Each year, as more and more students get involved in research, admission to the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) gets more competitive.

As of 2021, the acceptance rate for

• UROP Scholars (University of Utah only): 83%
• SPUR Scholars (nationally competitive opportunity): 10%

OUR programs vary in competitiveness. Becoming engaged in the research project prior to application and being prepared to write a strong (4-6 page) proposal is important to the overall success of your application.  We are here to help you prepare a strong application – make an advising appointment and attend our seminars and workshops!

Our programs are open to students in any subject or field of interest. For example, our students work in chemistry labs, conduct archaeological field work, create works of art, choreography, write novels, and any other kind of research and creative work you can imagine. Our programs are also open to multi-disciplinary projects. You just need a faculty mentor for whatever project you choose. Check out our Undergraduate Research Journal for examples of research by undergraduate students across disciplines.

Every faculty member is different and will have different preferences, so we suggest that you approach several faculty members in a variety of ways. Email faculty who work in your subject of interest, approach faculty with whom you are already acquainted, are taking a class from, and/or ask for introductions to faculty whose work interests you. Some faculty prefer to know a student before agreeing to work closely with them while others are willing to work together on a trial period following a brief email conversation. Utilizing several methods really is to your advantage. Utilize departmental faculty directories find relevant faculty, use the Office of Undergraduate Research faculty database to browse existing research opportunities, use the “Find a Researcher” tool on the U’s website, and approach department advisors about which faculty may be interested in mentoring you. (See below section on things to think about in regard to your potential mentor and questions to ask when speaking with a potential mentor.)

Travel and Small Grants and the Undergraduate Research Scholar Designation (URSD) are open to ALL University of Utah students whether or not they have participated in UROP. UROP is an easy way to achieve the URSD, but any way you meet the requirements for that distinction is fine.

Students may receive only one Small Grant and one Travel Grant during their undergraduate career.

Participation in Research on Capitol Hill (ROCH), and especially the Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS) are strongly encouraged.  What is required is that the student present his or her UROP work within three semesters following the initial semester of UROP funding.  This presentation must be at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. Please see our UROP page for more details.

Proposal Reviews are solicited by a Dean/Associate Dean in the college of school of the faculty mentor. Each proposal receives 1-3 anonymous faculty reviews, which include scores and comments. Reviewers receive the UROP award criteria and a rubric for scoring.

Project Quality
Overall quality of the proposed research or creative work and effective written presentation of the project.

• Is the proposed research or creative work timely and well-developed?
• Does the student exhibit a strong understanding of the project?
• Is the proposal well-written? Has it been carefully edited? Is the presentation professional?

Plan and timeline
Specific activities to be undertaken and a concrete, realistic timeline for completion of the work.

• Does the student present a concrete timeline detailing specific activities to be undertaken?
• Is the timeline realistic for completion of the project?

Quality of the mentoring relationship

Relationship of the proposed work to the expertise of the faculty mentor, familiarity of the faculty mentor with the student and his/her/their skills and goals, and impact of the proposed mentoring activities. A UROP scholar’s success depends critically on high-quality mentoring. Please consider this aspect of the application very carefully.

• Does the student demonstrate familiarity with the faculty mentor’s scholarship? Is the proposed work sufficiently related to the expertise of the faculty mentor?
• Are the faculty mentor and the student well-acquainted? Do they already have an established collaborative/mentoring relationship?
• What is the impact of the mentor’s proposed mentoring activities?
• Is the mentor prepared to personally provide high-quality mentoring to this student?

Impact on the Student’s Education

Potential of the UROP experience to substantially enhance the student’s ability to meet educational and/or professional goals.

• Do the proposal and mentor reference make the case that the UROP experience will substantially enhance the student’s ability to meet educational and/or professional goals?

How does this study contribute to equity and diversity in research

Equity and diversity in research varies by field. This may mean diversity in methods, research team members' identities, subjects recruited, or how the project will contribute to diverse communities in the future. All studies contribute to creating diversity in knowledge, the bodies of that research, and the communities impacted by research. The mission of OUR is to further equity in research, and to do so we invite our mentors to be able to speak to this about their undergraduate researcher.

All proposals are considered separately by reviewers.  Proposals are not grouped together during the review process and are not always reviewed by the same reviewer. Some colleges will rank an application lower if it appears to similar to another project - this is field defined and specific. Therefore, consult with your mentor about this if multiple researchers on the same team are submitting applications. Describe your specific role in the project.

As UROP is a competitive program, not all student applications can be funded. To receive feedback about an application, both the mentor and the mentee must schedule with the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Annie Isabel Fukushima at our@utah.edu.