October 7, 2026
TO: Deans and Research Administrators (please notify appropriate faculty)
FROM: Matthew T. Andrews, Director, Nebraska EPSCoR
RE: Call for pre-proposals for Nebraska EPSCoR Small Colleges/Universities Undergraduate Research Experience (SCURE) Program
Deadline: 5:00 p.m. CST, Thursday, December 10, 2026
Program Description: Participation of undergraduate students in research activities increases their interest in pursuing graduate and professional degrees. Nebraska EPSCoR has created the Undergraduate Research Experience grant program to provide research experiences for selected students in small public and private Nebraska colleges and universities that offer undergraduate degrees related to science, technology, engineering, and math. The program is intended to increase the pool of potential students choosing careers in these areas. Nebraska EPSCoR anticipates funding approximately six proposals.
Amount of award: $5,000 maximum.
Start date: 2/1/2027 or after
End date: 1/31/2028 or earlier
The project funding period can start February 1, 2027, or later, and can extend for any amount of time up to January 31, 2028
Eligibility Information:
Who may apply: A faculty member in any small public or private Nebraska college or university (including community colleges) that has an annual institutional research expenditure of less than $8 million and offers a degree in a science, technology, engineering, or math area is eligible to submit a proposal.
Limit on the number of eligible proposals: None.
Project Eligibility: Projects that involve undergraduate students in research are eligible.
Research activities must be related to an area of science, technology, engineering, or
mathematics.
Budgetary Information:
Amount of Award: $5,000 maximum.
Allowable expenses: Allowable budget expenses include stipends/payment for undergraduate
students involved in research, supplies for their research project, and travel expenses for the
student to present their work at a regional or national research conference in the student’s area of research. Faculty salaries are not allowed.
Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Indirect costs are not allowed.
Selection Process:
Proposals will be reviewed and recommended by Nebraska EPSCoR.
Project Reporting Requirements:
Faculty awardees are required to submit a final report for the project no later than 30 days after
completion of the project. Funded faculty members are encouraged to submit an REU proposal
to NSF, or an R15 proposal to NIH, if their institution permits such an activity.
Proposal content:
The pre-proposal must be prepared using font size 11 or greater with one-inch margins. The pre-proposal should consist of the following:
1. Main body: The main body of the proposal may not exceed 5 pages. It should describe
the proposed research and methods, significance of the research, and intellectual merit. If
references are included, they must be part of the 5-page limit.
2. CV Summary: A two-page biosketch of the participating faculty member, highlighting
qualifications including education and professional experience must be included. The
biosketch is not part of the 5-page main body.
3. Budget and Budget Justification: Attach a completed Nebraska EPSCoR Proposed
Budget and Approval Form available at https://epscor.nebraska.edu/programs/forms/ and provide
a maximum of one page budget justification. Ensure all appropriate signatures appear on
the Budget Form including institutional approval. Signatures included on the electronic
submission of the proposal will be considered original signatures. The budget and
justification are not included in the page limit for the main body of the proposal. Provide
your requested start and end date on this form. The budget form will be the proposal cover
sheet.
Proposal Submission Instructions and Due Dates:
Proposals must be submitted electronically no later than 5:00 p.m. (CST), Thursday,
December 10, 2026. Proposals will be submitted through a link on the Nebraska
EPSCoR web site (https://epscor.nebraska.edu/funding) for the Small
Colleges/Universities Undergraduate Research Experience (SCURE) Program
application. This link will take you to a web site for our proposal collection provider
(Cvent). Please note: Your budget, proposal, biosketch, and budget justification
must be submitted as one PDF file not exceeding a maximum of 10 MB. Contact the
EPSCoR Office (epscor@nebraska.edu or 402-472-8946) if you have any problems or
questions. All electronic signatures submitted on the application form will be treated as
original signatures.
Important: It is the responsibility of the PI to check with their campus’s Office of Sponsored
Programs (OSP) or senior campus administrator to inquire about their institution’s pre-submission
requirements.
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