The UROP student travel grant is open to any currently enrolled University of Michigan-Ann Arbor undergraduate student, regardless of citizenship, presenting at a professional research conference and is interested in receiving funding to supplement their cost of attendance. Funding applications MUST be submitted online between 30-45 days prior to the dates of travel.
There is limited funding to support undergraduate student researchers traveling for research fieldwork. If this applies to you, please email Dr. Michelle Ferréz at mdferrez@umich.edu to discuss funding options.
- Currently enrolled UROP students are eligible to receive up to $2,000 (presenting at national conferences, meetings, forums). You can also apply for additional funding to support an international research conference presentation if applicable.
- Non-UROP Students are eligible to receive a maximum award of $1,000 (national conferences, meetings, forums). You can also apply for additional funding to support an international research conference presentation if applicable.
- Please note: To ensure the equitable distribution of limited travel resources across the broader university research community, students currently affiliated with the Michigan Research and Discovery Scholars (MRADS) program are ineligible to apply for UROP Travel Grants for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). As MRADS is a specialized program with its own administrative structure and internal resources, UROP prioritizes its travel funding for students who do not have access to residential or program-specific travel subsidies. This policy ensures that students without departmental affiliations have the opportunity to present their work.
Please follow the steps in the following order to apply for a UROP Student Travel Grant:
- Review the UROP Travel Grant Application and Budget Form in detail before submitting the application form.
- Complete the online UROP Travel Grant Application and Budget Form, and return to Dr. Michelle Ferréz at mdferrez@umich.edu.
Once you submit the UROP travel grant application and budget form, you will receive an email notification from UROP about providing all required/additional documentation to your own individual Google Drive travel grant application folder.
Please wait for the email sent by the UROP office. However, you can start preparing the following materials:
Additional Materials Required for the UROP Student Travel Grant Application (to be uploaded to your Google Drive travel grant application folder):
- Letter of Recommendation from your faculty/research mentor
- Research Abstract (no more than 250 words)
- Official notification from the conference
- Your current UM financial aid award notice
- Signed copy of the Student Travel Grant Contract
Important: Please make sure to read and sign the Student Travel Grant Contract. The contract MUST be uploaded to your application folder before you leave for travel. The contract also outlines important documents you must retain from your travel to provide to us upon your return.
AFTER YOU TRAVEL: As noted on the travel grant contract, there are additional items you will need to provide AFTER your travel(s). A copy of your UROP Student Travel Grant Contract will remain in your application folder for your reference. UROP will send you notification after your travel, but you will need to revisit the items outlined in the contract as to the additional documentation you will need to provide. The additional documentation must be submitted within seven (7) days after your return.
If you have any questions, please contact the UROP Accounting Clerk, Cynthia Kayden at cykayden@umich.edu and/or the Director of UROP, Dr. Michelle Ferréz at mdferrez@umich.edu.
If Awarded a UROP Travel Grant:
All travel award recipients are required to acknowledge UROP in their talk or poster. After conference travel, the student is expected to submit a brief report about the experience (including a photo, if possible), which will be used for media releases.
All travel award recipients are responsible for any and all applicable tax obligations associated with receipt of the award. As a UROP recipient of the UROP Travel Award, you have the professional and ethical responsibility to maintain the highest professional conduct standards in your words, actions, and deeds. One must conduct oneself in a manner both professional and ethical. Expectations for awardees are to show courtesy and civility in both their personal and professional communications while representing the University of Michigan and the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program.
