Apply Online

Click here to access the online individual UConn IDEA Grant application. Log in to the Quest Portal with your NetID. Your application content is saved. You can begin your application at any point and continue working on your application until the deadline.

Application Outline

The PDF below provides you with an outline of the questions you will be asked in the online IDEA Grant Application. Use the outline to prepare your answers before you begin completing the online application. Please note there are separate PDFs for individual applicants and for group applications.

• UConn IDEA Grant Individual Application Outline - Academic Year Funding

Students, please be aware that the final question on the application will ask you to certify that you have prepared your application materials in accordance with university standards for academic integrity. You can learn more about academic integrity at www.ugradresearch.uconn.edu/academic-integrity/.

Application Deadlines:
Summer 2026 Funding: Friday, December 5, 2025, 11:59pm
2026-27 Academic Year Funding: Friday, March 13, 2026, 11:59pm

Group Online Application

There are two parts to the group application. Both parts need to be completed by the online application deadline.

• Part 1: Click here to access the UConn IDEA Grant Group Application. The group application is completed collaboratively by all group members. Only one group member needs to submit the group application on behalf of the group.
• Part 2: Click here to access the Supplemental Individual Application for Group Members. Each group member needs to submit the supplemental individual application.

Application Outline

The PDF below provides you with an outline of the questions you will be asked in the online IDEA Grant Application. Use the outline to prepare your answers before you begin completing the online application. Please note there are separate PDFs for individual applicants and for group applications.

• UConn IDEA Grant Group Application Outline - Academic Year Funding

Students, please be aware that the final question on the application will ask you to certify that you have prepared your application materials in accordance with university standards for academic integrity. You can learn more about academic integrity at www.ugradresearch.uconn.edu/academic-integrity/.

Application Deadlines:
Summer 2026 Funding: Friday, December 5, 2025, 11:59pm
2026-27 Academic Year Funding: Friday, March 13, 2026, 11:59pm

Successful IDEA Grant proposals take time, revision, and thoughtful planning. The most competitive applications clearly communicate not only what the project is, but why it matters and how the applicant will accomplish it. Use the guidance below as you begin drafting your proposal.

Start Early and Revise Often

Strong proposals are not written in one sitting. Begin drafting well before the deadline to give yourself time to:

• Revise, edit, and refine your writing
• Clarify your project goals
• Strengthen your methods and feasibility
• Seek feedback from faculty mentors, advisors, IDEA staff, and writing tutors

Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the IDEA Grant scoring rubrics, which outline the criteria reviewers use when evaluating proposals.

What Reviewers Look For

Competitive IDEA Grant proposals typically:

• Provide a Clear, Detailed Project Plan: Explain your project goals and objectives and describe the steps you will take to achieve them. Reviewers should be able to easily follow your plan from start to finish.
• Present a Feasible and Realistic Scope: Your timeline, activities, and methods should match the timeframe, resources, and your current skill level.
• Are Written Clearly for Non‑Specialists: Avoid jargon. Assume reviewers may not have technical expertise in your field. Your goal is clarity, accessibility, and strong storytelling.
• Explain How the Project Originated: Describe the experiences, questions, coursework, or personal motivations that inspired your project idea.
• Demonstrate Originality and Impact: Explain how your project will make a meaningful contribution—to a field of study, a creative practice, a community, or another context.
• Identify Audiences and Dissemination Plans: Who will benefit from your work? How will you share your results, creative products, or performances?
• Exhibit Strong Writing Quality: Proposals should be concise, well‑organized, free of spelling and grammatical errors, and within page limits.
• Follow All Application Instructions Carefully: Adhering to instructions signals professionalism and attention to detail.

Before You Write: Brainstorm These Core Questions

Your answers to the following will help you develop compelling proposal content:

• Why am I proposing this project? What questions, issues, or problems am I exploring?
• What are my goals, and how will I accomplish them? What do I hope to learn, create, or achieve?
• Why is this project important to me? What do I gain personally, academically, or professionally?
• What steps will I need to take to complete the project? How will each step be carried out?
• Is my topic too broad or too narrow? Can I realistically complete this work within the IDEA Grant timeframe?

Use your responses to begin building strong, thoughtful answers to the prompts in the online application.

Writing Style and Voice

Write in the first person. Reviewers want to hear your voice and understand what you plan to do and what responsibilities you will take on

If others assist you in specific tasks, acknowledge that—but clearly distinguish your role from theirs.

Seek Feedback from Multiple Sources

Receiving feedback is a crucial part of the proposal-writing process. You are encouraged to:

• Meet with the IDEA Grant program coordinator
• Consult your faculty mentor and academic advisors
• Work with a Writing Center tutor
• Ask others you trust to read your draft

Feedback strengthens your clarity, organization, and overall persuasiveness.

Academic Integrity
Please be aware that the final question on the application will ask you to certify that you have prepared your application materials in accordance with University standards for academic integrity. You can learn more about academic integrity at www.ugradresearch.uconn.edu/academic-integrity/.

Every IDEA Grant project is unique. The structure and information provided in the reading and background research section of the application will vary by project type.

Use the prompts below to tailor your content to fit the type of project you are proposing. For additional guidance on what to include in this section, please schedule an appointment with IDEA Grant program coordinator Melissa Berkey through Nexus or email (melissa.berkey@uconn.edu).

Research Projects: Discuss and reference foundational literature you’ve reviewed that informs your research question(s), objectives, and methods, and demonstrates your understanding of the research topic.

Creative and Artistic Projects: Discuss your artistic influences, and/or discuss research you've done on artistic endeavors, performances or films that address topics similar to your focus. Describe how your work differs from what has been done or what is currently being done.

Service-Oriented Projects: Describe information you've gathered to determine the needs of the population or community your project intends to serve. Discuss the services already offered and/or organizations that are serving your target population or community, and how your initiative will fill the needs not currently being met by existing programs or organizations.

Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Projects and Prototype Development: Describe how you've evaluated the need your proposed product or service will address, the market for such a product or service, and/or the viability of your prototype idea. Discuss similar products or services that have been developed and/or are currently available to consumers, and how your product will differentiate itself from the competition.

The qualifications section of the application gives you a chance to describe your background and preparations as they relate to the proposed project and explain the skills you bring to the project.

Consider your academic preparations, research experiences, job or internship experiences, volunteer work, creative projects, and any other experiences that have given you a relevant skill set or perspective. It is important to go beyond simply stating that you have had particular experiences or taken specific classes. Expand on these experiences and explain to the review committee why they matter, what you learned from those classes or experiences, and how they prepared you to engage in the proposed project work.

Your personal statement is an opportunity for you to explain your motivations and interest in the proposed project. Use this space to explain why the project is personally meaningful to you, what you hope to learn from the experience, and how completing the project will impact your personal and professional development. Show a connection between the project and your academic studies, future plans, or personal interests, and explain how the work will impact your goals.

A thoughtful, well‑prepared budget is a core component of a successful UConn IDEA Grant application. It shows reviewers that you have a clear plan, understand what your project requires, and can responsibly manage funding.

Carefully and thoughtfully planning your expenses demonstrates to the selection committee that you are taking your project and your application seriously. Careful planning will also help ensure you will have enough funds to complete your project, minimizing the risk of coming up short.

Start by mapping out your entire project. Making note of supplies, materials, and expenses associated with each step. Your budget should focus on expenses directly associated with carrying out the project. Use reasonable, up‑to‑date price estimates, and document how you determined each amount. You may need to consult your faculty mentor for supplies and consumables associated with research projects to determine estimated costs.

The IDEA Grant funding is not a scholarship. Funding cannot be directly applied to course tuition, fees, and expenses, such as on-campus room and meal plans or general cost-of-living expenses unrelated to the project. You may request a stipend, which is different from tuition support. A stipend is intended to defray the costs of spending significant time on your project. Stipends allow students who would be unable to participate without support the means to be part of the program and engage in meaningful project work.

Although IDEA Grant recipients can refine budgets after selection, your application should be as accurate and realistic as possible. A well‑constructed budget strengthens the credibility and feasibility of your entire project proposal.

Budget Resources

Use the Tips for Preparing a Budget information sheet, IDEA Grant Budget Template, and the IDEA Grant Budget Examples to assist you with developing your project budget.

Please note that there are limitations to how the funding can be used. Not all purchases and expenses are allowable. Please review the Tips for Preparing a Budget information sheet as a starting point.

Students are encouraged to speak with the IDEA Grant program coordinator about their budget and intended expenses to assure there are no conflicts and that proposed expenses fall within the program funding parameters. Appointments can be scheduled with Melissa Berkey through Nexus or email (melissa.berkey@uconn.edu).

Your project timeline should outline the start and end dates of the work, identify key project milestones, and provide your best estimate of the hours needed to complete each stage. The timeline must be realistic, detailed, and demonstrate that the proposed work is feasible. During the UConn IDEA Grant development phase, you will refine this timeline in collaboration with your project mentor.

Timeline Examples and Templates
You can use the IDEA Grant timeline templates (template 1; template 2; template 3) to begin outlining your project timeline, though please note that using the templates is optional; you are welcome to structure your timeline in a way that is most useful to you and most appropriate for your project.

Refer to the IDEA Grant sample timelines for examples of how other students have broken down their projects and structured their timelines.

Students applying for summer funding are encouraged to commit significant time to their projects. A near full-time summer schedule is ideal, although part-time summer commitments—whether shorter or longer in duration—are also acceptable.

Two letters of recommendation must be submitted as part of your UConn IDEA Grant application.

• The first letter should be from a member of the UConn community – faculty member, advisor, instructor, or other professional staff member.
• The second letter may also be from a member of the UConn community (faculty, advisor, instructor, professional staff member) or another university (faculty, advisor, or other professional staff member), a high school teacher, a current or former employer or supervisor, or a mentor in the wider community.

Please note, letters of recommendation from high school teachers will only be accepted from applicants in their first- or second-year of study. Recommendations from fellow undergraduate students or from family members will not be accepted.

If you have secured project mentorship prior to applying, you are strongly encouraged to ask your project mentor to write a letter of recommendation in support of your proposed project; the letter should also state their willingness to mentor your project.

Our Information Sheet for Recommenders gives you the information you will need to provide your recommenders after they agree to write a letter on your behalf.

Group Applications
Each group member is required to supply two letters of recommendation that specifically address their individual qualifications and preparation to undertake the proposed project.

If multiple group members have the same recommender, then that recommender can write one letter that specifically names and addresses the individual qualifications of each group member. Recommenders can either upload the letter for each applicant addressed in the letter or email the letter to Melissa Berkey (melissa.berkey@uconn.edu).

Letters of recommendation that address the group project but do not mention group members individually will not count towards meeting each applicant's two letter requirement.

Deadlines for Submission
Summer 2026 Funding: Friday, December 5, 2025, 11:59pm
2026-27 Academic Year Funding: Friday, March 13, 2026, 11:59pm

You will request letters of recommendation via the Quest Portal online application system by entering the name and email address of the recommenders who have agreed to write letters on your behalf. The system will send your recommenders and individual link for the recommendation submission.

Recommenders should follow the link emailed to them in order to upload their letter of recommendation. Letters should be submitted online no later than the application deadline.

We recommend you start your application in the online system and request recommendations well before the application deadline to give your recommenders enough time to submit their letters prior to the application deadline.

The UConn IDEA Grant application includes an optional section where you may upload supplemental materials to strengthen your proposal. While not required, this section can be used to provide reviewers with additional information or visual content that enhances their understanding of your project and your preparedness to complete it.