Mentoring Grant

Mentors

Eligible applicants (i.e., UHM mentors) include those who either: 

• Are UHM faculty (I/R/S/B/A/J/M tenured, tenure-track, and non–tenure track faculty);
• Or have successfully submitted and received a Mentor Eligibility Petition.

If you do not meet the requirements to petition for mentor eligibility, you may not apply for the Mentoring Grant.

UHM employees who are eligible to submit a Mentor Eligibility Petition must do so at least four weeks prior to the submission of a Mentoring Grant proposal in order to ensure timely consideration of their materials. Granting of mentor eligibility is not guaranteed. Applicants who choose to petition for eligibility and who are not ultimately granted eligibility will not be considered for the Mentoring Grant. Mentoring Grant funds will not be disbursed to successful applicants until eligibility is granted.

Funds will be disbursed to successful candidates via an RTRF account, so applicants should check with their college or unit to ensure they are able to manage such accounts. Prospective mentors who are unable to independently manage an RTRF account may make arrangements with a UH employee who can manage an RTRF account. UROP is not responsible for such arrangements.

Mentees

Eligible mentees include UHM undergraduate students who plan to graduate from UHM but who have not graduated before the end of Summer 2024, and who will not be concurrently funded with UROP Entering Research and Creative Work funding or Project funding in Summer 2024. Prior recipients of UROP Entering Research or Creative Work funding or Project funding must have finished all completion requirements by the end of Spring 2024 to be supported with Mentoring Grant funds.

Students supported through the Mentoring Grant must, prior to graduating, give a poster or oral presentation on their summer research/creative work project either

• at the end-of-summer Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Symposium
• OR at one of the Undergraduate Showcase events held at the end of each Fall and Spring semester.

Maximum funding request

Mentors across all disciplines at UHM may apply for up to $5,000 for one undergraduate student mentee or a maximum of $10,000 for two or more mentees.

Acceptable expenditures 

All funds are to be used to directly support the undergraduate student’s project in the Summer.

Allowable expenditures include:

• Materials and supplies
• Travel costs for students 
• Student wages

Non-allowable expenditures include:

• Faculty salary or overload
• Student tuition
• Any expenses not directly related to the student’s summer project

Application

Successful applicants will demonstrate a clear and compelling mentorship plan, as well as clearly articulated intentions for student learning outcomes and impacts. Applicants will be asked to provide a summary description of their student project, a clear timeline of proposed activities, and a budget with justification for how all funds will be used to support student research or creative work.

Applications will be reviewed by a team consisting of UROP staff and Undergraduate Research Opportunities Council (UROC) faculty members, and will be scored according to these criteria. Final funding decisions will be made at UROP’s discretion and announced by mid-April.

Disbursement

Funds will be distributed to successful applicants via an RTRF account, and mentors will have until August 31 to expend all funds.

UROP is not responsible for determining the method used to pay student wages, nor is UROP responsible for hiring students. Mentors should work with their unit’s human resources representative on identifying options (e.g., SECE) for hiring undergraduate students with grant funds.