Funding

One of the goals of the UR2PhD program is to expand the number of students applying for and pursuing graduate study in a CISE discipline. In support of this goal, UR2PhD offers four primary activities, including an undergraduate research training course, a graduate student mentor training course, the computing research engagement and awareness workshops, and the graduate school application workshops.

To facilitate continued research activities, UR2PhD offers funding opportunities for students and mentors to continue to engage in research activities. This page outlines eligibility for those opportunities. All funding opportunities are intended for past UR2PhD participants.

To learn more about how you can get involved in UR2PhD, please visit the page that is most relevant to you:

Table of REU Funding Opportunities. Table describes eligibility for technical conference travel awards, REU funding for students, REU funding for mentors, and continuing graduate student funding. REU Funding Opportunities: Technical Conference Travel Award (Up to $2,000 per participant). Eligibility limited to undergraduate or graduate students who have successfully completed the UR2PhD course - and who have secured an opportunity to present their work in a technical venue. REU Funding for Students (Up to $8,000 per participant) Eligibility limited to undergraduates who have successfully completed the Undergraduate Research Training Course and intend to continue to work on research. REU Funding for Mentors (Up to $4,000 per faculty mentor) Eligibility limited to faculty mentors who are providing an REU for an undergraduate or group of undergraduates who have successfully completed the Undergraduate Research Training Course. Continuing Graduate Student Mentor Awards (Up to $250 per graduate student) Eligibility limited to graduate students who successfully completed the UR2PhD graduate student mentor training course and who plan to continue to mentor undergraduate students.

REU Funding for Faculty Mentors REU Funding For Students Technical Conference Travel Funding Continuing Graduate Student Mentor Funding

REU Funding for Mentors

Eligibility

Funding is limited to faculty mentors and postdoctoral students who will be offering a research experience for undergraduates (REU) to students who have successfully completed the UR2PhD Undergraduate Research Training Course.

Expectations

Mentors who are approved for REU funding will be responsible for completing several “milestones” in order to receive their stipend(s).

Stipends are not for qualified tuition and related expenses, but instead represent compensation for participation and services rendered as a condition of participating in the UR2PhD program. Stipends are reportable as gross income, but not as wages. By accepting this role and participating in the UR2PhD program, independent contractors recognize that CRA is not required to withhold any taxes, and no such withholding shall be done. CRA will issue 1099’s to independent contractors. It is the responsibility of each recipient to properly report the award as taxable income on their tax return for the year in which it was received.

Stipends

The REU mentor funding for a full REU (400 hours) is an $4,000 stipend. Options include:

Summer (40 hours per week for 10 weeks) = $4,000
Academic Year (10 hours per week for 40 weeks) = $4,000
Academic Year (one-term / 10 hours per week for 20 weeks) = $2,000

Stipends will be split into four payments, amounting to a total of $4,000 (full = 400 hours). REUs proposing fewer hours, if approved, would have the stipend amount reduced accordingly. NOTE: “Milestones” must be complete in order to receive the stipend(s).

Stipend Amount	Milestones / Requirements
$2,000	Ahead of the start of the REU, faculty must:– Sign and return the Letter of Agreement / Independent Contractor’s Agreement (ICA) – Agree to CRA’s Code of Conduct – Participate in the faculty webinar / onboarding session – Complete the Pre-REU survey – Submit relevant tax documentation (W-9 / W-8BEN and Direct Deposit) To receive the first stipend, faculty must: – Actively provide support and mentorship to mentee(s) – Review mentee(s) research journal reflections – Complete mentor reflection
$2,000	To receive the second stipend, faculty must:– Actively provide support and mentorship to mentee(s) – Review mentee(s) research journal reflections – Review mentee(s) final research report

REU Funding for Students

Application Deadlines

Applications for summer 2025 will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage students to apply as soon as they have confirmed their project and secured a mentor.

In recognition that many students are deadline-driven, we recommend applying by the following dates:

Summer 2025 funding: apply by Thursday, May 1, 2025
2025-2026 academic year funding: apply by Monday, September 1, 2025

Eligibility

Funding is limited to students who have successfully completed the UR2PhD Undergraduate Research Training Course.

Expectations

Students who receive REU funding will be responsible for completing several “milestones” in order to receive their stipend(s).

Stipends

The REU funding for a full REU (400 hours) is an $8,000 stipend for students. Options include:

Summer (40 hours per week for 10 weeks) = $8,000
Academic Year (10 hours per week for 40 weeks) = $8,000
Academic Year (one-term / 10 hours per week for 20 weeks) = $4,000

Stipends will be split into four payments, amounting to a total of $8,000 (full = 400 hours). REUs proposing fewer hours, if approved, would have the stipend amount reduced accordingly. NOTE: “Milestones” must be complete in order to receive the stipend(s).

Stipends and Milestones for REU Funding
Stipend Amount	Milestones / Requirements
$1,500	To receive the first stipend, students must:– Sign and return the Letter of Agreement / Independent Contractor’s Agreement (ICA) – Agree to CRA’s Code of Conduct – Participate in the student webinar / onboarding session – Join the Canvas course – Complete the Pre-REU survey – Submit relevant tax documentation (W-9 / W-8BEN and Direct Deposit) – Create / Set-up the research journal
$2,000	To receive the second stipend, students must:– Actively participate in their REU – Submit their research journal reflections for weeks 1-3
$2,000	To receive the third stipend, students must:– Actively participate in their REU – Submit their research journal reflections for weeks 4-7
$2,500	To receive the fourth stipend, students must:– Actively participate in their REU – Submit research journal reflections for weeks 8-10 – Submit a final research report – Complete post-REU survey – (Optional) Create a poster

Technical Conference Travel Awards

Application Deadlines

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage students to apply as soon as they have been offered an opportunity to present at a technical conference.

Eligibility

Funding is limited to students who meet the following criteria:

Student successfully completed the UR2PhD Graduate Student Mentor Training Course or the UR2PhD Undergraduate Research Training Course
Student completed a research experience
Student was invited to present at a technical conference (e.g. student was accepted to present a poster or give a talk)

Expectations

Students who are selected to receive a Technical Conference Travel support will be expected to include the UR2PhD logo on their poster / presentation materials, as well as provide a testimonial about the experience after their travel.

Awards

Students who are approved for an award will be able to submit up to $2,000 in reimbursements. All awardees must follow the CRA Uniform Travel Policy.

Continuing Graduate Student Mentor Funding

Eligibility

Funding is limited to students who have successfully completed the UR2PhD Graduate Student Mentor Training Course and who will continue to support students involved in the UR2PhD Undergraduate Research Training Course.

Expectations

Students who are selected to receive a Continued Mentor Award will be responsible for completing several “milestones” in order to receive their stipend(s).

Students must create and submit a poster about the research they supported their mentees with – poster must feature the UR2PhD logo
Students must submit a final reflection about the experience

Stipends

The Continuing Graduate Student Mentor Awards are $250 awards, paid in December of the calendar year in which they are awarded.

Students are eligible for a maximum of $250 per year.

NOTE: All milestones must be complete by the November 30 deadline in order for an awardee to receive the stipend.

Important Dates

Application deadlines:

Eligible applicants must apply for funding during the term in which they plan to offer mentorship to their UR2PhD-involved mentees.

For the spring, mentors should apply for funding no later than Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 11:59pm ET.

For the summer, mentors should apply for funding no later than Sunday, June 1, 2025 at 11:59pm ET.

For the fall, mentors should apply for funding no later than Wednesday, October 1, 2025 at 11:59pm ET.

Milestone deadlines:

All milestones must be completed by November 30, 2025 at 11:59pm ET. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Payments:

Payments to students who were approved for funding and who successfully completed the milestone will be made in December.

UR2PhD: Undergraduate Research Methods Course by Computing Research Association’s UR2PhD Program. This work, “UR2PhD Undergraduate Research Methods Course”, is adapted from “Early Research Scholars Program” by Christine Alvarado, UC San Diego, used under CC BY 4.0. “UR2PhD Undergraduate Research Scholars” is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the Computing Research Association’s UR2PhD Program and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

UR2PhD: Graduate Student Mentor Training Course by Computing Research Association’s UR2PhD Program is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International