Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program

The 2024-2025 Undergraduate Research Fellowship application submission period is now closed.

The next application submission period for the 2025-26 Fellowships will be open from Dec 1, 2024 until Feb 15, 2025.

Students can select from year-long, two-semester, one-semester and summer fellowships. The starting semester can be Summer 2025, or Fall 2025, or Spring 2026. The fellowship award period can be up to May 1, 2026.

How to apply:
Students begin the submittal process by going to an online portal (now closed) to fill out the application online.

Program Information

Type of Fellowships
  • The program offers year-long, two-semester, one-semester, and summer fellowships.
  • Fellowships can be conducted on campus or off campus, like in national or specialized laboratories, or abroad.
  • Year-long fellowships begin in the summer and extend through the spring semester.
  • One-semester fellowships can be conducted in any semester.
  • Length of fellowship offered varies by college.
Eligibility
  • Students must be currently enrolled at Auburn University.
  • Students must have time to complete their fellowship term before graduation.
  • Students may not hold an undergraduate research fellowship from more than one Auburn University program concurrently.
  • Fellowships are open to students in every major and of every classification (freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior.)
  • Engineering Students: All students applying for a fellowship in the College of Engineering must submit a brief email of intent to Apply for the Fellowship by December 16th to ferguje@auburn.edu.
    The email must indicate the student name, faculty mentor, department of the student, department of the faculty mentor, a tentative title for the project,  and tentative duration of the project.
How to Apply
  • A student and faculty mentor should apply as a pair by submitting a joint application.
  • Students should begin by identifying a faculty research mentor who has agreed to work with them. The student and mentor will then submit a joint application using the online portal. To apply, follow these steps:
    1. Download a copy of the application form (you can embed the link here for the draft application)
    2. Both the mentor and the student should use the blank form to assemble all the information needed to complete their respective sections of the application
    3. Students begin the submittal process by going to the portal https://aub.ie/urfellowship to fill out the application online. NOTE: Once you begin filling out the online form, you will not be able to save the form and return to it at a later time. Your information will not be saved and you will have to begin again.
    4. Once the student has submitted the student section, the application will automatically be forwarded to the student’s mentor for completion.
  • Engineering Students: All students applying for a fellowship in the College of Engineering must submit a brief email of intent to Apply for the Fellowship by December 16th to ferguje@auburn.edu.
    The email must indicate the student name, faculty mentor, department of the student, department of the faculty mentor, a tentative title for the project,  and tentative duration of the project.  
Fellowship Requirements
Program Expectations
  • Specific expectations of the fellowship and fellow will be outlined by the college offering the fellowship.
  • All fellows will attend an orientation session in which program requirements are explained.
  • Fellows are required to give a presentation at the annual Student Research Symposium
  • At the end of the fellowship, students will need to submit a post-fellowship assessment, and a Research Highlight or Article to Auburn University Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship (AUJUS).
Fellow Activities

Fellows will be invited to participate in informal gatherings throughout the fellowship year to discuss their research activities and other topics of mutual interest. In addition to presenting at the annual Auburn University research symposium, fellows are also encouraged to present papers at regional or national meetings.

Do I need to be registered at Auburn to hold the Undergraduate Research Fellowship?

Yes, at Auburn, the student fellowship stipend for a semester is disbursed only if the student is registered for at least 1 credit hour during that semester. This policy includes also the summer semester.

Note: For the summer semester, students can ask to be exempt from this policy by emailing their faculty mentors and requesting that they discuss their cases with the Director of Undergraduate Research (email: UNDGRES@auburn.edu).

Faculty Mentors
  • Faculty who are interested in being a mentor to an undergraduate student should be committed to teaching the student, on a one-to-one basis, how to perform research.
  • As part of the application, faculty mentors will provide a statement describing the proposed research activity and a proposed budget for the student’s research.
  • Faculty mentors are expected to spend a minimum of one hour per week with the fellow during an academic semester and/or at least two hours per week during the summer.
Funding

One Year Fellowships:
Fellowship Stipend: Amount up to $4,500. Project funds: Up to $1500.

  • Time Expectation:
    • During Summer: 35-40 hours/week for up to 10 weeks
    • During Fall and Spring: 8 – 10 hours/week

Semester Fellowships (Fall and/or Spring):

  • Fellowship stipend: Amount up to $1,500/semester. Project funds: up to $500.
  • Time Expectation: During Fall and Spring: 8 – 10 hours/week

Summer Fellowships

  • Fellowship stipend: Amount up to $3,000. Project funds: up to $1000.
  • Time Expectation: 35-40 hours/week for up to 10 weeks; for some colleges, 8-10 hours/week as in semester fellowships
I am an Undergraduate Research Fellow; when should I expect to receive my fellowship stipend? 

Typically, the fellowship stipends are directly transferred to the student’s current AU ebill by the second week from the start of the semester. From the AU ebill, the stipend is transferred to the bank account that the student set up with their Auburn AU Access. 

Governance

Support for the program is provided by the Provost’s Office, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and the colleges and schools of Auburn University. The program is administered jointly by the Director of Undergraduate Research and the Associate Deans of participating schools and colleges.

A Steering Committee shall advise the Associate Provost and Vice President for Research on the programmatic activities and policies of the Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program. The Steering Committee will be composed of representatives from each college or school.

Materials for Fellows

Fellowship Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When can I apply?

Each year, the fellowship application window open on Dec 1 and closes on Feb 15. Students and mentors must apply during this period.

1. Download a copy of the application form
2. Both the mentor and the student should use the blank form to assemble all the information needed to complete their respective sections of the application
3. Students begin the submittal process by going to the portal https://aub.ie/urfellowship to fill out the application online. NOTE: Once you begin filling out the online form, you will not be able to save the form and return to it at a later time. Your information will not be saved and you will have to begin again.
4. Once the student has submitted the student section, the application will automatically be forwarded to the student’s mentor for completion.

Click here to view the application in PDF or WORD.

If I have already received a fellowship, can I apply again?

Although not common, fellowship renewal for a second year is possible. A new application must be submitted to be considered for fellowship renewal.

Can co-op students apply to the fellowship program?

Co-op students who have completed their co-op work obligations by the end of spring semester may apply for a fellowship beginning in the summer semester. You may not hold a fellowship while being a co-op student.

Can summer interns apply to the fellowship program?

Summer internship students who have completed their internship work obligation by the end of the summer semester may apply for a fellowship beginning in the fall semester. You may not hold a fellowship while being a summer intern.

If I receive financial aid, can I accept a fellowship?

Students receiving financial aid are welcome to compete for a fellowship. Specific questions regarding the stipend and the student’s financial aid ceiling should be directed to the Scholarship Office.

Will the Office of Undergraduate Research fund travel to conferences?

Project funds/stipends include money that can be used for travel in accordance with university regulations.

Can I conduct my research off-campus?

Fellows are permitted to conduct a portion of their research at an off campus site, such as a federal laboratory, other university, library, or field site. A local mentor is still required.

Last modified: Feb 17, 2024 @ 3:20 pm