Funding Resources for Undergrad Students and Faculty

1. Free poster printing offered by the central UK Office of Undergraduate Research (located in Funkhouser Hall)

The central campus UK Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) provides a free poster printing service to the UK undergraduate student! OUR will print ONE student research poster free-of-charge per semester, if you are accepted to present your research at a professional conference, program, or event.

UPDATE: The OUR can now print posters for students (additional posters after the first free printing), faculty, and staff for $30 per poster.  The office accepts checks and departmental accounts for payment.

Poster Printing Checklist

  • Review poster before sending to print (it will only be printed once)

  • Poster is in PowerPoint format 

  • Poster has a height of 36” or 42”-- If the poster is bigger or smaller than one of these sizes, it may not be able to be printed or there may be excess white space. 

  • Posters larger than 36" x 48" cannot be printed and will be returned for resizing

  • Poster has the NEW official University of Kentucky logo (download it HERE)

  • Poster includes your name, your mentor’s name, and the title of your project

Please carefully review your poster before uploading to the portal (see link below), as each poster will only be printed once. You are responsible for ensuring there are no typographical or other errors on your poster. Typically, it is requested that posters be uploaded 1 week prior to the day you need them (which should not be the same day as your event)You will be notified via e-mail when it is ready to be picked up in OUR office located in Funkhouser Hall - Rm 211.  If you need a poster printed before then, please email Jesi Bowman at jesibowman@uky.edu

*To upload your poster and request printing services from OUR, please complete their request form located at the following link: OUR Poster Printing Portal

*Poster printing is a service provided by the central UK Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), not the College of Health Sciences.




2. Funding for Student Manuscript Publications Expenses from the CHS Undergrad Research Program

The College of Health Sciences Undergraduate Research Program will provide funding to undergraduate students to cover expenses related to manuscript publication (page fees).

During each academic year, students are allowed to make one request for a manuscript publication-related expense. Maximum funding for each student is $300 per academic year. Funding will be provided on a rolling basis on a first come first serve manner until all allocated funding is used. 

Criteria for funding

  • Student is currently working with a faculty mentor on a research project through HHS 455 or has worked on research with the faculty during past semesters of enrollment in HHS 455.

  • Student must be an author of a manuscript AND must have contributed significantly to its production.

  • Manuscripts must be accepted for publication. A verification letter or email from the journal is required. 

  • Faculty mentors must agree to provide funding assistance to the student above the maximum funding amount of $300, to alleviate any financial burden on the student. 

Funding Request Procedure

To request funding, please send an email to Dr. Richard Andreatta at richard.andreatta@uky.edu containing the following information in an organized bulleted list:

  • Name:

  • Student ID:

  • Student Email:

  • Department where research is occurring:

  • Class Rank:

    • Please choose Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, or Senior

  • Faculty Mentor Name:

  • Faculty Email:

  • Title of Manuscript:

  • Journal Name/Title:

    • Verification of acceptance of the manuscript by the journal must be attached to your email.

  • *Amount Requested:

    • Choose a value of up to $300

*Higher amounts of funding will be considered on a case-by-case basis depending on the quality of the journal the student is submitting to and the student's financial need. Other compelling factors that the student wishes to discuss will also be considered for funding requests that exceed the maximum.




3. Undergraduate Student Travel & Meeting Registration Assistance

The College of Health Sciences Undergraduate Research Program is pleased to announce the availability of travel and meeting registration funding assistance from the Vice-President for Research (VPR) office for undergraduates presenting research at professional, scientific, and/or other research-based meetings (e.g., Posters at the Capital, UK CCTS, NCUR, etc). Funds are available to help defray the cost of travel and meeting fees for student presenters. Funds can only be used for meeting registration and travel expenses (e.g., airfare, mileage, lodging, meals) to a meeting for the undergraduate researcher to present their work.

Requests can be made for up to $350 per student per academic year. In the application, you must justify the amount being requested and provide an explanation of how the requested amount will be specifically used to support your conference travel and attendance. Funding will be provided on a rolling basis until the yearly office budget is spent. 

  • The maximum funding amount of $350 may be lowered depending on the number of applications received during the academic year.

    • Please note: As of September 1st, 2023, the current maximum funding for a travel award = $250.

  • Higher requests for travel funding will be considered if they can be justified based on the location of the meeting and the quality/importance of the conference.

Reviews will be performed administratively by the CHS Director of Undergraduate Research. The goal will always be to try and fund as many students as possible with our budgeted monies. 

To be eligible for this funding, students must meet the following criteria:

  • Enrolled in HHS 455 during the academic year (AY) of the request.

  • Students may also request funding for work done with a faculty mentor on a long-term project that was conducted during a past AY enrollment of HHS 455.

  • Be an author on an accepted abstract/proposal application for the conference in question.

    • Verification of acceptance of the research proposal to the meeting is required

  • Students must have played an active role in the research being presented at the conference. 

    • Active roles include data collection, writing, poster production, preparation, etc. 

  • Students must attend the meeting and be an active part of the research presentation.

PLEASE NOTE: If a student has been awarded an Undergrad AY Research or Summer Fellowship, they are no longer eligible to apply for this travel/registration funding, nor are they eligible for publication funding related to the specific project being supported by the fellowship. It is expected that fellowship funding will cover all such costs for the project being supported.

But, students CAN apply for travel/registration funding if the travel/registration award is used for a completely different and unrelated project to that supported by a fellowship. It is the student's responsibility to clearly demonstrate and describe this difference when applying for a travel award.

All students must submit a post-meeting survey if travel awards are accepted and used. Please use the following link to complete this mandatory survey:

To apply for student travel and meeting registration assistance, please click the application button below and complete the online form*

Apply for CHS Student Travel & Meeting Funding

*All awarded funds must be used or encumbered by June 1st of each academic year.




4. College of Health Sciences - Undergraduate Research Academic Year Fellowships

  • Approximately five $1,000 awards are available for the 2023-24 AY.

  • Applications are due by October 1st of each academic year.

Academic Year Fellowship Description:

The CHS Academic Year (AY) Research Fellowship is a funding opportunity meant to be a cooperative venture between an undergraduate student and their faculty mentor. Approximately 5 AY Research Fellowships will be available each year. Each CHS Undergraduate AY Research Fellowship is worth up to $1,000.

This fellowship provides undergraduates with the opportunity to work with their faculty mentor to develop a research project that the student can conduct in a mostly independent and self-directed manner within the mentor's lab during the Fall and/or Spring semesters. It is expected that the student will perform the vast majority of the proposed work independently, with the expectation that the work will result in a meeting presentation, poster, or publication.

Please follow all directions described below AND the instructions that you can download using the link at the bottom of this announcement.

Criteria for Award:

  • This fellowship provides undergraduates with the opportunity to work with their faculty mentor to develop a research project that the student can conduct in a mostly independent and self-directed manner within the mentor's lab. 

  • It is fully expected that the faculty mentor will help the student develop and refine their proposed research project and advise them on methods and so forth.

  • The proposal and application must be written solely by the student.

  • The proposal must show evidence that the student was involved in creating and planning the proposed independent research project with their faculty mentor.

  • It is expected that the student will perform the vast majority of the proposed work independently, with the expectation that the work will result in a meeting presentation, poster, or manuscript.

Eligibility:

  • Any full-time undergraduate student currently performing research with a faculty mentor through the CHS Undergraduate Research Program.

  • The student's faculty mentor must agree (provide an email indicating approval) to sponsor the student and work as their mentor during the duration of the project. 

  • A student can only receive one CHS Undergrad AY Research Fellowship per academic year.

Award Use:

  • Fellowship funds may be used by the student as needed to support the student’s semester research project endeavors, including:

    • a student living stipend (rent, utilities, transportation to school),

    • travel and registration to a conference for the student to present their work,

    • travel expenses needed as part of the student's research,

    • supplies directly needed by the student’s work (a limit of 10% of the total award can be spent on supplies).

  • All costs and uses for the award must be justified in the application.

PLEASE NOTE: If a student is awarded an Undergrad AY Research Fellowship, they are no longer eligible for travel/registration funding, nor are they eligible for publication funding related to the specific project being supported by the fellowship.  It is expected that the awarded fellowship funding will cover such costs for the project being supported.

Students can apply for travel/registration funding if the travel/registration award is used for a completely different and unrelated project to that supported by the fellowship. It is the student's responsibility to clearly demonstrate and describe this difference when applying for a travel award.

Instructions and Application Form:

  • Please DOWNLOAD and COMPLETELY READ the instructions for the application:  CLICK HERE for instructions.

    • Instructions contain MANY more details about the fellowship program and the application procedure.

    • Instructions also contain information that must be given to your faculty sponsor for their completion of a letter of recommendation.

  • The CHS Undergraduate Research Fellowship Application Form can be found here:  CLICK for Online Fellowship Application Form

 

Please note: Students are responsible for working with appropriate officials to learn if the receipt of an undergraduate research fellowship will impact either financial aid or tax status. Students with questions pertaining to the impact of receiving an undergraduate research fellowship on financial aid should contact their financial aid advisor in the UK Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships. Information pertaining to tax status can be found on the website of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc421. Note that policies may differ for US citizens and non-resident aliens.




5. College of Health Sciences - 2024 Undergraduate Research Summer Fellowships

Due Date:

  • Application window for Summer 2024 is now OPEN

  • Due date for CHS Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship Applications is Friday, March 15th by 5 pm. 

  • Applications will be reviewed in late March, with award notices sent by mid-April.

Fellowship Description:

The CHS Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship is a funding opportunity meant to be a cooperative venture between undergraduate students and their faculty mentors. The Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowships are worth between $2,500 to $3,000 each (depending on available funding) and are intended to support a student’s research work, with the help of a faculty sponsor acting as the student’s guide and mentor. A total of 8 awards are available for this year's competition (fellowship numbers and funding award totals are subject to change depending on availability). 

This fellowship provides undergraduates with the chance to perform mostly self-directed research intensively under the supervision of their faculty mentor over the summertime. It is expected that the student will perform the vast majority of the proposed work independently, with the expectation that the work will result in a scientific presentation, poster, or publication of some form (published abstract or manuscript).  

Please follow all directions described on this website AND the instructions you can download using the link at the bottom of this opportunity.

Criteria:

  • The student must work with their faculty mentor to develop and refine a research project/idea so that it can be ideally performed during the time frame of the summer session (preferred but not required).

  • It is fully expected that the faculty mentor will help the student develop and refine their proposed research idea and advise them on methods and so forth.

  • The proposal and application must be written solely by the student.

  • The proposal must show evidence that the student was directly involved in creating and planning the proposed research with their faculty mentor.  

  • It is expected that the student will perform the vast majority of the proposed work independently, with the expectation that the work will result in a scientific presentation, poster, or publication of some form (published abstract or manuscript).

Eligibility:

  • Any full-time undergraduate student currently performing research with a faculty mentor through the CHS Undergraduate Research Program.

  • The student's faculty mentor must agree (provide an email indicating approval) to sponsor the student and work as their mentor during the duration of the summer term.

  • A student can only receive one CHS Undergrad Summer Research Fellowship per academic year.

  • Lastly, the student must be a rising sophomore, junior, or senior during the summer session the fellowship is awarded.

Award Use:

  • Summer fellowship funds may be used by the student as needed to support the student’s summer research endeavors, including:

    • a student living stipend (rent, utilities, transportation to campus),

    • travel and registration to a conference for the student to present their work,

    • travel expenses needed as part of the student's research,

    • supplies directly needed by the student’s work (a limit of 10% of the total award can be spent on supplies).

Time Commitment: 

  • Student awardees are expected to devote at least 6 to 8 weeks of full-time work (approximately 25-30 hours/week) to the project with their faculty mentor. The specific summer project timeline for completion of the proposed project will be established by the student and their faculty mentor together.

Instructions and Application Form:

  • DOWNLOAD and COMPLETELY READ the instructions for the application: CLICK HERE for instructions.

    • Instructions contain MANY more details about the fellowship program and the application requirements.

    • Instructions also contain information that must be given to your faculty sponsor for their completion of a letter of rec.

Please note: Students are responsible for working with appropriate officials to learn if the receipt of an undergraduate research fellowship will impact either financial aid or tax status. Students with questions pertaining to the impact of receiving an undergraduate research fellowship on financial aid should contact their financial aid advisor in the UK Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships. Information pertaining to tax status can be found on the website of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc421. Note that policies may differ for US citizens and non-resident aliens.




6. Faculty Funding Resources - Micro-grants to Support Undergraduate Research

Research & Scholarship Support Program link

The CHS Undergraduate Research Program (CHS UGR), in partnership with the CHS Office of Research & Scholarship, is launching an incentive program for faculty to specifically encourage the creation of new research opportunities for undergraduate students. The incentive program will issue microgrants of up to $300 to support faculty working with undergraduate students in a newly approved and posted research opportunity. Funds can be used for supplies, or any other expenses directly related to the student’s research work and effort. Funds cannot be used for student travel, meeting costs, publication fees, or poster printing because there are other funds available through the CHS UGR office for these expenses.

Eligibility for Incentive Program:

  1. Applicant must create and post to the CHS UGR website, an approved research opportunity for undergraduate students.
  2.  Research opportunities must be “new” for a given semester to be eligible for the incentive since the point of the program is to create more opportunities for our students than currently exist. 
    • Currently open research opportunities are not eligible for the incentive program. 
    • Research opportunities that were “closed” or “full” during a previous semester and are now being re-opened to student involvement are eligible for the incentive.
  3. Applicant must have a student researcher who has interviewed for and agreed to participate in the new or re-opened research opportunity at the time of the microgrant application.
  4. Applicant must be a full-time CHS faculty member who is either pre-tenure from all title series or post-tenure in special/clinical titles.

Expectations:

  • Microgrant funding will be provided on a rolling basis until the yearly allotment for this initiative is exhausted
  • Applicants will complete the Research & Scholarship Support Program Funding Application and provide all requested information on the form
  • Funds must be used during the semester they are awarded and cannot be rolled over
  • Applicants awarded a microgrant agree to provide a brief summary report (1 paragraph) at the end of the semester on how the funds were used and their benefit to the student
  • A given applicant is limited to a maximum total funding amount of $300 per semester
  • A new application is required for each microgrant request

Application Instructions:

  • The application form can be found on the Research & Scholarship Support Program website. Click the blue button above to go to this location.
  • Once at the Research & Scholarship Support page, click the blue application button and select: Microgrant for Undergraduate Research
  • Complete the form and submit.
  • Completed forms will be forwarded for review.



***Information and details on this website are subject to change without notice.