Q: Are graduate or doctoral students allowed to apply?
A: No, UROP funding is for classified undergraduate students pursuing a bachelor’s degree at UHM.
Q: Are students from any other University of Hawaii campus eligible for funding?
A: No, UROP funds are for UHM undergraduate students only.
Q: Are international students eligible UHM to apply?
A: International students who are classified undergraduate students pursing a bachelor’s degree at UHM are eligible to apply.
Q: Are students in their last semester of undergraduate coursework allowed to apply?
A: Students in their last semester may apply for Presentation funding to travel to a conference/competition/event and present their research or creative work, as long as the event takes place while they are still a student enrolled in at least one credit (i.e., prior to graduation). For Project funding, however, students must have at least one Fall or Spring semester or Summer remaining in their degree progress at the time of application to be eligible.
Q: I submitted my application materials before the deadline, but realized I forgot one part of it. Can I submit that component after the deadline, even if all other material was submitted on time?
A: No. UROP does not consider incomplete applications and accepts no materials after the deadline.
Q: If I have already received funding, can I apply for funding again?
A: Yes, you can apply for Project funding again. If you are accepted for Project funding again, you must complete all outstanding completion requirements for the prior project before receiving your funding for the new project. You can also apply for Presentation funding again. However, UROP does not fund students to present the same research or creative work project more than once even if the venue is different.
Q: Are projects required for degree/graduation eligible for the UROP funding?
A: Yes, you may apply for Project funding to work on projects to satisfy degree/graduation requirements. However, your stipend funding could be limited. See #4 under Eligible Items, Itemized Budget and Justification.
Q: Can I apply for Project funding to work with a graduate student or a professor so that I can support their research or creative work?
A: Possibly. However, you must carve out a research or creative work project of your own. That is, your work can be related to but must be unique from the work of the graduate student and/or professor and should have its own goals, methodology, timeline, questions, etc. Most importantly, it should be YOUR project.
Q: What are my chances of getting funding? How many students are rejected or accepted on average?
A: It largely comes down to the overall quality of your application, as well as the number of applications that are received in a given semester. Please be sure to follow all directions, work with your faculty mentor/recommendation provider well ahead of the application deadline, and email urop@hawaii.edu if you have any questions.
Q: Do I need to provide my transcript with my Project or Presentation Funding Application?
A: Yes, you need to retrieve your combination transcript from STAR and submit it with your Project or Presentation application. See STAR Combination Transcript to learn how to obtain your transcript for submission to UROP. If you are applying to UROP as a part of a group, submitting your transcript as part of your application is optional and UROP will retrieve it from STAR.
Q: I noticed that projects and presentations involving research compliance (e.g., working with human subjects, animal subjects, or hazardous materials) require approval from the appropriate reviewing institution on campus. Is the approval required by the application due date?
A: No. However, UROP strongly recommends all applicants to start all training and research compliance process as soon as possible. Even if an applicant is accepted for funding, UROP does not release any funds until all relevant training and research compliance documents are received, which can delay the start of a project or presentation significantly. UROP may rescind the funding offer if an applicant’s progress on training and research compliance is deemed inadequate.
Q: Does my UHM faculty mentor/recommendation provider have to be in the same department as me or in a department relevant to my research or creative work topic?
A: No. However, your UHM faculty mentor/recommendation provider should have expertise in your research or creative work topic as they are responsible for guiding you, including providing subject matter expertise. Additionally, your application reviewers may consider your faculty mentor’s/recommendation provider’s expertise and its relevance to your research or creative work when making a funding decision. Therefore, UROP recommends applicants to find a faculty mentor/recommendation provider whose expertise aligns with your research or creative work topic.
Q: Does my research or creative work project need to be completed within one semester or can I complete it in two semesters or more?
A: The timeline for your project is up to you and dependent on your topic, methodology, objectives, etc. You will be held accountable for the timeline you propose, so please plan carefully and consult with your mentor for an feasible timeline. While some projects can be completed in a single semester, UROP encourages a timeline of at least two semesters in length. Once you are working on your UROP project, you may request UROP to extend your timeline as long as your desired completion semester is the same or before your graduation semester.
Q: I know UROP sends out email notifications of acceptance, but will I be notified if my application is rejected?
A: Yes, all applicants will be notified of the final decision. If your application is denied funding, you will receive feedback on your application from faculty reviewers that might help you improve your application should you decide to apply again. However, if your application is disqualified (i.e., rejected without review), you will not receive feedback from faculty reviewers.
Q: Can I do a project outside of UROP and work on an existing project through UROP?
A: Yes, we encourage you to seek out research and creative works opportunities wherever you may find them! Just be careful in budgeting your time, and do not overcommit.
Q: When can I start buying items for my project/presentation with UROP funding?
A: If you have been accepted for funding, you may start making purchases after you receive the funding disbursement notification email from UROP. See Project Progress or Presentation Progress tab under the Funding Recipient page for more information.
Q: Can I include items in my budget that I already purchased prior to applying for UROP funding?
A: No, you may not request funding for items you have already purchased. In addition, you may not request a stipend for hours you have already worked or plan to work before your semester of disbursement.
Q: May I include a stipend in my Project or Presentation Funding Application?
A: Yes, you are eligible to apply for stipend funding. UROP funds stipends at a set rate of $15 per hour. Please indicate how many hours you expect the stipends to cover and a justification in your stipend table.
Q: Does UROP fund gift cards? I would like to compensate participants in my project/presentation?
A: No. Due to the nature of the funding sources, UROP does not fund gift cards or other forms of compensation.
Q: If I go over my budget in the process of working on my project or presentation, can I request more money from UROP?
A: No. UROP does not consider additional funding request for an existing project or presentation.
Q: Can UROP purchase materials for my research or creative work that I am unable to purchase myself (e.g. chemicals, specialized equipment)?
A: UROP does not purchase any items on behalf of students. UROP recommends students work with their faculty mentor and/or department to make purchases that students cannot make directly.
Q: How does UROP transfer funding to students?
A: UROP works with the Financial Aid Office and the Cashier’s Office to transfer project/presentation funding into student’s myUH account as a scholarship. See Funding Disbursement Procedure tab under the Project or Presentation Funding Recipient page.
Q: Since Project/Presentation funding is considered a scholarship, will it affect my financial aid package?
A: Possibly. Once UROP determines your funding amount, the Financial Aid Office will review the amount and your overall financial aid package (grants, loans, scholarships, etc.) based on your cost of attendance. UROP will contact you directly if your existing financial aid package could be affected by your receipt of UROP funding. See Funding Disbursement Procedure tab under the Project or Presentation Funding Recipient page.
Q: Can I apply for funding from other organizations other than UROP for the same project/presentation?
Yes, and we encourage this. Please note that you must disclose the source, amount, and how that funding will be used in conjunction with your UROP funding in your Project/Presentation Funding Application. If you are an INBRE recipient, you may not accept funding from both UROP and INBRE for the same project. In addition, you may not accept funding from more than one source for the same items (i.e., funding from different sources should leverage each other, and not replicate each other).
Q: Why does UROP require individual budgets in addition to the group budget?
A: UROP funding is given to students as a financial aid scholarship, which means that it must be given to an individual student and not to a group of students. Individual budgets, including the amount and the breakdown of funding, is 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.
Q: For groups, does our faculty mentor or presentation recommendation provider need to fill out the Project Mentor Form or the Presentation Recommendation Form, respectively, for each group member?
A: No, only one form per group is required. The same is true for the Mentor Evaluation Survey, which UROP requires from UROP project faculty mentors as part of the Project completion requirements.
Q: Our group project received funding and one of our members dropped out. Can we continue and redistribute their funds to other group members?
A: Depends. You must report the change to UROP, which will review the requested change and determine eligibility on a case by case basis.
Q: I received project funding. When do I present my research or creative work as a part of my project completion requirements?
A: You must present your research or creative work at a Spring Undergraduate Showcase following the completion of your UROP project. However, if you are completing your project in a Fall Semester and you are graduating, you must present at a Fall Undergraduate Showcase. If you are completing your project in a summer and you are graduating, you must present at the SURE Symposium.
Q: How long does my presentation for the Undergraduate Showcase/SURE Symposium have to be? What should it consist of?
A: The oral presentation typically consists of a 12-minute presentation followed by a 3-minute question and answer segment (note that this may vary depending on the number of presenters). You may choose to do a poster presentation in addition to an oral presentation, and UROP encourages this to gain experience in a variety of presentation formats.
Q: Do I need to pay tax on my UROP funding?
A: Any funding you receive from UROP should be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as it may be subject to taxation depending on the overlap between your UROP project/presentation funding and any course requirement. For example:
- Non-stipend funding originally intended for and spent towards a UROP project/presentation that is also required by a course (i.e. you are receiving academic credit for it) may not be taxable.
- Non-stipend funding spent towards a UROP project/presentation that is not required by a course may be taxable.
- Stipend funding obtained to work on a UROP project/presentation, regardless of any course overlap, is generally taxable.
Please note that these examples may not apply to you depending on your exact circumstances. Additionally, any changes in the amount you receive from UROP at the completion of UROP project/presentation may change your potential tax liability. All information above applies to international students as well. In addition, international students must submit UH Form WH-1 (two pages) to Donnie Feng, UH Disbursing and Payroll (808) 956-6067. Please consult with a tax professional for more information.