Do I have to be in the Honors Program to apply?
No.
Do I have to be pursuing a major in the College of Arts and Sciences to apply?
Yes.
Does my project advisor have to be an Ohio State faculty member?
Yes.
Do I have to be planning to travel internationally (related to my research) to apply for the IRG?
Yes.
If I am graduating at the end of this semester, can I apply for the URS or IRG during this semester?
No. The funding is designed to support continuing or future undergraduate research. Once you have graduated, you are no longer an undergraduate. (As a result, students graduating at the end of Spring Semester 2020 (for example) are not eligible to apply for funding through the Spring 2020 competition.)
Can I apply if my project does not have any costs associated with it?
Yes, you are welcome to apply for the URS. The URS is designed to be applied to your tuition, fees, room, and board, to reduce the cost of your education and enable you to have more time to spend on your research (rather than working at a job, for instance). The scholarship is not necessarily designed to cover costs associated with your project. (That said, if you are already receiving scholarship and/or grant aid that covers your full cost of attendance, you would only be eligible to receive additional funding to cover your own out-of-pocket expenses associated with your research. Therefore, if you are already receiving scholarship and/or grant aid that covers your full cost of attendance, you should not apply unless you have costs associated with your research that you (personally) will be responsible for paying.)
If I am already receiving scholarship or grant aid that covers my entire cost of attendance (tuition, fees, room, and board), can I still apply for these awards?
Yes. That said, you will only be eligible to receive funding beyond the cost of attendance to cover documented out-of-pocket expenses (for which you personally will be responsible) related to your research. In this situation, you will need to submit a Cost of Attendance Appeal to Student Financial Aid to request an increase in your cost of attendance limit. If you do not have any costs associated with your research that you will be responsible for paying, you should not apply for these awards.
Timing of Funding
If I am awarded the URS, when will I receive it?
If you entered the Autumn competition, you will receive your scholarship as part of the following Spring Semester’s financial aid disbursal. If you entered the Spring competition, you will receive your scholarship as part of your financial aid for the terms you designate over the following academic year (Summer, Autumn, and/or Spring). Typically, those awarded scholarships through the Spring competition will receive half of the scholarship in the following Autumn and half in the following Spring.
If I am awarded the IRG, when will I receive it?
As soon as possible after awards are announced and after you have enrolled in Ohio State’s Supplemental Travel Insurance (which is required in order to receive the IRG).
Funding Conditions – Enrollment Requirements
Do I have to be enrolled full time during the terms I would receive the URS?
Yes, unless you ask for and are granted a special exception. Special exceptions to the full-time enrollment requirement are typically only considered when you are anticipating a heavy research emphasis during the funding term, and the exception will usually result in a reduction in your award based on the actual number of credit hours in which you are enrolled.
Do I have to be enrolled full time in order to receive the IRG?
No.
Applying More Than Once
Can I apply for the URS more than once?
Yes. However, you are more likely to be awarded a more significant scholarship if you apply later in your undergraduate career (in your third or fourth year) when your research project is more fully developed. Also, you should be aware that the committee that reviews applications will take into consideration whether you have received the scholarship previously.
Please note that if you receive a scholarship through the Spring URS competition, you should not also apply for the Autumn URS competition that immediately follows it. These competitions provide funding for the same academic year and should be considered mutually exclusive (you can apply for one or the other, but not both).
