Fall & Spring Research

Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experience (UCARE)

UCARE, funded by the Pepsi Endowment, supports opportunities for undergraduates to work alongside faculty members and directly participate in the campus's research or creative activities. Undergraduates may apply for UCARE awards to incorporate a research or creative experience into their undergraduate education.

You must work with a faculty sponsor/mentor; the sponsor may be either from your own college or another college, if appropriate.

The UCARE program is designed as a two-year program. A proposal may request any level of support up to the maximum of $2,000 for Year #1 and $2,400 for Year #2, or a total of $4,400 over the two-year period.

The actual amount requested is determined by your faculty sponsor/mentor and you, working together, based on what is required for the specific project you propose. The amount of award will be based on the amount of your time required (using $8/hr for estimating the budget); full-time students may not contract for more than 10 hours per week and ordinarily would not be expected to reach this maximum. Awards are made on an annual basis and students awarded a first-year award will need to reapply for the second year of funding.

Second-Year Scholars are expected to participate in UCARE, following successful submission of a UCARE proposal during the first year of the McNair Program. The project may be an extension of or related to your summer research experience.