Faculty Funding: FLARE Fund
Faculty-Led Academic Research Experience Fund
$25,000 annual budget; no award will exceed $5,000.
The Faculty-Led Academic Research Experience (FLARE) Fund provides flexible supplemental funding for undergraduates involved in faculty-led initiatives that include a core research component. The goal of the program is to facilitate the development of programs and curricula that incorporate intensive research-based experiential learning for undergraduate students.
Fast Facts
- Deadlines:
- For winter break projects: October 15.
- For spring break projects: January 15.
- For summer projects: April 15.
- Purpose: support for UR undergraduate students participating in faculty-led, research-intensive curricular initiatives
- Eligibility: University of Rochester faculty members in support of non-graduating undergraduate students in Arts, Sciences, & Engineering
Eligibility
University of Rochester faculty members are eligible to apply. Initiatives must directly serve undergraduate students and contain a research-intensive component.
Award winners are required to have their students produce a final project report OR presentation. Deadlines for final reports or presentations will be shared with award recipients.
Application Process
Faculty will submit an online application and, if the project is viable, will be contacted for a conversation with the director of the Office of Undergraduate Research.
Application Components
Through our online application system, the faculty member will submit…
- Primary project aims describing the primary educational outcomes for students participating in the initiative
- Project budget, including
- number of students participating (provide names if available),
- estimated itemized costs per student,
- other sources of support secured or requested, and
- a brief long-term sustainability statement regarding how the project will be supported in the future.
Application Evaluation
A panel of UR faculty and staff will evaluate complete application packages. The director of the Office of Undergraduate Research will reach out to viable applicants for further conversation about the initiative and available funding.
Timeline
Applications will be evaluated as they are received by a faculty and staff panel. Viable applicants will be contacted by the director of the Office of Undergraduate Research for a conversation about available funding.
Awardee Responsibilities
Award recipients will be responsible for
- Distributing funds to student participants and reporting fund use to the Office of Undergraduate Research.
- Ensuring participating students either present their work (e.g., at the Undergraduate Research Exposition, Kearns Summer Research Symposium, or a departmental presentation event) or submit a report on their experience to the Office of Undergraduate Research. Details and submission deadlines will be shared with award recipients.
FAQ
How likely am I to receive FLARE fund support?
We have a limited budget available for FLARE-eligible projects. Requests received late in the fiscal year may be less likely to be funded, depending on demand.
Are there limitations on how I can use FLARE fund support?
This fund is intended to support student expenses for participation in faculty-led academic initiatives. FLARE funds may be used by the awardee to support student travel, living, or meal expenses.
Are there any eligibility requirements for students participating in my proposed initiative?
- Students with pre-existing sources of support—for example, a Research and Innovation Grant (RIG), or funding from the Humanities Center’s Meliora Scholars Program—must first use their available funds before they are eligible for support through the FLARE fund. Otherwise, we welcome your inclusion of students of all nationalities and disciplines.
- Supported students must be matriculated at the University of Rochester while the experience is taking place. Graduating seniors, for example, are not eligible for support the summer after their graduation date.
How will I get my funding?
The Office of Undergraduate Research will transfer funds directly to the appropriate program or department account. Award recipients will be responsible for ensuring funds are distributed to students.
Will tax withholding be taken out of student disbursements from transferred FLARE funds?
- If disbursed as a non-service fellowship, US Citizens and permanent residents will not have tax withholding removed from their checks.
- International students will have income taxes withheld according to the United States' tax treaty with their country of citizenship, which can range from 0% up to 30% of their award. Further information on taxes and steps to minimize withholding for international students can be found on the ISO website and our general guidance page.
Eligibility
University of Rochester faculty members are eligible to apply. Initiatives must directly serve undergraduate students and contain a research-intensive component.*
Award winners are required to have their students produce a final project report OR presentation. Deadlines for final reports or presentations will be shared with award recipients.
*Please note: If any students participating in your initiative are Research and Innovation Grant (RIG or HRIG) or Meliora Scholars funding recipients, they will be expected to use their RIG or Meliora Scholars funding before receiving support from the FLARE fund or other sources.
Application Components
Through our online application system, the faculty member will submit…
- Primary project aims describing the primary educational outcomes for students participating in the initiative
- Project budget, including
- number of students participating (provide names if available),
- estimated itemized costs per student,
- other sources of support secured or requested, and
- a brief long-term sustainability statement regarding how the project will be supported in the future.
Application Evaluation
A panel of UR faculty and staff will evaluate complete application packages. The director of the Office of Undergraduate Research will reach out to viable applicants for further conversation about the initiative and available funding.
Timeline
The deadline for summer funding requests is March 15. Funding decisions will be shared on March 31.
Awardee Responsibilities
Award recipients will be responsible for
- Distributing funds to student participants and reporting fund use to the Office of Undergraduate Research.
- Ensuring participating students either present their work (e.g., at the Undergraduate Research Exposition, Kearns Summer Research Symposium, or a departmental presentation event) or submit a report on their experience to the Office of Undergraduate Research. Details and submission deadlines will be shared with award recipients.
FAQ
How likely am I to receive FLARE fund support?
We have a limited budget available for FLARE-eligible projects. Every effort will be made to be as equitable as possible.
Are there limitations on how I can use FLARE fund support?
This fund is intended to support student expenses for participation in faculty-led academic initiatives. FLARE funds may be used by the awardee to support student travel, living and meal expenses, or project-related research materials.
Are there any eligibility requirements for students participating in my proposed initiative?
- Students with pre-existing sources of support—for example, a Research and Innovation Grant (RIG), Humanities RIG (HRIG), or funding from the Humanities Center’s Meliora Scholars Program—must first use their available funds before they are eligible for support through the FLARE fund. Otherwise, we welcome your inclusion of students of all nationalities and disciplines.
- Supported students must be registered for the following fall semester at the University. Graduating seniors are not eligible for support.
How will I get my funding?
The Office of Undergraduate Research will transfer funds directly to the appropriate program or department account. Award recipients will be responsible for ensuring funds are distributed to students.
Will tax withholding be taken out of student disbursements from transferred FLARE funds?
- If disbursed as a non-service fellowship, US Citizens and permanent residents will not have tax withholding removed from their checks.
- Some international students will have income taxes withheld according to the United States' tax treaty with their country of citizenship, which can range from 0% up to 20% of their award. Further information on taxes and steps to minimize withholding for international students can be found on the ISO website and our general guidance page.