Step 1: Prepare a Proposal

In collaboration with your faculty mentor, prepare a four to six page (double-spaced) proposal. The student must write the proposal.

The proposal must include ONLY the following sections:

• Statement of the problem or topic of the research or creative work
  Purpose: To clearly set out what topic or issue you will be addressing in your UROP project and to make clear that it is concrete and important.
• Relevant background/literature review
  Purpose: To make clear that you understand where the project lies in broader context and to exhibit that you are engaged in the project enough already to be able to effectively pursue the project.
• Specific activities to be undertaken and a timeline allotted for each activity
  Purpose: Provide both larger context and concrete achievable timeline within 120 hours. The project is part of a much larger project, but what are we funding? Show evidence that work will be done with the mentor.
• Relationship of the proposed work to the expertise of the faculty mentor
  Purpose: You are utilizing your faculty's specific expertise and really gleaning what you can from their very specialized knowledge, you can convey that expertise, you can demonstrate that they will actually be mentoring you.
• Relationship of the proposed work to the student's future goals
  Purpose: To show that your project facilitates your educational or career goals, that you have thought about how the project fits into your larger personal goals, and that your project will actually facilitate those goals for you.

RENEWAL APPLICANTS

If you have already completed a UROP semester, you are considered a renewal applicant even if you are working on a different project and/or with a different faculty mentor. A full proposal must be submitted for renewal applications.

• If you are continuing with the same project and mentor, your original UROP proposal must be updated to reflect what you accomplished during your first UROP semester. Specific activities and timeline must also be updated.
• For a different project and/or mentor, the proposal must be rewritten (following the proposal guidelines below) to reflect the changes.

GROUP PROJECT INFORMATION

Group projects are permitted but each student must write their own proposal. Plagiarism will result in the disqualification of all involved proposals and possible further action per the student code. For more information on academic conduct at the University of Utah, see the Student Conduct Code.

RESOURCES FOR WRITING A PROPOSALS

• Good overall tips for things to focus on while writing your proposal
• Overview of the grant writing process and some description of what to include in each section of your proposal
• Description of literature reviews and some tips on how to structure your literature review
• Information on literature reviews, including examples of helpful transitions and vocabulary
• Examples of how to structure and what you might want to include in your timeline

Step 3: Mentor Reference

Upon submission of the student's application form, the faculty mentor will AUTOMATICALLY receive an email confirmation with instructions to provide their support and mentor reference using an InfoReady login. The mentor's reference MUST be received by the deadline in order for an application to be considered for funding.

Mentors must be prepared to:

• Log in to InfoReady account (or create new account with activation email), CHROME or FIREFOX browsers recommended.
• Be prepared to respond to: How long and in what capacity have you known this student? What evidence suggests that the student is capable of successfully completing the proposed project. List at least three specific mentoring activities you will undertake with the student. What is your overall assessment of this student and this project proposal? 

Announced by OUR in the February 2022 newsletter - There are mentor limits pending funds. To commit to supporting a diversity of mentors, OUR is capping the number of mentees a single mentor can be awarded to work with to 4 mentees, pending funds.  

After mentor reference has been submitted and the student's application is complete, applications will be sent to college review committees. Students will be notified via email from the OUR about 5 weeks later. They will be notified if they have been "awarded" or "not awarded".