Eligibility

Applicants must be either full or part time registered UC Davis undergraduates at the time their research is conducted.  Students must be in good academic standing, meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress.  If the project is to be done over the summer, the recipient must be on continuing student status during that summer and is required to be an enrolled undergraduate at least the following fall quarter.

Application Process: 

For instructions for preparing a complete application CLICK HERE. Proposals are reviewed and ranked by faculty on the awards committees within each College. Awards will be determined and distributed by the Undergraduate Research Center.

In evaluating proposals the committee considers the following:

  • the educational opportunity that the project will provide for the applicant
  • the applicant’s academic preparation that is relevant to the project
  • the feasibility of the project; work is possible in the environment provided and in the time specified
  • the faculty sponsor’s letter of support 
  • the overall clarity and quality of the proposal
  • the demonstrated ability to follow instructions

Applicants will be notified of the Committee’s decision by the end of the quarter in which they have applied. Students who plan to reapply can request a copy of the Committee's final remarks from their previous application by contacting the URC at urc@ucavis.edu

BEFORE YOU APPLY:  Please not that all uploaded application documents must be PDF'S.  Word documents and other document types will not be accepted by the application system!  Third party protected official transcripts can not be accepted.  Unofficial transcripts are accepted.

DUE DATE:  SPRING CALL DEADLINE:  April 16, 2019, 5:00 p.m.

Expectations of Awardees: 

Student’s who are awarded a Provost’s Undergraduate Fellowship are expected to:

  • Submit a final report at the end of the quarter in which the project is completed.
  • Participate in occasional PUF/undergraduate research outreach efforts as your schedule allows.
  • Present your work in the annual Undergraduate Research, Scholarship & Creative Activities Conference in Spring Quarter.

Application Tips

Ideally, applicants will propose projects which are wholly or substantially of their own design. However, it is recognized that in certain fields or at certain levels of complexity, it is unrealistic to expect an undergraduate to conceive of or field a completely independent project. It is also recognized that students benefit in being part of a sponsoring professor's on-going project. Even in cases where the student's project is a part of a larger study, it is important to specify the student's independent role and responsibilities.

Since applications will be evaluated by faculty members from a variety of disciplines, the proposal should be written at a level understandable to reviewers outside the student's specialty. If faculty members cannot understand the project, they cannot judge it, and therefore cannot score it favorably.

See suggestions for making your application a successful one, and examples of PUF projects and comments from past recipients. Any questions concerning the Provost's Undergraduate Fellowship or this application may be directed to Elizabeth Nuñez, Undergraduate Research Center, (530) 752-3390.

GO TO APPLICATION AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS