The application period for the summer research grant program is now closed. 

It is expected that applicants will be conducting research with IBACS faculty members, focusing on any research area associated with the IBACS mission.  Faculty sponsors will need to supply a letter of recommendation. Once the applicant lists the faculty advisor of the project in the form, an email will be sent to the faculty member with directions for how to submit the letter. Applicants must fill out the online questionnaire (follow link below), and also submit on to the website a research plan (maximum of 8 pages, not including references; 12pt Times New Roman, 1” margins, double spaced) and a budget that explains in detail how the funds will be spent. 

The budget should be constructed in the following manner:  The total award will be for up to $5,000. $3,500 should go to providing the student with a summer stipend, and it is expected that the student will spend at least 10 weeks of the summer working on this project at UConn. Summer stipend payments will be issued the first Thursday of May. Up to $1,500 can be allocated for any supplies or materials that contribute to the research, including software, animal, or participant-related costs. It is recommended that the student first compose the research plan and budget using a word processing program, and then upload the final versions on to the website.

Students who received a Fall 2023/Spring 2024 IBACS grant are eligible for the summer award. However, students cannot take the summer IBACS award in combination with any other major summer award (e.g. SURF). Thus, a student can apply for multiple awards, but can only accept one. The results of the grant review will be given to the student awardees in time for them to make a decision about which grant they will accept, in case they receive more than one. 

All recipients are encouraged to present their work at the Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition.

***Note that if awardees have a balance on their fee bill in student administration, the fellowship funds will go towards paying off that balance first.

The IBACS Undergraduate Award applications are reviewed based on the following criteria:

• The project description is well written and clearly explains the project.
• The project clearly focuses on a research area associated with the IBACS mission.
• The budget is itemized, appropriate to the project described, and reports the total cost of the project (even if it exceeds the funding requested).
• The advisor is familiar with the student’s project and rates the student’s work to date highly. 
• Where project applications are equally meritorious, the reviewers will take note of how the student’s project will contribute to the advisor’s research goals.
• The student and his/her project meet the eligibility criteria.
• The student has secured research compliance approval(s) if necessary for the project. No award will be issued until documentation of approval(s) is received.

Application link: This application is closed for the summer 2024 period.

Important tax information: Please note that the summer stipend component ($3,500) is considered a fellowship, and therefore is taxable. The following general terms that apply to fellowship payments in general:

Fellowship payments are subject to federal and state income taxes unless the payment is used to pay for qualified tuition and required enrollment fees.  You will be personally responsible for any income taxes resulting from the receipt of this fellowship payment.  You should be advised that fellowship payments used to pay for travel, supplies or equipment used in your independent research are not exempt from taxation.  Fellowship payments, although taxable, are not subject to income tax withholding if paid to a U.S. citizen or resident alien.  It is the sole responsibility of the student to report and pay taxes on the taxable portion of any fellowship, stipend, award or grant that he/she receives. Consistent with IRS guidance, the University does not withhold taxes on the taxable portion of fellowships, stipends, awards or grants except in limited circumstances involving nonresident aliens.  If you are a nonresident alien, federal income taxes may be required to be withheld from your payment unless you qualify for exemption by way of an income tax treaty between the United States and your country of tax residence.  Fellowship recipients may wish to consider making estimated federal and state income tax payments.

Additional details, and answers to many frequently asked questions, may be found on the following websites:

https://tax.uconn.edu/student-tax-faqs/

https://bursar.uconn.edu/1098-t/1098-t-faq/

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p970.pdf