91̽»¨

As an awardee, you’ll dive into your research project with the help of your mentor and lab members. Both the Levinson Emerging Scholars and WRF Fellowships share the same application, so you’re encouraged to apply for both. Here’s what you will need for the application:

Background & Goals Statement

• Share what motivated you to pursue this proposed research project.ÌýÌý
• Describe the ways research has complemented your college coursework and enhanced your undergraduate academic experience.ÌýÌý
• Tell us about the role the proposed research project plays in helping you meet your long-term educational and professional goals.Ìý
• Explain how this award would impact you and your ability to conduct this research.Ìý

Project DescriptionÌý

• Abstract: Provide an abstract of your research project (up to 300 words).Ìý
• Research Plan: Provide a 4-page proposal (double-spaced, 12pt font) with details about your project, methods, timeline, expected results, and why it’s important. You may include up to 2 additional pages for references and figures if applicable. Your research plan must include:Ìý

• • Significant questions or problems the research will addressÌýÌý
  • Project methods and timelineÌýÌý
  • Anticipated or possible resultsÌýÌý
  • An explanation of the importance of your project to its field of study and potential societal implications.ÌýÌý

• Innovation and New Directions/Applications: Describe the ways your research could contribute to innovation in your field and if applicable, the development of new technologies (up to 150 words).Ìý
• Independence & Creative Input: Describe the level of independence you will have in your research project and the contributions you have made to the project proposal. Describe the support your mentor will provide you during the project (up to 200 words).Ìý

Budget

Provide a budget that shows how you’ll use the award, including educational expenses and research supplies (up to $8,000). Your research supply budget cannot be used to provide cash incentives or gifts to research study participants. Your research supply budget cannot be deferred to fund research outside of the award period. Do not include conference travel in your budget proposal, all WRF and Levinson awardees are eligible for a conference travel award. Please use the budget template provided.

 

Explore more Research Budget Resources

Faculty Mentor Recommendation

Submit contact information for your faculty mentor, who will submit a recommendation letter. Faculty recommenders will receive letter-writing instructions via email. You can also include a second letter from another mentor if desired.

Transcripts and Resume

These will be reviewed as part of the application. The 91̽»¨ is committed to providing access and accommodation in its services, programs, and activities. If any accommodation is needed in the completion and submission of the award application please contact undergradresearch@uw.edu at least one week before the application deadline.Ìý

Selection Process & Criteria

Your application will be reviewed by a committee of faculty and staff. Awardees are selected using these criteria:

Student Background & Goals

• The applicant is academically prepared and has sufficient prior experience to engage in the proposed research.
• The applicant demonstrates drive and self-motivation to engage in the proposed research.
• The applicant demonstrates genuine interest, curiosity, and passion for the proposed research.Ìý

Project DescriptionÌý

• The applicant provides the background information necessary to understand the context and purpose of their project.ÌýÌý
• The applicant describes clear aims for their project and how they plan to achieve them.Ìý
• The applicant discusses the potential results and implications of their project.Ìý
• The proposed work can realistically be completed during the award period.Ìý

Independence & Creative InputÌý

• The applicant has clearly participated in the intellectual development of the project proposal.Ìý
• The applicant demonstrates independence in their research. This independence is recognized and supported by the research mentor.Ìý
• The student or mentor conveys a supportive research environment that will help facilitate this research experience.Ìý

Connection to Student’s Goals & ImpactÌý

• The applicant describes how this research experience will help them advance toward their long-term goals, particularly as these relate to a career in research.Ìý
• The applicant describes the potential learning outcomes of the research experience.Ìý
• The applicant conveys the financial impact of this award on their ability to engage in research as an undergraduate student.Ìý

Innovation & New Direction/ApplicationsÌý

• The applicant describes how their project will lead to innovation and/or new technology.Ìý

Feedback on your Application As of the 2025-26 application, the Office of Undergraduate Research will not provide feedback to applicants via appointment or email request.

Attend an Information Session

Want to learn more about the application process? Join an info session! Both info sessions will include the same content.

• In person: Thursday, May 21, 12-1pm, Mary Gates Hall 171
• Virtual: Tuesday, June 23, 12-1pm, Zoom

Ask for Feedback Before Submitting Your Application

Before you hit submit, get feedback!

• Talk to your research mentor about the application and ask them to review your materials. They can offer valuable advice and help you explain your project clearly.
• It’s also a good idea to ask someone outside your research group to look over your application. A fresh perspective will help make sure your research is easy to understand for a wider audience.

Make sure to leave enough time to get feedback before the deadline. Just a heads-up, the Office of Undergraduate Research can’t provide feedback on applications. Campus Resources

• Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships, & Awards (OMSFA): They offer advice and resources to help you through the scholarship process. Visit the to learn more and book an appointment with an advisor.

• Odegaard Writing & Research Center (OWRC): The OWRC has peer tutors who can help you with writing and offer suggestions as you work through your application. They won’t proofread for you, but they’re great at helping you think through your ideas. Check out the for more info.

Advice from Prior Awardees

Showcase your scientific thinking! Highlight the significance of your research by explicitly pinpointing the existing knowledge gap in your field. Articulate your plans for addressing potential discrepancies between your data and hypotheses. – Dania Ahmed, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Levinson Emerging Scholar

Start early and have multiple people read through your drafts. It is beneficial to have feedback from people of different backgrounds to ensure your writing is technical but also understandable to a wide range of audiences. – Joy Chen, Bioengineering, Levinson Emerging Scholar

Express how excited about your project and the experience you’ve had in your lab! The technical aspects of your project are important, but just as important is your ability to articulate why you want to dedicate so much time and effort to your research. I think that sharing your motivations and passion for your project makes others more likely to be excited and engage with your project, too! I also think that articulating specific experiments and specifications for your project helps to convince reviewers that you have a solid plan as to how you are going to attack your project. It also demonstrates you are capable of completing your project and have a deep understanding of your research. – Beau Lonnquist, Bioengineering, Levinson Emerging Scholar

Use Levinson Budget Examples as Guides

When you apply for Levinson, you’ll need to create a research budget. This is a great chance to get hands-on experience with budgeting for a project. You can also ask for funds to cover things like tuition, textbooks, or even a personal computer if that would help your research. Use the budget examples below as a guide to make sure you’re on the right track. We hope the budgeting process is useful for you and your project!

Example 1

A) Budget Worksheet

Expense Category	Item Description	Amount requested autumn term	Amount requested winter term	Amount requested spring term	Category Total
Scholarship for educational expenses	Course fees	$100	$100	$100	$300
Scholarship for educational expenses	Housing	$1,200	$1,200	$1,200	$3,600
Research supplies	Reagents and solvents	$1,000	$1,000	$1,000	$3,000
Research supplies	Equipment and electronics	$200	$200	$200	$600
Expenses Subtotal	Ìý	$2,500	$2,500	$2,500	$7,500

 

B) Budget Justification

Expense Category	Detailed Description
Scholarship for educational expenses	Course Fees: Laboratory courses in departments such as physics and biology require course fees up to $75/course. Engaging in these laboratory experience ties fundamental lecture topics to hands on learning, allowing me to gain a solid foundation of knowledge to better understand my research. Housing: Living on campus allows me to have access to safe and reliable transportation to my lab in South Lake Union. I do not own a car, so the shuttle and public transportation are the only ways I am able to get to the lab, and on- campus housing makes this much more feasible.
Research suppliesÌý	Reagents and solvents: mTeSR-Plus, the media we use to culture our iPSCs, is $288/100mL and B27, the supplement we add to our iPSC-CM media is $71/10mL. These reagents are crucial to generating cells used for contractile assays in my project (traction force microscopy). Equipment & electronics: Flow cytometry is $100/hr for 5 hours, which is necessary for identifying and isolating transfected cells
Ìý	Ìý

 

 

Example 2

A) Budget Worksheet

Expense Category	Item Description	Amount requested autumn term	Amount requested winter term	Amount requested spring term	Category Total
Scholarship for educational expenses	Tuition	$1,652	$2,667	$2,667	$6,986
Research supplies	Sanger Sequencing (Azenta) – $4.50/sequence for about 100 sequences	$550	–	–	$550
Ìý	±Ê±ô²¹³Ù¾±²Ô³Ü³¾â„¢ SuperFi || PCR Master Mixes (100 reactions)	$361	–	–	$361
Ìý	Invitrogen Live-Cell Imaging Solution ($34.29/100mL bottle for 3 bottles)	$103	–	–	$103
Expenses Subtotal	Ìý	$2,666	$2,667	$2,667	$8,000

 

B) Budget JustificationExpense Category

Expense Category	Detailed Item Description
Scholarship for educational expenses	By applying this award towards tuition, I will be relieved of some of the pressures of paying off student loans after graduation. This will allow me to spend the next year focusing on my research and coursework instead of working another job to pay off tuition expenses. By being able to place more energy and focus on research, I can not only dedicate more time towards my project, but I will have the bandwidth to continue to develop the skills that will allow me to pursue my long-term graduate school goals.
Research supplies	Sanger Sequencing (Azenta, $4.50/sequence for ~100 sequences): This sequencing is essential for verifying the DNA sequence of biosensor variants generated in our cloning experiments. Accurate sequencing ensures that any observed changes in sensor performance are due to intentional mutations rather than sequencing errors. ±Ê±ô²¹³Ù¾±²Ô³Ü³¾â„¢ SuperFi II PCR Master Mix (100 reactions): High-fidelity PCR is critical for amplifying sensor constructs with minimal error during cloning and mutagenesis steps. This enzyme’s accuracy is vital to maintain the structural integrity of the genetically encoded cortisol biosensors I’m developing. Invitrogen Live-Cell Imaging Solution (3 x 100 mL bottles): This reagent maintains osmotic balance and supports cellular health during live-cell fluorescence microscopy. It is essential for observing the real-time activity and localization of my biosensors in HEK-293 cells, a core part of my data collection.

 

Levinson Emerging Scholars are expected to:

• Stay active in their research throughout the award period.
• Share updates about their project when requested.
• Participate in quarterly WRF Fellow and Levinson Emerging Scholar events offered by the Office of Undergraduate Research.
• Present their research at the annual 91̽»¨Undergraduate Research Symposium.
• Be enrolled full-time (12 credits or more ) as an undergraduate student at the 91̽»¨ (Seattle, Bothell, Tacoma).
• Start the award in the Fall Quarter.

Each year, about ten students are chosen as Levinson Scholars. The award amount will vary depending on your research needs and plan. You can also apply for extra funding to present your research at a professional conference.