Undergraduate Research Awards
Scholarships for the academic year are available to students in all majors on all campuses. Students can accept a scholarship for one or two semesters. The application for undergraduate research awards for academic year 2023-24 is now open!
Please note: Students applying for an award should carefully review information on all available awards (shown below) to check for eligibility requirements. For example, some of the awards are intended for students working in specific academic areas, some are intended for students at certain academic levels, some have GPA requirements, etc.
Deadlines for awards granted for the 2023-24 academic year will be:
- Jan. 20, 2023 for student applications *
- Jan. 27, 2023 for faculty-mentor endorsements
Application deadline: Jan. 20, 2023
Full preview of the application form (PDF)
Applicants are not expected to have research experience at the time of application.
The application requires students to enter personal statements and brief descriptions of intended or current research, scholarship, or creative activity. Once each application is submitted, an email will automatically be sent to each applicant’s specified WSU research mentor requesting an endorsement of the planned research project. (The student’s mentor is the person who will oversee the research during the period of the scholarship.)
Successful recipients are required to present their research at WSU’s annual Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (SURCA)†. It is part of WSU Showcase Week, and is held in spring semester in Pullman; in 2021, SURCA was virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
†Students graduating in December may still present their research at the spring SURCA, but they will not be eligible for awards. Students who have already left the Pullman area will be asked to submit a report of their accomplishments during the award period in lieu of a SURCA presentation.
About the Awards
Auvil Scholars Fellowship
This award supports research, scholarship, and creative activity for undergraduate students in all majors, all campuses, and at all levels of undergraduate education.
This fund was created by a 2006 gift from the estates of Grady and Lillie Auvil, Wenatchee tree-fruit entrepreneurs. Grady Auvil believed in the importance of education and research. He was instrumental in establishing the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission in 1968, and his work introduced many new fruits and innovations beneficial to growers. Throughout his life, he and his wife contributed generously to the WSU community, and this fund serves as a continuation of that legacy.
Hundreds of WSU undergraduates have received funding from this award and become Auvil Fellows.
Scott and Linda Carson Undergraduate Research Excellence Award
The Scott and Linda Carson Undergraduate Research Endowed Excellence Fund was created in 2013 by the Carsons, WSU alumni who have supported the university generously with their service and financial gifts. Recipients of awards from this endowment are known as Carson Fellows. The Carson Fund is the first university-wide undergraduate research fund that gives preference to recipients who are upper-division students (juniors and seniors).
Team Mentoring Program (TMP) Research Awards
The Team Mentoring Program Research Awards are sponsored by the Washington Research Foundation and The Boeing Co. This program is designed to maximize the experience of students pursing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and pre-health majors, and to increase their retention, achievement, graduation, and preparation for post-baccalaureate endeavors. Undergraduate research experience can play a pivotal role in students’ educational and career development. These awards can encourage and support students served by the TMP in accessing such opportunities and, consequently, help to transform their educational experience and bridge the access gap for underrepresented minority (URM) students in STEM-related fields. Since 2009, dozens of WSU URM students have received funding from these awards and become TMP Scholars. Please visit the TMP website to learn more.
Emeritus Society Grant in Arts and Humanities for Undergraduates
These Emeritus Society grants are new in 2021 and support undergraduate research and creative activities in the arts and humanities at any stage of development. All projects must have a faculty mentor. Detailed guidelines are available on the Emeritus Society Arts and Humanities Grant for Undergraduates page of the WSU Emeritus Society website.
Questions about Awards
Email us with questions about Auvil, Carson, DeVlieg, or Undergraduate Research Fellowship awards.
Please visit the WSU LSAMP, TMP, or WSU Emeritus Society websites to learn where to direct questions regarding these awards.
Undergraduate Research Fellowships
Thanks to the generosity of donors to the Undergraduate Research Development Fund, the Office of Undergraduate Research can make awards to a wide variety of students pursuing research. These general awards from this office–part of the Division of Academic Engagement and Student Achievement–have supported students across the university for a number of years. In 2020 donations from our generous donors allowed us to double the number of awards being made as well as increase the size of our awards. These awards also help students who otherwise need to work so they can reduce their work commitments and engage in opportunities like undergraduate research. Recipients of these awards are called Undergraduate Research Fellows.
If you would like to support undergraduate research please visit our Support Us page, which contains detailed instructions for giving to the fund.
WSU LSAMP Awards
These are for WSU LSAMP program participants at Pullman who are pursuing a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) discipline. The program serves students who are Native-Alaskan/Native American, African American/Black, Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, and/or two or more races when mixed with any of these previously stated races. Applicants must have an overall 3.0 or higher GPA. Working with a faculty mentor conducting research in a STEM field, they must commit to a full academic year of working on a research project. Recipients are WSU LSAMP Fellows. Awards are available for the academic year as well as for mentored summer research.
To learn more, please consult the WSU LSAMP website, which provides detailed information about these WSU LSAMP Research awards.
DeVlieg Foundation Awards
This award was established by the DeVlieg foundation, a private foundation and tax-exempt charity, to support undergraduate students in the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture who are pursuing research in the area of renewable energy. Students must have a GPA of 3.0. Recipients are DeVlieg Fellows.