Summer Undergraduate Mentored
Research Grants
2026 Request for Proposals
Overview
Undergraduates interested in sustainability benefit from immersive research experiences that deepen their understanding of the role of research in advancing solutions to pressing sustainability challenges. Correspondingly, the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability is supporting faculty-led summer opportunities for undergraduates conducting sustainability research, structured as a pair of undergraduate researchers mentored by a graduate student and faculty principal investigator. By offering this tiered mentorship structure, proposed projects are intended prepare undergraduates to conduct independent research in a collaborative environment.
Proposed projects can align with any of Cornell Atkinson’s four priority areas: Advancing One Health, Reducing Climate Risk, Accelerating Energy Transitions, and Increasing Food Security. We particularly encourage projects that expose undergraduates to the pathway from academic research to external impact.
Timeline
- October 21, 2025: Request for Proposals opens
- December 8, 2025, 5:00 p.m. ET: Full proposals due (apply online)
- January 23, 2026 (estimated): Awards announced
- May 21, 2026: Earliest project start date
Eligibility & Expectations
- Applications are open to any Cornell University-eligible Principal Investigator. Cornell Atkinson funds are subject to the same restrictions as any other university research funding. PIs may have a primary appointment in any Cornell college or school, and must currently be a Cornell Atkinson Faculty Fellow (apply online).
- A graduate student mentor who is focused on and conducting research (PhD, MS/PhD, or MS) should be identified as a collaborator to work closely with the faculty PI and provide day-to-day interaction with undergraduates.
- Undergraduate participants can be from any of Cornell’s colleges, and are eligible to participate any summer prior to graduation (i.e., have at least one semester of expected enrollment following their summer research).
- The faculty PI and the supported graduate student are expected to be at the same research location as the undergraduates for the majority of the award period.
- Research teams will present their work at a Cornell Atkinson undergraduate symposium near the start of the Fall semester.
- Faculty PIs will work with their department administration to recruit, hire, and pay graduate and undergraduate participants.
Funding
- $14,000 to support 2 full-time Cornell undergraduate summer researchers
(10 weeks @ 35 hours/week) - $11,887 to support the summer stipend of a graduate student mentor
- Up to $2,000 for research- and travel-related expenses
- Maximum budget is $27,887
Priority Themes
How to Apply
Please use this online form to submit your proposal before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 8, 2025.
Proposal Narrative (required):
Applicants must address the following within a 3-page limit (excludes figures, citations, CV, and budget justification). Please upload a PDF (11-point font, 1-inch margins, single-spaced) with the following information:
- Title & Principal Investigator (PI) information:
- Proposal Title
- PI name, position, department
- Graduate student mentor name, degree and degree start date (month/year)
- Project Abstract (100-125 words)
- Summarize your proposed research and mentorship plan.
- Description of Proposed Project(s)
- Provide a brief description of the research projects and their alignment with Cornell Atkinson priority area(s). Most undergraduate research projects occur within the context of a broader research endeavor. Briefly introduce the broader research project (justification and background, main questions, general approach), then briefly describe distinct research projects for both of the two undergraduates within the context of this larger effort.By the end of the summer, each undergraduate should be able to articulate their respective specific research question(s), approach, results, and implications.
- Recruitment Plan
- Include a description of plans for recruiting undergraduates, along with a strategy for creating a welcoming inclusive research environment for all personnel.
- Undergraduate Mentorship Plan
- Include a description of plans for how undergraduates will be meaningfully mentored for collaborative research. Briefly describe the structure, primary responsibilities, meeting frequency, etc. Sample resources on inclusive mentoring can be found at the Cornell Graduate School’s Faculty Advancing Inclusive Mentoring (FAIM) website.
- External Partners
- If the project includes any external organizations or individuals as partners, please briefly describe their role.
- Timeline
- Provide the preferred start date and duration (number of months) of the project, as well as an outline of key activity milestones. Note: Typical 10-week summer undergraduate appointments run from the day after Memorial Day through early August. Graduate student summer appointments start May 21.
- Curriculum Vitae (does not count against page limit)
- Provide a one-page CV for the project PI, highlighting the research and mentorship activities most relevant to this proposal.
Budget and Justification (required)
Use this budget template | Save budget as “[year]-SUMR-YourLastName.XLSX”.
Use this budget justification template | Include budget template at the end of your proposal PDF
- The Excel budget should be submitted as a separate file when you submit your proposal.
- The budget justification should be included at the end of your proposal. The budget justification does not count against your proposal page count.
- Please follow the budget and justification templates carefully and provide the requested level of detail.
- Indicative budget guidance:
- Funds may not be used to cover faculty salary (including summer salary), laptops (unless it is dedicated to project work only), and staff bonuses.
- This is not an exhaustive list – please contact us with specific questions.
Awardee Responsibilities
- Participate in future Cornell Atkinson proposal review panels.
- Communicate any follow-on funding received related to this or any Cornell Atkinson-supported project.
- Submit reports describing progress towards each metric of success identified in the proposal.
- Respond to requests for information (including through surveys or presentations) about the longer-term impacts of the grant after the funding ends.
- Return unspent funds remaining at the end of the project to Cornell Atkinson.
- Acknowledge Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability in all presentations, reports, and publications stemming at least in part from this funding. Guidance for acknowledging your affiliation with Cornell Atkinson can be found on our website and will be included in your Memorandum of Understanding.
More Information
If you have questions about this Request for Proposals, please contact:
- Cynthia Mathys, Senior Program & Portfolio Manager, cjm296@cornell.edu.
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