Constructing a Budget
Overview
VPUE Undergraduate Research Student Grants are intended to provide independent student projects with financial resources that would otherwise be unavailable. An integral part of your grant application is a budget, indicating how much money your project needs and how the money will be spent.
Student stipends can include funds to support living expenses during projects, human subjects payments, travel expenses, or other miscellaneous project-related expenses.
Strong budget sections of project proposals will clearly show that the applicant has been thoughtful and done their due diligence in considering on and off-campus resources.
Making the Most of Your Resources
Students interested in applying for a VPUE Student Grant should take the following steps prior to submitting a proposal:
- Reflect on the resources needed to execute your proposed project.
- Assess what the grant funding will be used for.
- Determine if these resources can be attained free of cost. Here are suggestions on where to start:
- Your faculty mentor
- Your home or partnering department
- Lathrop Library (for software/hardware, etc.)
- Alternative on or off-campus resources
- Estimate how much money you will need to support your project. In the Budget section of your proposal, include a line-item budget as well as a brief discussion on your funding needs in light of available on- and off-campus resources.
Constructing Your Budget
Ready to outline your budget? Be sure to review our Budget Guidelines for Student Grants.
Additional budget questions? Please visit our Budget FAQs page.