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The University of Texas at Austin

Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research Awards

The Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research Award provides up to $1,000 in support for specific scholarly research projects conducted by full-time Liberal Arts undergraduate students. These awards are intended to cover costs associated with academic research projects proposed and written by student applicants and undertaken with the supervision of a university tenured, tenure-track, or professional-track faculty member or full-time research staff.

Scholarship Information:

  • Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research Awards are given once per student, per academic year, Sept. 1–Aug. 31. A student may re-apply after an unsuccessful application.
  • Maximum award is $1,000.
  • Research projects must be independent, i.e., the student has an intellectual stake in the project rather than solely assisting with a professor’s project.
  • Research supervisors must be affiliated with UT Austin as tenured, tenure-track, or professional-track faculty members, or full-time research staff. The supervisor must endorse the applicant via a letter of recommendation and will attest to the appropriateness of the student’s research expenses throughout the project.
  • Research supervisors will need Principal Investigator (PI) status in order to request IACUC, IBC, or IRB approvals, if applicable.
  • Travel costs (outside Austin), including conference travel, are only eligible if expense can be justified as contributing to the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research Award goals and objectives.

Eligibility Requirements: 

  • Only currently enrolled Liberal Arts undergraduates at The University of Texas at Austin may apply.
  • Applicants must have a minimum overall in-residence UT GPA of 3.0 and 12 hours completed in-residence.
  • Applicants must be enrolled full-time (minimum of 12 hours) during the semester they apply. 
  • Graduating seniors must provide full-time status certification by the Registrar’s office or academic advisor if enrollment is less than 12 hours at the time of applying.
  • Degree holders will not be considered for this award.

The application will open on the first class day of the fall and spring semester in the Longhorn Awards & Student Scholarship Opportunities (LASSO) portal. 

Contact the Liberal Arts Scholarships office at cola-scholarships@austin.utexas.edu for more information.