Small Grants Program for Undergraduate Students
The Small Grants Program for Undergraduate Students to Support Research and Creative Scholarship provides up to $250 to assist undergraduate students in carrying out their novel research and creative activities during the academic year. The award is designed to help defray the cost of travel, supplies, and other materials necessary to conduct the project.
It is not intended as salary for the student or to cover the cost of a class project, but rather it is dedicated to unique activities that are faculty-led student projects. To apply for a grant to help cover the expenses involved in traveling to a conference to present your research, please see the Undergraduate Professional Presentation Travel Grant.
Note: Due to limited funding, this program is currently available for undergraduate students only. Faculty and graduate students may contact the Provost's Office for information on possible funding sources for their work.
To be considered for funding, a student must be an undergraduate student who is currently enrolled at Cal Lutheran. The project must be actively ongoing between the start of fall semester and last day of spring semester of the on-going academic year to be considered for funding. Projects that have taken place prior to the current academic year cannot be funded.
After receiving funding, students must meet both requirements below. Failure to do both jeopardizes both the students' and faculty member's ability to secure future funding from the OURCS.
- The student(s) must participate in the Festival of Scholars which takes place on campus near the end of spring semester. This event provides students an opportunity to present their preliminary or completed research and creative activities in a student-friendly and supportive environment. See this Web site for deadline information for this event.
- The student(s) must submit a separate report about their project to the OURCS. This report should include both the project outcomes and how the funding enabled the project to be completed. If other funding was used, please include this information (the funding source and amount).
The OURCS strives to review applications in a timely manner. Faculty mentors are expected to share award notification information with their student(s).
Please contact the OURCS with any questions you have about the grant program's policies and/or application or reimbursement process.
To apply for a small grant, apply online. The form will prompt you to enter the information listed below.
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Include all of the following information:
- statement that you wish to be considered for a "small grant;"
- name of the primary student contact (this student must be an undergraduate and currently enrolled at CLU)
- email address of the primary student contact
- student's department/program
- expected date of graduation
- name of primary faculty mentor
- email address of primary faculty mentor
- office phone of primary faculty mentor
- department/program of faculty mentor
- information on purpose of the grant
- requested grant amount, itemized
- letter of support from primary faculty mentor in an attachment
Please note that proper documentation (e.g., receipts) will be required before funds are released.
The amount awarded will depend on a number of factors, including whether your faculty mentor is likely to have access to other sources of funding, the number of students your mentor is hoping to fund (there is a cap of $1,500 in funding of students for any one mentor, per fiscal year) and how much is available in the OURCS budget at the time that funding is sought.