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Undergraduate Research & Discovery Fund

About the Fund

Opportunities within the Undergraduate Research & Discovery Fund (URDF) are open to W&M undergraduate students conducting research in the broadly defined fields of coastal and marine sciences. Research projects may be self-contained within the period of fellowship funding or may support work that a student is completing over a longer period during their W&M tenure (e.g., senior or honors research). Funds can be used for any combination of purposes associated with research (field work, laboratory analyses, conference travel, publication costs, etc.), but some awards have specific additional requirements. For example, the Spencer Award requires some field component to the proposed project, but the Nichols Award specifically supports research that is predominantly field-based (recognizing that most science will also have lab and computer-based components). 

Award Eligibility & Funding

Priority will be given to students who have declared a Minor in Coastal & Marine Sciences, but awards are open to any student completing research in the broadly defined coastal & marine sciences. Students in any year of their undergraduate degree at W&M can apply, but please note that students who have a declared Coastal & Marine Sciences Major (“Stravitz Scholars”) at the time of application are not eligible for this specific fund. Successful applicants are to use funding by the end of the funded calendar year (December 21, 2027), or by the time of graduation from William & Mary, whichever comes first. 

For this Fall 2026 launch year, eligible students can receive the following named awards:

  • Spencer Field Research Award: One $5000 award will be presented to the top-ranked applicant, recognizing an outstanding proposal for a coastal or marine science research experience, with some field-based component. This award is supported by an endowment honoring the experiences of Marine Science Minor Erin Spencer ’14, who valued the training she received as an undergraduate in developing research proposals.
  • Nichols Marine Field Science Award: Two $2,500 awards will be awarded to additional highly competitive applicants whose research proposals demonstrate strong potential for meaningful experiential, field-based learning in coastal and marine sciences. While fieldwork should be a meaningful component of the proposed research, not all award funds are required to be used to support fieldwork. This award is established with support from Dr. Maynard and E. Jane Nichols. 

Application Process 

Applying for URDF funding is a straightforward, multi-step process:

  1. Read & Review: Review the blank application to prepare all of the required components before starting your submission.
  2. Download and Complete the Research Plan & Budget Template: Download the URDF Proposal Template to outline your proposal.
  3. Open the Application Portal: Access the URDF Qualtrics Portal to to start your formal submission.
  4. Submit Materials: Upload your finalized application and submit through the online application portal.

Timeline

  • Application Opens:  September 25, 2026
  • Submission Deadline: November 6, 2026
  • Award Decisions Announced: (approximately) December 7, 2026
  • Active Award Period: January 1, 2027 - December 21, 2027