Applications for URSCA grants and fellowships 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 be spent only during that period. University Undergraduate Research 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.

Pre-Application

The first phase of applying for an URSCA research grant or fellowship is the pre-application, which serves as both an “intent to apply” and an opportunity to receive feedback and guidance on your project idea before you submit your final proposal. The pre-application is not scored, and is not visible to the faculty reviewers who evaluate your final application. It is, however, a required step in the application process.

Pre-applications for all URSCA research awards are due on December 21, 2025.

The required elements of the pre-application are:

1. General applicant information (name, contact information, major, year, etc.)
2. A project title and draft abstract (150-250 words)
3. A budget summary estimating the total amount of funding needed and a basic breakdown of costs
4. The name of at least one potential faculty mentor for your project (they do not need to have agreed to mentor you yet)

You also have the option of submitting a full draft of your project proposal for review and feedback.

Basic tips for developing your topic, identifying a faculty mentor, writing your abstract, and budgeting your award can be found on our Getting Started page.

Self-enroll in our Canvas course, Undergraduate Research Resources, for further information and guidance.

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

Final Application

Once you complete the pre-application phase, you will submit a final application, which will be reviewed both by URSCA staff and by JHU faculty in an appropriate discipline.

The final application must include:

1. Personal statement (up to 200 words) addressing your interest in conducting this research.
2. Abstract (150-250 words) summarizing your project.
3. Full project proposal (4-6 pages, double-spaced, uploaded as a PDF), to include:
   • Title
   • Background (introduction to topic)
   • Literature review (brief overview of trends in the scholarly conversation, identification of gaps in the research)
   • Problem/question (issues you want to address; your research question)
   • Goals (anticipated outcomes of the project)
   • Methods (materials, approaches, frameworks, engagement with current scholarship, timeline)
   • Implications (project’s future value — i.e., why this research matters)
   • References (works cited in the proposal)
   • 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. Detailed project budget using the URSCA budget template
5. 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 Bloomberg School of Public Health, the School of Medicine, the Peabody Institute, the School of Education, or any other Hopkins entity. 
6. Your curriculum vitae (CV)
   • If you are applying for support for an internship (Kelly-Clyne, Bander, or Dr. Saraf), you may submit a résumé in place of a CV.
7. Your unofficial transcripts, available through SIS.
   • Click on “My Grades” and then “View Transcript.”
8. 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
9. 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.

Self-enroll in our Canvas course, Undergraduate Research Resources, for further information and guidance.

The deadline for final applications for all URSCA research awards January 25, 2026.

Award Notification

Notification of URSCA research awards will be made on February 23, 2026.

All new awardees will be invited to a grant orientation in spring 2026.