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If your faculty mentor would like to support you to apply for funding through the Office of Inclusive Excellence Student Grant Program, please access detailed information on funding cycles, application processes, selection criteria, and requirements.
Eligibility
- Current enrollment in Duffield Engineering, or as a Biological Engineering or Environmental Engineering major in Cornell CALS, is required to be eligible for grant funding from the Office of Inclusive Excellence.
- Except in the instances mentioned above, those enrolled in engineering-related majors through a different college are not eligible.
- Students taking a semester off are not eligible for funding during the semester they are away. For example, a student taking a leave during a spring semester is not eligible for the grant in spring. However, if they are returning in the fall, they are eligible for the summer grant cycle.
- For summer grants, students must be enrolled in Duffield Engineering as an undergraduate in the fall after the summer program. Graduated seniors or students who will be enrolled in an M.Eng. program in the fall semester are not eligible for the summer cycle.
- Students engaging in a research scholar program may not be eligible. Limitations on scholars programs include:
- Rawlings Cornell Presidential Scholars are not eligible as they are funded through the Cornell Commitment Office.
- McNair and Laidlaw Scholars are not eligible for funding during the summer term for which their program funds their research.
- Student Project Teams are also ineligible for this program as they have the opportunity to be considered for college funding through a separate process each fall.
Funding Cycles
| Terms | Application Opens | Deadline | Award |
| Fall | Mid-August | Early September | Late September |
| Spring | Early November | Late November | Early January |
| Summer | Early March | Late March | End of April |
Application Process
Student and faculty applicants must identify each other and develop a research proposal together before applying for a research award through the Office of Inclusive Excellence. Once faculty and student have agreed upon a proposal idea, each must separately complete and submit online applications.
Once faculty and student have agreed upon a proposal idea, and a plan for the research term, each must separately complete and submit online applications. The faculty application must be submitted first. After the faculty application is submitted, students will receive an email from oie-research@cep.cornell.edu with a link to complete the student application. Applicants are advised to add this email address to their contacts to ensure that the application link email is delivered successfully.
We recommend preparing your responses in a separate document that you can save, and then copying them into the application system once they are finalized. Students should ask their faculty mentors to review their drafted responses before submitting a final version. This will allow you to receive valuable feedback from your mentor and ensure that both the mentor and student components are well-coordinated.
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Student Application
Unique student application link to be shared via email after faculty submission is received.
To encourage high quality applications from students, we require all undergraduate applicants to obtain faculty approval for their proposals before submission. We ask that each faculty mentor review the student’s project proposal and personal statement. The faculty mentor should wait to submit their application, to enable submission of the student application, only after the mentor has reviewed and approved the student’s proposal and statement. Once approval has been secured, the student must then submit the online student application before the application deadline.
Important Notes
New word/character count maximums have been imposed on responses to each application question. Please use your word processing software to check the word/character counts on your responses before pasting them into the application response boxes. Responses that are too long will be truncated upon submission, such that any words beyond the limit will not appear for reviewers. Maximums are being enforced in order to keep review times reasonable. Please answer the questions with clear responses that are brief and to-the-point.
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Projects Involving Multiple Students
Projects usually involve one student and one professor, although some projects may involve student teams.
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Student Project Team
Proposals will not be considered for funding through the Office of Inclusive Excellence’s Student Undergraduate Research Grants Program. Teams of students working together with faculty mentors in faculty research programs may still apply as undergraduate research teams. However, Student Project Teams – largely student-run, competitive design teams – should not apply through this program. They will have the opportunity to be considered for Duffield Engineering funding through a separate process.
If you are a faculty advisor who is considering applying for support for multiple students or your research team, please follow the guidelines below:
- If applying for team funding, the faculty advisor should submit one team application, listing the names of all student applicants on the team. Each team member must submit an individual application. The team application will be considered as a whole, and, if approved, awarded team funding. Individual team members will not be considered separately for individual funding.
- When requesting project support funds only (no student wages), the maximum team size is four students per team. When student wages are requested, maximum is two students per team.
- Please note: Team applications are discouraged during the summer term for cases in which full student wages are required for each team member. Due to the high costs of summer support, individual applications typically have a greater chance of success.
- If applying for individual funding for more than one student, please submit a separate application for each, with a unique project title, reflecting the specific research focus of each student. A maximum of 2 proposals per faculty member are allowable in any funding term.
Selection Criteria
Duffield Engineering aims to fund as many quality proposals as possible. However, levels of available funding fluctuate along with corporate and alumni donations. The competition for research awards varies from term to term, depending on numbers of applicants and available funding.
Your application will be reviewed and rated by a faculty committee according to the selection criteria below. Award decisions are based on committee ratings of how well your application fulfills the selection criteria. Please read the selection criteria and application instructions thoroughly and prepare your application carefully.
Please be aware that undergraduate research funds are available to a select number of Cornell students. Refer to the Eligibility section above for details.
Rating Criteria
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From student’s research proposal:
- Technical merit of the project
- Student understanding of project goals and specific tasks required
- Student understanding of practical, “real-world” purpose and application of research
- Clarity and quality of written project description
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From student’s wages request statement (if applicable):
- Justification of value of wages support in relation to educational goals.
- Clarity of need for wages in relation to other sources of financial support and eligibility for Federal Work Study
- Note: Students may not receive both academic credit and wages for the same research project in a given term
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From student’s personal statement:
- Demonstration of self-motivation and commitment required to successfully accomplish project goals
- Adequacy of preparation and experience
- Demonstration of passion and dedication to the research endeavor
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From faculty application:
- Appropriateness of project for an undergraduate researcher
- Clarity and appropriateness of specific responsibilities and tasks that will be assigned to undergraduate researcher
- Demonstration of commitment to mentoring and supervision of undergraduate researcher, and delineation of mentoring plan
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From faculty budget specification (if applicable):
- Justification of project support expenses requested, listing specific costs for which funds will be used
- Clarity of need for funding support (including wages and expenses) in relation to funded research and the availability of other resources
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Overall considerations:
- Involvement in a comprehensive research process–with inclusion in research design/planning, model development, data collection, analysis, synthesis–will be favored over a more peripheral involvement limited to the performance of technical tasks or procedures, or to the development of hardware or software (though these may be part of a more comprehensive experience)
- Student applicants who have not received prior funding through this program will be favored over those who have received one or more prior awards (This does not apply to those receiving SRC/Intel funding)
The Office of Inclusive Excellence staff make the final allocation decisions, based on review committee ratings, available funding and sources, and program philosophy considerations.
Students and faculty mentors are notified of competition outcomes by e-mail. Award funds are transferred to a department account, through which the student receives the agreed-upon hourly wages.
Program Requirements
Research hours, schedules, and wage amounts are to be negotiated and agreed upon together by the student and the faculty mentor.
Students who receive an undergraduate research award typically work approximately 10 hours per week during an academic semester, or approximately 30-35 hours per week during the summer term. Hours may vary depending on the student’s schedule and the needs of the research program. Failure to fulfill the requirements below will strongly impact students’ eligibility for future research grant funding.
Although not a program requirement, we strongly recommend student researchers participate in at least one Office of Inclusive Excellence research program event. These events are designed to help you thrive as a researcher and leverage your research experience for your career journey.
Program Requirement Dates
| Award Term | Report and Evaluation Due | Optional Poster Session |
|---|---|---|
| Fall semester | Mid-December | Late April |
| Spring semester | Mid-May | Late April |
| Summer | Mid-August | Late April |
Requirement One: Public Presentation of Research & Research Abstract
Student grant recipients are required to write a research abstract and present their research in a public setting with a broad audience. Presentations within your research group or course seminar do not fulfill this requirement.
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Qualifying Presentation Venues
Presentations may take place at any of the following:
- Office of Inclusive Excellence Research sponsored events, including the Spring Engineering Undergraduate Research Poster Session (held each April), the Summer Symposium (held the first week in August), and the Family Weekend Poster Session (fall semester).
- Cornell events such as the CURB Fall Forum or Spring Symposium
- Regional or national disciplinary conferences
Students who have not presented their work at another qualifying event are expected to participate in the Spring Engineering Undergraduate Research Poster Session in April. All students funded during that academic year or the preceding summer are eligible and invited to participate. Students who present outside of Office of Inclusive Excellence-sponsored events are required to submit their abstract and event information (name, date, time) to oie-research@cornell.edu.
Graduating students are expected to fulfill this requirement prior to commencement. Continuing students are expected to fulfill this requirement within one academic year of receiving their grant award letter.
Requirement Two: Research Reflection
The Research Reflection is submitted at the end of your award period. It has two components: A) a resume entry and B) a donor letter. Together with the Experience Evaluation, these ask you to document your experience, reflect on your growth, and share your story with the people who made your research possible.
Component A: Resume Entry
Your research experience is a professional credential. Document it clearly so that future employers, graduate programs, or fellowship committees can understand what you did and what you contributed. After you share it with us, add it to your resume and LinkedIn profile.
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How to Format Your Entry
List your role, research group or lab, department, institution, and dates. For example:
Undergraduate Research Assistant, Laboratory for [X], Department of [Y], Cornell University — Summer 2025
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Writing Your Bullet Points
Include 2 to 4 bullet points that describe what you did, how you did it, and what resulted. Strong entries answer: What was the research question? What was your role? What did you learn or contribute?
Each bullet should:
- Begin with a strong action verb (e.g., Designed, Analyzed, Developed, Investigated, Synthesized, Evaluated, Constructed, Implemented)
- Name specific techniques, tools, software, or equipment where relevant
- Note outcomes where possible: a finding, a dataset, a prototype, a presentation, a publication
- Include at least one bullet that reflects a professional or transferable skill, such as:
- Collaborating across disciplines or with an industry or community partner
- Navigating an unexpected problem or setback and adapting your approach
- Communicating findings to an audience outside your research group
- Contributing to team decisions, project planning, or timeline management
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Example Entry
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Soft Matter Lab, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University — Summer 2025
- Investigated rheological properties of hydrogel composites using oscillatory shear testing and confocal microscopy (what you did)
- Synthesized and characterized three novel polymer formulations, contributing data to ongoing work on biomedical scaffold design (what you accomplished/outcomes)
- Adapted experimental protocol after initial results were inconclusive, troubleshooting to identify a confounding variable and adjust the protocol (transferable skill/overcoming challenges)
- Presented findings in an oral presentation to an interdisciplinary audience of researchers and faculty at a Duffield Engineering Summer Symposium (transferable skill)
Component B: Donor Letter
Your research experience was made possible by a donor who believes in the power of discovery and hands-on learning. This letter is your opportunity to thank them and to reflect on what this experience has meant to you. Donors value hearing directly from the students they support. A thoughtful letter helps them see the real impact of their gift: the doors it opened, the skills you developed, and how it shaped your path forward. It also gives you the chance to articulate your own growth, a habit that will serve you throughout your career.
Your letter should be 1 to 2 pages and include the following:
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Opening: Introduce Yourself and Express Gratitude
Begin with a sincere thank-you and a brief introduction. Tell the donor who you are and what this opportunity made possible. Include:
- Your name, major, and class year
- Your faculty mentor’s name, research group, and department
- Your project title or research area
- When you joined the research group and why this area of research matters to you
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Body: Share Your Experience and What You Gained
Help the donor understand what you actually did and how it changed you. Strong letters are specific and honest. Consider addressing some or all of the following:
- The research itself. What problem or question did your project address, and why does it matter? What methods, tools, or techniques did you use? What were your results or findings so far?
- Your growth. What was a memorable or meaningful moment from the experience? Did anything surprise you, challenge your assumptions, or change how you think? How did you navigate a difficult situation, and what did it teach you?
- Looking forward. How has this experience shaped your academic goals or career aspirations? What role did mentorship from your faculty advisor, graduate students, or the Office of Inclusive Excellence Grant Program play in your development?
- You are welcome to include 1 to 2 photos of yourself or your work. Images can help donors who are not in your field connect with what the experience looked and felt like. If including photos, save files as LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_photo1.jpg and upload them using the link provided via email at the end of the research experience.
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Engaged Research Requirement
Required only for Engineering Engaged Research Grant recipients. Add a paragraph addressing:
- How you engaged with your community or industry partner
- How that partnership shaped the way you approached the research
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Closing: Reiterate Your Appreciation
End by thanking the donor again and reflecting on what their support has meant, both for your development and for the work you are contributing to.
Requirement Three: Experience Evaluation
Complete the Office of Inclusive Excellence Undergraduate Research Grant Program evaluation survey. Your responses are used to improve the program and to understand how funded research experiences contribute to student development. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.
How to Access the Survey:
An email with a personalized survey link will be shared several weeks prior to the end of the award period. Please contact our office if you do not receive this email.
Grant Program Funding and Sources
Faculty applicants will be asked to specify their budget requests on the faculty application.
Award Amounts
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Fall or Spring Semester Award
- Maximum student wages amount: $2,250
- Maximum expenses amount: $1,000
- If requesting funds for both wages and expenses, maximum amount: $2,750
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Summer Award
- Maximum student wages amount: $6,700
- Maximum expenses amount: $2,000
- If requesting funds for both wages and expenses, maximum amount: $8,600
Notes
- Students may not receive both academic credit and wages for the same research project in a given term.
- Undergraduate research funds are available only for undergraduate students currently enrolled in Duffield Engineering and Biological or Environmental Engineering majors.
- Student wages are considered taxable income. More information about student employment.
- Because Rawlings Cornell Presidential Research Scholars are funded through the Cornell Commitment Office, they are ineligible for undergraduate research funding through this program.
- Student Project Teams are ineligible for funding through this program.
- Students eligible for Federal Work Study (FWS) may apply their FWS award to their undergraduate research position. Please state your FWS eligibility on the student application and work with your faculty mentor to adjust your wages request to reflect the 50% contribution from FWS. For example, if you are requesting to earn $1200 in wages for your undergraduate research effort this term, you would request $600 on the application, since the remaining $600 would be covered by your FWS supplement. (Note for summer applicants: if you are eligible for FWS during the academic year, and you were registered full time in the Spring semester and intend to register full time for the following Fall semester, and you will not be enrolled for six or more summer session credits, then you are eligible to receive a summer FWS award, which will cover 50% of your wages during the summer as well.)
Sources of Funding
The Office of Inclusive Excellence’s Undergraduate Research Program is supported by Duffield Engineering and by various corporate and alumni sponsors. Although much of our funding is available for undergraduate students pursuing research projects in engineering without additional specifications, some of our sponsors have targeted their gifts to support students from specific demographic groups within the college or projects within specific areas of inquiry. Below we provide brief descriptions of each of our current funding sources. On the application, you will be asked to select any specialized funding sources for which your project meets the eligibility requirements. Applicants must be enrolled as an undergraduate student in Duffield Engineering or a Biological or Environmental Engineering major.
Current Funding Sources
- New: Duffield Experiential Learning Undergraduate Research Award: supports open topics in undergraduate research as a form of high-impact experiential learning from the Experiential Learning and Innovation Teams Fund established in 2026 by David A. Duffield’s commitment to endow and name the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering.
- New: Engaged Engineering Undergraduate Research Awards: supports projects that address real-world challenges and involve undergrads working with or learning from a community partner and participating in critical reflection on their experience. Community partnerships come from a broad range of sectors, including, but not limited to, non-profit, government and industry. Engaged Engineering projects and programs can look very different, but they all share four important criteria:
- Address real-world challenges or opportunities valued by community partners, including place-based, interest-based, non-profit, government, and industry;
- Include working with and/or learning from a community partner, whether on campus or outside the university, through in-person or virtual engagement;
- Connect and integrate engaged engineering experiences with educational content; and
- Include structured, documented critical reflection that addresses both technical and social aspects of the engagement.
- Bill Nye ’77 ME Award in Undergraduate Research: supports projects in MAE in renewable energy or space technology, with priority to those including a significant policy or public information component.
- Boeing: World’s largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners, defense, space and security systems, and service provider of aftermarket support. Boeing products and tailored services include commercial and military aircraft, satellites, weapons, electronic and defense systems, launch systems, advanced information and communication systems, and performance-based logistics and training.
- Aizen Climate Research Scholars Fund: Supports students researching climate change solutions.
- Dean Archer Undergraduate Research Fund: supports open topics in engineering with a preference for students who support Cornell’s strategic goals.
- Fund for Undergraduate Research on Solutions to Climate Change: eligible research topics include solutions for Carbon Conversion, Carbon Sequestration, Energy Storage, Renewable Energy Production, Energy Efficient Buildings, Mobility, Smart Grid Management, the hard-to-abate Industrial Sector, and Energy Informatics. Funding is targeted to support students with demonstrated financial need.
- Karen Charal Gross and Meyer A. Gross ’58 Scholar in Undergraduate Research Fund: Supports one or more ORIE undergraduates per year.
- James Moore ’62 EE: Supports open topics in engineering.
- John A. Swanson ’61, BME ’62, MS ME ’63
- Major Ralph Garrick Hay ’80 AEP: Supports one or more AEP undergraduates per year.
- Michael E. Leventon ’95 CS: Supports open topics in engineering.
- Robert A. Cowie ’55 ME: Supports open topics in engineering.
- Armando J. Olivera Inclusive Excellence Research Fund: supports equitable access for all Engineering students to high quality, mentored research experiences that prepare students for impactful careers.