During a government shutdown, agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) generally pause new grant awards, proposal reviews, and program launches. Institutions with existing federal research awards may still be able to draw down previously obligated funds, but technical assistance, progress reviews, and application processing are typically suspended.

According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), most federal research staff and grant managers are classified as nonessential and furloughed, resulting in delays that can extend well beyond the shutdown itself. Past shutdowns have led to cancellations of reserved time on national lab instruments, closures of field research sites on federal lands, etc.

The impact on undergraduate research is not yet clear, but students applying for NSF, NIH or other federally supported programs might experience delays in response times to email and program timelines might change. UROP advises students involved in projects to stay in communication with project mentors and be attentive to program websites for updates.

CU Boulder’s administration is working to minimize disruptions to research and other grant-supported activities. In the unlikely event that students with UROP funding experience changes in their ability to accomplish project goals, such as the availability of mentors and/or resources, UROP will not withdraw previously awarded funding.

Assistantship Proposal: One Page

Context & Objectives

Student Prompt

100 word maximum: State the specific objectives/purpose of your mentor's project. Explain the project's relevance and who stands to benefit.

Creative/Performance Projects: Tell us the objectives/purpose of your mentor's project, explaining the points of curiosity from which you're starting, hypothesis or question you're exploring and the guiding principles of the work. Discuss where and when the final project will be exhibited, displayed or performed.

Mentor Endorsement Prompt

100 words maximum: Comment on the development of this proposal, noting the origin of the idea and its potential impact in the field.

Section Advice

Keep in mind that reviewers might not be familiar with your topic, so you will need to provide some background. But avoid spending too much time introducing the project, which your mentor can do in their comments. Be sure to make the purpose clear and consider starting with your “thesis” sentence (where you state the purpose). Even though you might not have developed the project, reviewers need to see that you understand the project’s goals.

Methodology & Strategy

Student Prompt

100 word maximum: Note any experience, training and/or coursework required to conduct this project, and explain how you are preparing.

Mentor Endorsement Prompt

100 words maximum: Comment on your mentee's ability to perform this project, highlighting relevant coursework, experience with methods and/or materials, and other relevant certifications and qualifications.

Section Advice

Communicate clearly but avoid overly detailed and technical descriptions of methods. Make the overall strategy clear and highlight important skills and methodologies. Be sure to explain how you have the training and skills needed for the project or how you will learn them. You might have limited experience when applying for an Assistantship, but reviewers need to see how you will gain the skills needed.

Learning Objectives

Student Prompt

100 word maximum: Describe how this project advances your personal, academic and/or professional goals, including how it fits within your degree plan.

Mentor Endorsement Prompt

100 words maximum: Respond to your mentee's learning goals, commenting on 1) how you and/or an additional supervisor will support these objectives and 2) how this project will advance their academic and/or professional goals?

Section Advice

UROP prioritizes student learning objectives over project outcomes, so you should clearly state what you will learn and how you plan to apply what you learn.

Timeline

Student Prompt

150 word maximum: Outline the major phases of your project, providing a timeline of activities.

Mentor Endorsement Prompt

Optional: Provide additional information about this project timeline.

Section Advice

Avoid overcrowding the timeline with details more suitable for other portions of the proposal. Be sure your timeline aligns to the grant term to which you are applying (summer or academic year). Students submitting proposals for projects continuing into the academic year might have similar proposals in their applications, but the timelines should be distinct.

UROP Grant Terms

Assistantships

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