programs for first-year students or research projects attached to study away or study abroad programs.
 

Proposals are due Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Decisions will be announced by Friday, October 9, 2026.
 

Proposal
 

Faculty proposals must include the following information and must be submitted through a form on the CSS website. Late proposals will be considered if funding is available.
 

Faculty must submit using the online form system.

Elements of the application must include the following:

• Completed application form.

• A statement about the research project, its stage in development, and the specific research tasks to be assigned to the undergraduate researcher(s). This statement must include the beginning and end date of each student’s involvement in the project and a description of the final research product to be delivered by ech student. We require students to present their research at UURAF (with waivers of this requirement only in exceptional circumstances). A commitment to UURAF should be evident in the application.

• A statement of student learning outcomes and how those outcomes will be assessed by the faculty mentor.

• Budget Proposal. A budget that states precisely how the funds will be spent (see below for guidelines). It is important to comply with these guidelines.

• The name(s) of the student(s) selected, if available at the time of submission. For individual student projects (each student engaged in a separate project with the mentor), the limit is two students per faculty member. Distinct proposals must be submitted for each project. If your proposal concerns one project supporting 2 students, include both students in the proposal and collect emails acknowledging participation from both students. It is not necessary to submit separate applications for each student in these cases. Note that student duties and learning outcomes must be specified for each student researcher individually.

BUDGET GUIDELINES

CSS-PURI funds may be allocated as follows:

• Stipend or travel for the undergraduate researcher must make up at least 80% of the total budget. Since there are other funds available to support travel (see below), we ask that applications minimize travel costs to the extent possible. Note that funds must be distributed as stipends for research work; they cannot be distributed as scholarships.

• No more than 20% can be sued for supplies/equipment related to the research.

The sponsoring department or school will be responsible for the administration of funds, including ensuring allocation and expenditures. As in past years, PURI awards require unit matching of 25%; for example, an award that is for the maximum amount of $2,000 for fall and spring will require a $500 match from the unit.

The College of Social Science and the Office of Undergraduate Research have separate travel funds available to student researchers. Student researchers are eligible to apply. Travel funds require unit matching, and the College also provides matching funds.

Note that for the past several years, Summer PURI funds were available, with an application process in Spring, so do not include Summer requests in this round of proposals.

PROPOSAL ASSESSMENT

The budget for PURI is limited, and the awards are made on a competitive basis. Proposals will be ranked based on:

• The extent to which projects meet the purpose of the program, which is to help undergraduate students develop advanced research skills in the social, economic, and behavioral sciences that they will apply as advanced undergraduates, in their careers, or in graduate or professional school.

• Faculty demonstrated investment in mentorship of the student, including helping students understand the nature of research in a field, its application and significance within scholarship or the professions, and the importance of ethical practice in the research.

• The extent to which students have the opportunity to demonstrate the accomplishment of the learning goals during the work phase of the project, in their presentations at UURAF, and after their involvement in the project.

• How clear and appropriate the learning goals are. The goals might vary with the level research experience of the student and could include demonstrating mastery of:

  • key technologies, techniques, or methods relevant to research within the discipline;

  • ethical research practices;

  • the ability to analyze, interpret, or synthesize evidence gathered through primary and secondary research;

  • the ability to present or write research results for scholarly or professional audiences.

ELIGIBILITY

Faculty must hold an appointment (including joint appointments) within the College of Social Science. Student researchers must be enrolled in a College of Social Science major (primary and second-degree majors are acceptable, additional majors are not) with a 2.0 GPA or better. Priority will be given to students who have not graduated before, or will not graduate during, the CSS-PURI funding period. Team projects that include multiple faculty, graduate students or undergraduates are eligible for consideration, and faculty can propose to fund more than one undergraduate under this program. However, the specific duties, research products, and learning outcomes must be stated for each student researcher individually.

REPORTING & PROGRAM ASSESSMENT DUE MAY 2, 2027

CSS and the Office of the Provost require reporting and assessment. Each faculty and student participant must submit a written report to the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies detailing the research outcomes for the project, an assessment of student learning outcomes (proposed and achieved), and the expenditure of funds (the latter provided by the faculty member). Please ask your student researcher to submit her/his/their report to you and then forward both to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies as a package.

By May 4, 2027, the following information should be submitted to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies office:

• Name of student(s) supported (no PID numbers).

• Detailed information on expenditures (a required reporting form will be supplied).

• Stipend totals

• Supplies and equipment

• Conference registration and travel

• Other

• Assessment of the student’s achievement of learning objectives and an overall evaluation of the student’s contribution of the advancement of the research.

• Any presentations, abstracts or publications arising from the research (including citations if application and including anticipated conference presentations and publications).

• Other indicators of quality.

• A 250-word report from the student, summarizing his/her/their accomplishments and reflecting on the competencies he/she/they gained from the experience.

Proposals are due on Wednesday September 30, 2026

Decisions will be taken by Friday, October 9, 2026

End of year reports will be due on Sunday, May 2, 2027

For more information, contact:

Emily Durbin
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies
Professor of Psychology
College of Social Science
SSC.Student@msu.edu