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Division of Academic and Student Affairs 
Office of Undergraduate Research

Project Supply Grants

These grants, funded by the Office of Undergraduate Research, can be used to purchase supplies needed for undergraduate research projects. Awardees’ professional development is also encouraged through workshops and opportunities to present their results. Applications are accepted for the fall, spring, and summer terms.

A student works in the biochemistry lab on campus.
A student works in the biochemistry lab on campus. Photo by Marc Hall

Funding

  • Applicants for fall and spring awards (and summer awards when enrolled in 6 or more credit hours) may request up to $500 for research supplies.
  • Applicants for summer awards (enrolled in less than 6 credit hours) may request up to $2000 for supplies and living expenses.
  • Final amount awarded also depends on availability of funds.

Eligibility

  • Must be an NC State-enrolled undergraduate student enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours (except during the summer term).
  • Must have previously attended (in full) a Proposal Help Session.
  • Must have a research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor (or other mentor with appropriate research expertise).
  • There are no citizen or visa requirements to receive supply funding.
  • Previous awardees must have finished the program in good standing.

Program Requirements

  • Use purchased supplies during the award period.
  • Seek approval from the Office of Undergraduate Research for any changes to the proposed research plan and/or budget.
  • Participate in one approved professional development activity during the program and complete a post-activity survey.
  • Present the research worked on as part of the program at the Annual Spring Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (fall and spring awards) or at the Annual Summer Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (summer awards). Projects can be presented at any stage of their progression.
  • Complete a final survey covering the research experience.

Deadlines

Fall Applications

October 15, 2024-November 15, 2024

(for spring semester awards)

Spring Applications

February 19, 2025-March 19, 2025

(for summer awards)

Summer Applications

May 26, 2025-June 25, 2025

(for fall semester awards)

Application Process

To apply, students must fill out the Project Supply Grant Application-Student Form and their mentors must fill out the Project Supply Grant Application-Mentor Form. Forms will open October 15, 2024.

Students will be asked to provide the following:

  • Applicant Information (email, name, ID, phone number, and department)
  • Co-applicant Information (email, name, ID, and department)
  • Mentor Information (name and email) + department (for NC State Mentors) or institution/company and job title (for non-NC State Mentors)
  • A 3-4 page (maximum) research proposal (must use the PSG Proposal Template) consisting of the following, clearly labeled sections:
    • Title; Background; Hypothesis or Research Question; Methods; Timeline (15 weeks for fall/spring or 10 weeks for summer); Significance; Curricular and Career Interests; References (a 5th page is allowed only for references); Budget Explanation
    • Applicants may receive help from their mentors, but mentors should not write any part of the proposal. Applicants must be the sole authors.
    • As applicable, proposals need to discuss any necessary IRB (for human subjects) and/or IACUC (for animal subjects/use) approval.
      • Note: IRB and/or IACUC approval is required prior to receiving a grant.
  • A detailed budget (must use the PSG Budget Template)
    • This includes breaking down the total amount requested into expense categories (ex: test tubes, paint brushes, mileage reimbursement) with cost information (e.g., estimated amounts, unit prices x units)
      • Note: Descriptions such “supplies”, “gas”, “chemicals”, and “materials” are too vague.
    • Unless there is a valid reason to disburse funds directly to student awardees, supply funds will be disbursed to faculty mentors. The budget portion of the application will need the following additional information:
      • Ledger 20 or 21 or 25 Account Number; 6-digit Departmental OUC Number; Bookkeeper Name; Bookkeeper Email

Mentors will be asked to confirm/provide the following:

  • Lead Applicant Information (name and email)
  • Co-applicant Information (name and email)
  • Mentor Information (name and email) + department (for NC State Mentors) or institution/company and job title (for non-NC State Mentors)
  • As applicable, any necessary IRB and/or IACUC approval.
    • Note: IRB and/or IACUC approval is required prior to receiving a grant.
  • Responses to the following prompts. Note: Thorough responses will be more competitive.
    • Tell us about your research experience with this student. Include the length of time you’ve been working with this student.
    • Describe the experience level or readiness of this student to conduct their proposed research project.
    • How will you support the development of this student throughout their research project?
    • Please share any additional information about this student.

FAQs

Allowable Expenses: Project Supplies/Material and Travel Costs Related to Completing the Project (not costs related to presenting)

Additional Allowable Expenses During the Summer Only: Living Expenses (rent, utilities and food only, does not include other personal expenses)

Unallowable Expenses: Stipend/Salary; Tuition and Training; Living Expenses (during the academic year); Overnight Stays (hotels, Airbnb, etc.); Giveaways/Gift Cards/Prizes; Faculty Travel; and Student Travel to Present Research

While funding is only for a single semester or summer, you are still eligible to apply. In many cases, it is not feasible to complete a project from initial idea to dissemination in one semester. Be clear in your timeline what you plan to finish. This could be the literature review portion, a pilot study, one experiment in a series of experiments within a study, etc. Indicate how your work would progress over time, beyond the award period. You can apply for future awards.

Yes! Teams must select one student lead to submit on behalf of the team. However, all team members must be listed in the grant application and all team members will have to complete program requirements if funding is awarded. Please note, team applications are not eligible for additional funds beyond the set maximum.

Yes! Students can apply to both, and can apply with the same project or separate projects.

Presentation Requirement: Awardees of both can meet their presentation requirement with a single presentation if their awards are for the same project, but must do two separate presentations if the projects are separate.

Professional Development Requirement: Regardless of project(s), awardees of both will have to meet their professional development activity separately for each program. This means two professional development activities per semester of dual funding.

Summer Expections: If your FWS position continues into the summer, you can only request funds for research supplies for your summer Project Supply Grant application (and not also living expenses).

Yes, but we recommend contacting the OUR ahead of time to confirm allowable expenses while abroad.

No, your home project should be taking care of the research project funding and a stipend/wages for living expenses. Students cannot be paid twice for the same work.

We understand that this can happen in research. However, awardees must notify the OUR and seek approval for any changes prior to making them. Failure to do so may result in the award and funding being rescinded.

No, funding is only provided for the given term. Unused funds must be returned to the OUR. However, we encourage you to submit a new proposal.

Unused funds must be returned to the OUR.

No, funds are intended for supplies used during the award period by the student awardee(s).

Any equipment and supplies leftover after the award period ends are NC State property and need to be returned to the appropriate department/entity on campus.

No, students seeking financial support to travel to a research conference should apply for a Travel Award. We also recommend looking for additional funds from their home department, the organization hosting the conference, and through NC State’s institutional membership to the Council on Undergraduate Research which provides travel awards for different fields of research.

No, when the OUR distributes supply funds to students, the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will verify the award is not intended as salary/stipend and will then process the funds for payment.

Unfortunately the OUR’s funding sources prohibit the purchase of these items. However, in sharing your frustration, we are actively working towards having a reliable, additional source of funding that would better accommodate research with these needs.

Mentor-Mentee Support

Check out our mentorship tools and resources.

Extra Opportunities to Present

Check out our list of additional conferences for undergraduate researchers.

Please email any questions you have to the office at undergraduate-research@ncsu.edu.