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The University of Texas at Austin

Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research Awards

Apply for the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research Award

Submit your application through the COLA Undergraduate Research Award Application in the Longhorn Awards & Student Scholarship Opportunities (LASSO) system. The application opens on the first class day of each fall and spring semester. To begin, visit LASSO and select “Student Log In.”

About the Award

The Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research Award provides up to $1,000 to support scholarly research projects conducted by full-time undergraduate students in the College of Liberal Arts. Funding may be used for research expenses associated with projects proposed by the student and carried out under the supervision of a UT Austin tenured, tenure-track, or professional-track faculty member, or full-time research staff.

Scholarship Information
  • Maximum award: $1,000.
  • Awards are granted once per student per academic year (Sept. 1–Aug. 31). Students may reapply if not previously selected.
  • Projects must be independent, meaning the student plays a substantive intellectual role rather than solely assisting with a faculty member’s research.
  • Research supervisors must be UT Austin faculty (tenured, tenure-track, or professional-track) or full-time research staff. Supervisors must provide a letter of recommendation and verify the appropriateness of research expenses.
  • Supervisors must hold Principal Investigator (PI) status to request IACUC, IBC, or IRB approvals, if required.
  • Travel outside Austin, including conference travel, is eligible only when clearly justified as contributing to the goals of the award.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Applicants must be currently enrolled Liberal Arts undergraduates at UT Austin.
  • Minimum 3.0 UT in-residence GPA and at least 12 in-residence credit hours completed.
  • Students must be enrolled full-time (12+ hours) during the semester of application.
  • Graduating seniors enrolled in fewer than 12 hours must provide certification of full-time status from the Registrar or an academic advisor.

  • Individuals who already hold a degree are not eligible.

Questions? 

Contact the Liberal Arts Scholarships Office at cola-scholarships@austin.utexas.edu for additional information.