Award and Program Details

Who is eligible to apply to the program? 

• The program is open university-wide to undergraduates enrolled full-time in STEM programs including (but not limited to) physical sciences, social sciences, mathematics and statistics, health sciences, agricultural sciences, energy sciences, environmental science, and engineering fields.

• The program is open to students of all class standings including incoming freshmen, incoming transfer students, and currently enrolled UW students. 

 

How do I apply?

• Applications are now CLOSED for the Spring & Summer of 2024 and Academic Year 2024-2025.

 

What does a Wyoming Research Scholar award cover and how much is awarded?

Funding awarded to Research Scholars is intended to be used for:

• student salary (paid at $15.00/hour) while working on research projects

• expenses, including research support (e.g. lab supplies for student project) and travel to meetings/conferences (it is highly recommended that juniors and seniors plan to attend at least one professional conference per year)

 

The chart below outlines the maximum award amounts based on class standing. These numbers are only upper limits. Actual award amounts are determined based on student funding proposals. The breakdown between categories is only a recommendation based on average award spending. 

 

Program Funding Amounts by Student Year

	Salary	Expenses (research support and conference travel)	Total
Freshman	$1,500	$500	$2,000
Sophomore	$4,000	$1,500	$5,500
Junior	$6,000	$2,000	$8,000
Senior	$7,000	$2,000	$9,000

  

What kind of requirements are there to stay in the program? 

• Maintain a 3.0 grade point average and make consistent progress as a full-time student toward a 4-year degree

• Enroll in a 1-credit seminar class during the fall semester (new students only) to study the scientific process, ethics, public speaking, and writing

• Participate in UW Undergraduate Research Day

• Perform at least 7 hours of science outreach per year (3 hours for freshmen). Outreach can include visiting K-12 schools to talk about your research and life as a college student; helping with science activities for K-12 students at schools or other organizations (Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4-H, etc.); giving talks about your research to non-scientists; and/or helping with any University sponsored science programs, including Women in Science, Discovery Days, and State Science Fair; etc.  

 

Are these awards renewable? 

They are! Current students must fill out a separate renewal application every spring. Our intention is for students to continue in the program throughout their undergraduate careers. 

 

Are these awards combinable with funding from other campus research programs (like EPSCOR, McNair, NASA, etc.)? 

They are! We do ask that students coordinate with our office and use up funding from other sources before switching to the WRSP funding but we are always happy to accept students involved in multiple programs. 

 

 

For further questions or concerns, please contact WRSP Director Jamie Crait (craitj@uwyo.edu).