2026–27 Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Award
Introduction
Faculty interested in sponsoring an undergraduate student as a student research assistant through the Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Award program are asked to complete an eligibility inquiry form to determine whether the student qualifies for the program based on demonstrated financial need.
Program details
The award is administered by the UIC Undergraduate Research Hub to support undergraduate involvement in research, scholarship and creative activities across campus. The program is designed to both assist UIC faculty in advancing their research, scholarship or creative work and provide undergraduate students with a meaningful, hands-on research experience.
The award supports faculty working with students who have demonstrated financial need, as determined by the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships. The program enables faculty to hire an undergraduate student researcher at no cost to the faculty member or sponsoring department.
After submitting the eligibility inquiry form, faculty will be notified whether their student qualifies for the program. For eligible students, a member of the Undergraduate Research Hub team will send the faculty sponsor a link to complete the online application on the student's behalf.
Awards are available for one semester or the full academic year. Students selected for the award will also be eligible to apply for additional summer undergraduate research funding. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis in the order they are received. The Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Award is not intended to be combined with other major campus-based undergraduate research funding programs (e.g., the Liberal Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Initiative or Honors College research grants), except when those awards supplement expenses not covered by the Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Award.
As part of our continued commitment to supporting Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Award students and faculty mentors, the Undergraduate Research Hub will once again offer:
- A series of professional development workshops for students covering topics such as research skills, research communication, career exploration and graduate school preparation.
- Opportunities for students to apply for travel awards to present their research at academic and professional conferences.
If you have any questions, please contact us at our@uic.edu.