CURE Awards & Opportunities

Explore exciting opportunities at the Center for Undergraduate Research and Engagement! CURE provides a range of competitive grants to fuel your undergraduate research pursuits. The awards are open to all undergraduate applicants, regardless of status of FAFSA eligibility.

Prepare to showcase your work with the CURE Conference Travel Award, designed to support students to present their research at conferences and professional gatherings. Additionally, CURE fellowships support summer research projects under the guidance and mentorship of a University of Oregon faculty mentor (instructor). CURE also offers a small grant fund to assist eligible students with research-related expenses. Discover how CURE can empower you to advance your research goals!

The following awards and opportunities are available:

• First-Year Research Experience (FYRE) Award  provides first-year undergraduate students (including transfers students in their first year at the UO) the opportunity to engage in research and creative work
• Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship funds undergraduate students (who are not in their final year of study) to conduct full-time summer research for 8 weeks minimum under the supervision of a UO faculty member
• Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Humanities funds undergraduate students (who are not in their final year of study) and are focused on research in the Humanities to conduct full-time summer research for 8 weeks minimum under the supervision of a UO faculty member
• Conference Travel Awards supports undergraduate students who are attending and/or presenting at academic and professional conferences and symposia. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.
• Undergraduate Research Small Grant  offers funding for research related expenses, such as materials, supplies, minor equipment, and processing fees, as well as travel costs. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.
• Faculty Research Mentor Award recognizes  UO faculty members annually for their exceptional mentoring of undergraduate research, creative work, and experiential learning

CURE launched FYRE in 2020 to provide first-year undergraduate students (including transfers students in their first year at the UO) the developmental opportunity to explore and engage in research and creative work. This fellowship annually funds students who are in their first year at UO. This year, recipients will receive $5000 and their research faculty mentor will receive $1000. FYRE recipients are expected to perform full-time summer research for 8 weeks minimum under the mentorship of a UO faculty member. CURE invites students from all schools, colleges, majors, and minors to apply for FYRE, including the humanities, arts, social sciences, and sciences. The application due date is March 12, 2026 (no later than 5:00 pm PT)

The applicant is asked to have a faculty mentor identified and a research proposal at the time of application. CURE invites students seeking to connect with a prospective faculty mentor to meet with our team (visit open hours or by appointment) so that we can work with them to provide guidance, resources, and support.

FYRE Recipient Nikita Istratov

What was a highlight of your experience conducting research?

"A highlight of my experience was working with my faculty mentor and developing a stronger relationship with him through this project."

What is the most valuable skill you gained through this experience?

"The skill of preparing written materials (proposal, presentation, etc.) out of my subject (music and music theory). Also making these materials accessible and useful."

How has your FYRE experience affected your academic and/or career trajectory?

"This research project broadened my horizons within classical piano performance. I learned about preparing effective written materials on my topic and presenting sometimes esoteric music theory ideas in an accessible way. It was great to get support from CURE for my research in female composers - an intersection of music and history that interests me and that I believe deserves attention and research."

Back to Top

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) funds students, of any class standing, to conduct full-time summer research for 8 weeks minimum under the supervision of a UO faculty member. SURF recipients receive a $5000 stipend and faculty mentors a $1,000 stipend. CURE invites students from all schools, colleges, majors, and minors to apply for SURF, including the humanities, arts, social sciences, and sciences. The application due date is March 12, 2026 (no later than 5:00 pm PT)

The applicant is asked to have a faculty mentor identified and a research proposal at the time of application. CURE invites students seeking to connect with a prospective faculty mentor to meet with our team (visit open hours or by appointment) so that we can work with them to provide guidance, resources, and support.

SURF Recipient Rose Kapelka-Wolpoff

What was a highlight of your experience conducting research?

"I found myself with the confidence to initiate conversations with people I would usually not want to bother, and realized that in many cases, my interests and perspectives were valuable regardless of my academic "excuse" for engaging. "

What is the most valuable skill you gained through this experience?

"I learned how to trust in myself when diverging from a well-laid out plan and believe that I will still find value in an experience even if it is not the value I intially set out to find."

How has your SURF experience affected your academic and/or career trajectory?

"As I was studying Grand Canyon National Park, I was met with first a devastating fire on the North Rim and then a months-long government shutdown, thwarting my plans A and B. I had to be extremely resilient and quick to adjust; while I had intended to rely heavily on conversations Parks employees and the study of Parks resources, I found value in conversing with gift shop employees and fellow Parks guests, leading me to hear personal stories and gain my own personal impression on the gift shops I had planned on studying from a primarily academic viewpoint."

 

Back to Top

In 2024 the Center for Undergraduate Research and Engagement (CURE) and Oregon Humanities Center (OHC) launched a new partnership to support undergraduate research and creative work in the humanities and arts. The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Humanities (SURF-Humanities) is open to students of any class standing.  Fellows conduct full-time summer research for 8 weeks minimum under the supervision of a UO faculty member, and participate in CURE summer co-curricular workshops on academic and career development topics, as well as an end-of-summer Works-in-Progress presentation gathering.  All SURF-H fellows present at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. This fellowship offers $5000 to each recipient and $1000 to their faculty research mentor.  Five fellowships were awarded in the inaugural year.  CURE and OHC performed specialized outreach and relationship-building with faculty in the humanities and arts to promote the fellowships and encouraged faculty to consider the opportunity for the fellowships to function as a research assistantship for students supporting faculty research as well as independent student projects.  The application due date is March 12, 2026 (no later than 5:00 pm PT)

SURF-Humanities Recipient Ollie Twitchell

Ollie Twitchell is a Theatre major and Nonprofit Administration minor whose research focuses on vintage garments, collections management, and the preservation of historical clothing. Their hands-on work with costume storage, cataloging, and database development has strengthened their organizational and archival skills, as well as their understanding of climate-controlled environments and specialized conservation practices. This experience has not only deepened Ollie’s appreciation for the craftsmanship behind historical garments, but has also enriched their work as a costume designer, fueling a passion for historical accuracy in film and theatre. Looking ahead, Ollie plans to pursue graduate studies in arts management and costume design, continuing to merge their artistic interests with their dedication to stewardship and accessibility within the arts.

"The connections I have made with faculty and community members across the country have strengthened my ability to communicate and be confident in my research capabilities."

Back to Top

The purpose of this award is to support undergraduate students in their academic and professional development by attending and/or presenting at academic and professional conferences and symposia. Conference participation represents an integral element of the scholarly process, as well as graduate school and career exploration--from practicing how to communicate your work to networking with peers, faculty, professionals, and experts in your academic disciplines and career fields. The award is available to students in any of the University of Oregon’s eight undergraduate schools and colleges. CURE defines research and creative work expansively to encompass the social sciences, humanities, sciences, creative and performance arts, as well as the professional schools. Ten travel awards will be granted per year, with three awards designated for National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) presenters in the spring.  Award funds may not be reserved pending conference acceptance to present.  Applications are considered on first-come-first-serve basis, and may not be guaranteed. NOTE: Please plan to apply at least 6 weeks prior to your conference date. Questions? Email urds@uoregon.edu 

Award Recipient Sidalee Jasso

What is the most valuable skill you gained through this experience?

"The greatest and most valuable skill I learned through this experience was to invest in myself by seeking out funding and opportunities that can advance my academic and research goals. Had I not received this funding I wouldn't have been able to attend the conference and I would have missed a vital opportunity to conduct research and to network with the professionals working in my field."

How will this experience affect your academic and career trajectory?

"I'm an enrolled member of the Klamath Tribes in southern Oregon. Our newspaper, and our media output in general, isn't serving the Klamath Tribes at its full capacity. Citizens of the tribe want to see themselves reflected in the coverage they receive; this includes topics they are interested in, policies that impact their lives, and the lens through which the story is told. As one of the few tribal members who are professionally trained to cover Indigenous stories I feel a tremendous responsibility to correctly tell our stories. By attending this conference I was able to get advice from journalists and other professionals who have vetted themselves by covering their communities and many other communities. I'll take the lessons they have learned and shared with me back to my own community to help build a foundation for media coverage for Klamath Tribal members by Klamath Tribal members. "

 Back to Top

The Undergraduate Research Small Grant program, through CURE, offers funding for research related expenses, such as materials, supplies, minor equipment, and processing fees, as well as travel costs to research sites, such as field locations or archives and special collections.  The funding is offered to undergraduate students engaging in research and creative work in any field of study. Funding for travel to academic conferences is offered through the CURE Conference Travel Award, and not through this form. Questions? Email urds@uoregon.edu 

CURE Small Grant Recipient Kimball Weeks

What is a highlight of your experience conducting research?

"Hitting submit to a real academic journal and then receiving a revise and resubmit. Although I chose not to continue with the resubmission it was very rewarding to have had the experience. ."

What is the most valuable skill you gained through this experience?

"I learned how to execute a research idea and turn a simple question into real product. "

How will this experience impact your academic and career trajectory?

"Coming into my sophomore year I hadn't really learned how to be a researcher yet but after receiving help from a faculty member on an idea, I decided that I'd need a grant to continue. Using the funds to clean my data and finish my paper over the course of a year I've truly learned so much about what it means to be a researcher and how to ask the right questions. Understanding how to apply to and use grants effectively to support your research is a invaluable skill and I'm excited to continue doing research."

Back to Top 

The Faculty Research Mentor Award recognizes UO faculty members annually for their exceptional mentoring of undergraduate research, creative work, and experiential learning. In alignment with UO Mentorship Reimagined principles, the award recognizes faculty who help undergraduate students build their mentorship network, while providing responsive, reciprocal and adaptive mentorship themselves. The Faculty Research Mentor Award is open to all full-time and part-time research and instructional faculty employed by the University of Oregon, which includes tenure related and career faculty, emerit faculty, library faculty, and officers of research, including research assistants, research associates, and postdoctoral scholars. 

Nominators are asked to provide examples of responsive, reciprocal and adaptive mentorship, as well as support for mentorship network development.  Nominations are solicited widely from current students, alumni, faculty, and staff. The recipients are recognized as part of the Undergraduate Research Symposium in late May.  The awards include a $2500 prize, framed certificate, and profiles published in the Symposium Program Book and on the Undergraduate Research and Distinguished Scholarships website. This year's nomination deadline is April 23, 2026 (no later than 5:00 pm PT)

 Back to Top