These budget guidelines apply to both Project and Presentation funding applications. Please note that the required justification that applicants provide for each requested line item in the proposed budget (including hourly stipend requests) is a more important factor in the funding decision than the total funding request amount. That is, a proposal that requests $500 in funding is not more likely to be funded than a proposal that requests $5000; but a proposal that requests and fully justifies $5000 is more likely to be funded than a proposal that only asks for $500 but does not clearly justify all requested items. Therefore, applicants should request funding for all eligible and necessary expenses (e.g., materials and supplies, travel, stipend, etc.), and should pay particular attention to justifying why each expense is necessary for the overall project.
UROP does not accept or review applications requesting more than the maximum amount. UROP may also decide to partially fund an application based on reviewer feedback. Please see the sections below for more information.
For information on what happens after UROP decides to fund a project/presentation, including how UROP disburses funding to successful applicants and what is required of funding recipients to close out their awards, please refer to the Funding Recipient pages (Project; Presentation) and the Completion pages (Project; Presentation).
Item Eligibility
- Materials and supplies, including reference materials, hardware, software, building materials, chemicals, costumes, lab supplies, etc.
- Services and outsourcing, including copying/printing (e.g., printing charges for poster presentations), facilities rental, equipment rental, lab testing, etc.
- Travel expenses, including transportation (air, ground, etc.), lodging, gas, Meals & Incidental Expenses (M&IE), etc. Please note that travel must take place in the same academic year as the semester of funding disbursement. For local projects/presentations (i.e., within a 50-mile radius), applicants may request no more than $50 in M&IE and may not request funding for lodging.
- Stipend, including (a) to compensate for the applicant’s time to conduct the proposed project/presentation, and (b) to compensate others who participate in the applicant’s project/presentation in a meaningful and necessary way.
- Regarding a stipend to compensate for the applicant’s time:
- The stipend rate is $16 per hour for up to 20 hours per week during the regular semester (Fall and Spring) and up to 40 hours per week during breaks (including Spring, Summer, and Winter breaks).
- Applicants requesting a stipend for a project/presentation for which they are also receiving academic credit (i.e., coursework, independent reading, undergraduate thesis, capstone, practicum, internship, etc.) should note that only the hours that exceed the expected number of coursework hours per credit are eligible for stipend funding. The estimated time spent on coursework is 3 hours/week for each credit throughout the semester; so the expected number of coursework hours/semester for a 1 credit course is 45, for a 2 credit course is 90, and for a 3 credit course is 135 throughout the semester.
- For example, an applicant proposes a UROP project that overlaps with their 3-credit undergraduate thesis course (e.g., 499 Directed Research) in the same semester as their UROP funding disbursal semester. The applicant proposes to work 225 hours total on the project while in the course. The applicant is eligible to request and receive up to 90 hours of stipend funding (225 total expected hours – 135 hours towards 3-credits of coursework = 90 UROP stipend hours).
- Applicants may request stipend funding to start on the first day of the funding disbursement semester and up until the last day of the final examination period in the completion semester.
- UROP stipend hours cannot overlap with a student’s on-campus job work hours (e.g., via SECE). UROP strongly recommends that students plan ahead to manage their commitments in order to ensure a realistic and manageable workload.
- Regarding a stipend to compensate others who participate in the applicant’s project/presentation in a meaningful and necessary way (that is well justified in the application):
- Applicants should classify any funding request for gift cards, participant compensation, honoraria, meal service, donations, etc. as stipend funding in their budget requests, and should clearly justify the need for said stipend funding.
- Regarding a stipend to compensate for the applicant’s time:
The following are ineligible for both Project and Presentation funding:
- Items with missing or insufficient justification.
- Tuition for courses, training opportunities, workshops, etc.
The following are ineligible for Project funding:
- Items purchased prior to and stipend hours for work that has already been completed prior to the funding disbursement semester.
- Funding to cover presentation-related costs (apply for Presentation funding instead).
- Funding to cover journal publication costs without confirmation that the work will be published.
Budget, Stipend, and Summary Tables
The following are guidelines on how to create a Budget Table, a Non-UROP Funding Table, a Stipend Table, and a Summary Table. The guidelines also include sample budgets as a reference that all applicants should utilize. Please note that the sample budgets are not intended to replace the written guidelines, and that applicants are responsible for following all guidelines as outlined throughout this website.
Applicants may use Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or other similar software to prepare the tables. However, please note that if tables are copied and pasted from other software into the application system, the tables may be too wide and may not display correctly. In order to ensure that all tables are properly displayed without any missing information (UROP may not consider funding any items/stipend on the tables that are not appropriately displayed by the application system), please be sure that all tables fit in a Word document displayed in a portrait orientation with 1-inch margins all around.
Create a table with the following six column headers:
| Item # | Item Name | Unit Cost | Quantity | Total Cost | Justification |
|---|
Generally, the budget table should fit within one page unless it includes more than 10 line items. For a budget table spanning multiple pages, include the same column headers at the top of each new page.
- GROUP: Group applicants must submit
- One group budget
- 1 individual budget per group member. The total amount in this table is the amount each individual member is requesting from UROP. When preparing individual budgets,
- All items listed in the group budget must also appear in one of the group member’s individual budgets (i.e., do not list anything in the group budget that is not also included in an individual budget, or vice versa)
- Do not split individual line items. For example, if the group is requesting an item that costs $600, allocate the item and $600 to one member’s individual budget rather than splitting the cost across multiple group members’ budgets.
- UROP requires groups to submit individual and group budgets because UROP funding is given to students as a financial aid scholarship, which means that each student in a group receives the amount requested in their individual budget as scholarship funds. In other words, group funding requests are divided among group members according to the individual budgets and given out to individual students rather than to the group as a whole. Individual budgets, including the amount and the breakdown of funding, are reviewed by the Financial Aid Office based on an individual student’s cost-of-attendance to determine eligibility to receive UROP funding as a scholarship.
- 1 Summary Table per group member
- 1 Stipend Table per group member, if applicable
Add rows below the six column headers to detail the specifics of the item requested for the project/presentation. One row should constitute one type of item.
- Items should be grouped in the following categories and sequence:
- Materials/Supplies
- Services/Outsourcing
- Travel
- Stipend
- Item #: Start from 1 and add consecutive numbers for each additional item.
- Item Name: Indicate the name of the item. Be specific.
- Example 1: “Flight” (vague) vs. “Flight: HNL-OGG, 8/6/2025 – 8/14/2025” (specific)
- Example 2: “Tools” (vague) vs. “Milwaukee Electric Tools 2997-23 Fuel Combo Kit” (specific)
- Unit Cost: Indicate the cost of the item per unit. The Unit Cost should be inclusive of all surcharges such as taxes and shipping.
- For stipends, the Unit Cost should always be $16 /hour.
- If multiple items are from one vendor and the vendor charges a single tax and/or shipping fee, then tax/shipping may be listed as a line item. Be sure to indicate the Item # that the tax/shipping fee is connected to under Justification.
- Quantity: Indicate the number/amount of each item.
- For stipend requests intended to compensate the applicant for work hours, indicate the number of hours.
- Total Cost: Calculate and list the Unit Cost multiplied by Quantity. If the Quantity is 1, the Total Cost should be the same as the Unit Cost.
- Justification: Provide specific and detailed justification to convince reviewers why the particular item/expense is necessary for the proposed project/presentation. Items with insufficient justification will not be funded. Be sure to include relevant tasks, dates, and places as applicable, and show due diligence. For example, did you compare prices? Why did you choose that particular item?
- Materials and supplies: All material/supply items over $500 and equipment over $1,500 require an explanation in the Justification column of why the item is necessary in relation to the methodology and a confirmation that the item/equipment is not readily available on campus for use.
- Services and outsourcing: For all budget line items being outsourced, justify how standard outsourcing is within the given field, and verify that the service is not available on campus or through fellow students, a lab, department, etc.
- Travel expenses: For all travel expenses, applicants must justify their choice of lodging, flights, etc. For M&IE, use the GSA guidelines to determine the allowable rate for the continental US, or use the DoD guidelines to find the rate for Alaska, Hawai‘i, US Territories, and foreign countries (use local meals and incidental amounts). Applicants may request up to the maximum M&IE listed for a given locale, or any amount below that. For lodging costs, see the GSA and DoD guidelines for allowable government rates. As with M&IE, lodging costs requested should not exceed the GSA and DoD guidelines, but may be lower.
- Stipend funding:
- For stipend requests intended to compensate the applicant for work hours, summarize the primary tasks to be completed during these hours. Additionally, applicants requesting a stipend for a project/presentation that they are also receiving academic credits for must clearly indicate how many hours they are allocating to their project/presentation and how many to their coursework. Stipend requests should include:
- Total hours applicants plan to work on the proposed project/presentation
- Hours they plan to work for coursework
- Hours they plan to work for UROP stipend
- Note that the sum of 2 and 3 above should equal the total number of hours you plan to work on the proposed project/presentation within and outside of any related coursework. Additionally, 3 should equal the number of hours for which stipend funding is being requested from UROP.
- For a stipend to compensate others who participate in applicant’s project/presentation in a meaningful and necessary way: justify how standard this is within the given field and verify that the service is not already available on campus or through a lab, department, etc.
- For stipend requests intended to compensate the applicant for work hours, summarize the primary tasks to be completed during these hours. Additionally, applicants requesting a stipend for a project/presentation that they are also receiving academic credits for must clearly indicate how many hours they are allocating to their project/presentation and how many to their coursework. Stipend requests should include:
Once all line items have been included in the budget table, add the following rows, as applicable. Each subtotal row should immediately follow the group of items that fall under the pertinent category.
- Mat/Sup Subtotal: Sum of all costs for materials and supplies. Indicate the subtotal in the Total Cost column.
- Serv/Out Subtotal: Sum of all costs for services and outsourcing fees. Indicate the subtotal in the Total Cost column.
- Travel Subtotal: Sum of all costs for travel. Indicate the subtotal in the Total Cost column.
- Non-Stipend Subtotal: Sum of all costs under Mat/Sup, Serv/Out, and Travel subtotals. Indicate the subtotal in the Total Cost column.
- Stipend Subtotal: Sum of all costs under Stipend. Indicate the subtotal in the Total Cost column.
- Total: Sum of all costs (= non-stipend subtotal + stipend subtotal).
Disclose all non-UROP sources of funding—including planned, pending, and received funding—for the project/presentation (if applicable) by creating a table with the following six column headers (same as the Budget Table):
| Item # | Item Name | Unit Cost | Quantity | Total Cost | Justification |
|---|
- Indicate non-stipend and stipend items covered by non-UROP sources under the Item Name column. Indicate the amount and quantity in the Unit Cost, Quantity, and Total Cost columns as appropriate.
- Indicate the source of funding and why the item is necessary in the Justification column. Applicants planning to apply or waiting to hear back from non-UROP funding sources must describe how funds will be used if accepted for funding, and when funds would be received in the Justification column.
- Leveraging of UROP funding with outside funding sources is not required, but is very much encouraged.
Applicants requesting a stipend to compensate them for their own time must prepare a Stipend Table by creating a table starting with the following four column headers to indicate the general breakdown of dates, hours, cost, and tasks planned for the duration of the project/presentation.
GROUP: Each applicant requesting a stipend must submit their own Stipend Table preceded by the relevant applicant name.
| Date Range | Hours | Cost | Description of Tasks |
- Date Range: Indicate the dates when a set of tasks will be accomplished. The range can be days, weeks, or months.
- Hours: Indicate the total number of hours within the Date Range.
- Cost: Indicate the Cost (Hours x $16 /hour).
- Description of Tasks: Indicate the set of tasks that will be worked on and accomplished within the Date Range indicated. Be as specific as possible.
Once all items have been included, add a row at the bottom to indicate the full date range, total hours, total cost, and a summary description of tasks. The total stipend request here should match the stipend subcategory total listed in the Itemized Budget and in the Budget Table.
Create a new table titled Summary Table with the following seven column headers. Place the Summary Table at the very beginning of the budget document (before the Budget Table).
| Last Name_ First Name | Mat / Supp Subtotal | Outsourcing Subtotal | Travel Subtotal | Non-stipend Subtotal | Stipend Subtotal | Total |
Add rows below the seven column headers and indicate the name of the applicant and the corresponding subtotals and the total.
GROUP: Each applicant in a group must be included. If the allocation is $0, indicate so in the Summary Table.