Undergraduate Research and Mentoring in the Biological Sciences | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Undergraduate Research and Mentoring in the Biological Sciences (URM) program is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity designed to increase both the number and the diversity of undergraduate students who go on to pursue graduate study in the biological sciences. The program is housed within the NSF Directorate for Biological Sciences and is meant to strengthen the pipeline into advanced training and research careers across the full range of biology areas supported by NSF. At its core, URM focuses on creating structured, research-intensive experiences paired with strong mentoring so that undergraduates develop the skills, confidence, and professional direction needed to continue into graduate programs.

Funding through URM is awarded to academic institutions so they can build or expand innovative, year-round undergraduate research and mentoring programs. Rather than supporting isolated summer experiences, the emphasis is on sustained engagement that integrates meaningful research participation with continuous guidance and professional development. The expectation is that institutions will create well-organized programs that connect undergraduates with faculty-led research environments, cultivate mentoring relationships, and provide the kinds of supports that help students persist and thrive as emerging scientists. The program also explicitly prioritizes broadening participation in science and engineering by emphasizing involvement of individuals from groups historically underrepresented in these fields, including African Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Hispanic Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, and persons with disabilities.

This is a discretionary grant program (Funding Opportunity Number 10.531) in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category, listed under CFDA 47.074 (Biological Sciences). NSF anticipated making about 8 awards under this opportunity, with an estimated total funding amount of $3,000,000. Individual awards have a stated minimum (award floor) of $1,000,000, and the opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching funds, which can reduce barriers for institutions that may not have large internal funding reserves to contribute.

Eligibility is limited to U.S.-accredited academic institutions with a U.S.-located campus, specifically universities and two- and four-year colleges, including community colleges, applying on behalf of their faculty members. In other words, proposals are institutionally submitted rather than by individuals acting independently, and the intent is for the funded activity to be embedded within the institution in a way that supports cohorts of students and builds durable program capacity.

The solicitation history indicates it was posted January 27, 2010, with full proposal deadlines listed as April 26, 2010 and March 1, 2011, and then the first Tuesday in March annually thereafter. The archive date is February 7, 2011, meaning this specific listing is no longer active as a current open competition in its original form, but it may still be useful as a reference for program design expectations and NSF priorities at that time. The announcement references NSF Publication 10-531 for the full details, and applicants needing technical assistance were directed to NSF grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

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