URSCA > Apply for Grants > Application Process

Applications for KSAS research awards are due in the academic year preceding the grant-funded research period. In other words, if you intend to do an independent research project in your senior year, you apply for funding in your junior year. The grant period lasts from the summer through the spring semester (May to May), and funds may only be spent during that period. Woodrow Wilson Fellowships cover three years of research, and Ethan M. Posner Fellowships cover two to three years (each year defined as May to May). 

The application process is the same for all URSCA research awards except the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, which follows a different timeline and has a different application link. Instructions for the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship application can be found here.

Pre-Application

The first phase of applying for an URSCA research grant is the pre-application, which gives you an opportunity to receive feedback and guidance on your project idea before you submit your final proposal.

While the pre-application is not required, it is strongly recommended. The pre-application is not evaluated or scored, and can only help your application.

Pre-applications for all URSCA research awards (except the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship) are optional and are due on October 28, 2024. Pre-applications are required for the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, and have a later deadline. Please see the Woodrow Wilson application guidelines for more details.

The pre-application includes:

  1. A personal statement (100 words) addressing your interest in conducting this research
  2. A draft abstract (150-200 words) summarizing your project
  3. A budget outline estimating the total amount of funding needed and a basic breakdown of costs
  4. The names of one to three potential faculty mentors for your project (you do not need to have asked them to mentor you yet)

You also have the option of submitting a full draft of your project proposal for review, as well as draft essays for awards that require them (reflective essay for the Ethan M. Posner Award; leadership essay for the Meg Walsh Award).

To submit a pre-application, simply complete the first phase of the full application, linked below:

Apply for an URSCA Research Award

Final Application

Whether or not you completed the pre-application phase, you will submit a final application, which will be reviewed by a panel of URSCA staff and JHU faculty.

The final application must include:

  1. Personal statement (100 words) addressing your interest in conducting this research.
  2. Abstract (150-200 words) summarizing your project.
  3. Full project proposal (4-6 pages, double-spaced, uploaded as a PDF), to include:
    • Title
    • Background (introduction to topic)
    • Problem/question (issues you want to address; your research question)
    • Literature review (brief overview of trends in the scholarly conversation, identification of gaps in the research)
    • Goals (anticipated outcomes of the project, project’s future value)
    • Methods (materials, approaches, frameworks, engagement with current scholarship, timeline)
    • References (maximum 5 works cited)
    • Detailed budget using the URSCA budget template
    • Note: any figures included should be within the 6-page limit and may be embedded within the text or appended to the end and labeled accordingly.
  4. The name of your faculty research mentor
    • Your mentor should be a Johns Hopkins professor who will be available throughout the term of your award and who will be able to guide and direct your research project. Mentors do not have to be housed in Krieger; they may come from the Whiting School of Engineering, the hospital/medical school, Peabody, or any other Hopkins entity. 
  5. Your curriculum vitae (CV)
    • Student Affairs is available to help with Guidelines and example here. You can also make an appointment at the Life Design Lab for additional support.
    • If you are applying for support for an internship (Kelly-Clyne, Bander, or Dr. Saraf), you may submit a resume in place of a CV.
  6. Your unofficial transcripts, available through SIS.
    • Click on “My Grades” and then “View Transcript.”
  7. One letter of recommendation from a faculty member, which should address:
    • How long and in what capacity the recommender has known you
    • Your academic strengths
    • Your ability to conduct independent research
    • Note: for the Meg Walsh Award, two letters are required
  8. A supplemental essay, if required by the award you’re applying for.
    • The Ethan M. Posner Fellowship requires a reflective essay on your service to your community.
    • The Meg Walsh Award requires a leadership essay.

Additional guidelines for putting together your application can be found on our Getting Started page.

The deadline for final applications for all URSCA research awards (except the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship) is December 9, 2024. Woodrow Wilson applications are due later; please see the Woodrow Wilson application guidelines for more details.

Apply for an URSCA Research Award

Award Notification

Notification of URSCA research awards (other than the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship) will be made on January 17, 2025.

Notification of Woodrow Wilson Fellowships will be made on February 21, 2025.

All new awardees will be invited to a grant orientation on February 28, 2025.