Soaring Scholarship for Undergraduate Research

The Raptor Research Center (RRC) at Boise State University aims to be a global hub for advancing the understanding and conservation of birds of prey and their environments through cutting-edge research, innovative education, and community engagement.

The RRC is offering Soaring Scholarships for Undergraduate Research to support Boise State University undergraduate students in research. Following are all the essential details on Soaring Scholarships including important dates and how to apply.

Who Can Receive Scholarships:

Soaring Scholarships are offered on a competitive basis for Boise State undergraduate students pursuing research that relates to, or benefits, raptor ecology and conservation in some way. Three examples: Influence of wind farms on bird migration (including raptors), Mate fidelity in a falcon species, Population dynamics of a ground squirrel species (raptor prey) in habitat where raptors occur. These scholarships are open to all majors, giving students the opportunity to gain meaningful research skills including data collection, analysis, and write-up while working on a research or creative activity project. Each student must be mentored by a faculty PI, although mentoring can also include other lab members.

Each Soaring Scholarship for Undergraduate Research Participant will Receive:

Genuine research experiences, training, and professional development opportunities
A $6,000 stipend for 10 weeks of summer semester research (typical student commitment is 30 hours of research per week) OR a $3,000 stipend for 15 weeks of fall or spring semester research (typical student commitment is 10 hours of research per week)
Participation in the Boise State Undergraduate Research Showcase (URS), Idaho Conference on Undergraduate Research (ICUR), or another conference

Soaring Scholarships: Important Details

If you are a Boise State University undergraduate student in any major, you are eligible if you:

Are enrolled at Boise State University for the semester for which you are applying (Fall or Spring) or you were enrolled at Boise State University in the previous Spring semester (for Summer research).
Plan to conduct research or creative activity during the semester for which you are applying. For example, if you plan to be working on your research project during Summer 2025, apply in late Winter 2024-2025 (look at the “Important Dates” tab for exact dates) to be eligible for the Summer 2025 award.
Your planned research relates to, or benefits, raptor ecology and conservation in some way, either indirectly or directly. Three examples of such research: Influence of wind farms on bird migration (including raptors), Mate fidelity in a falcon species, Population dynamics of a ground squirrel species (raptor prey) in habitat where raptors occur.
Have space in your financial aid package to receive this award. The Soaring Scholarship for Undergraduate Research is considered part of a student’s financial aid package. If you are unsure about your status and financial aid eligibility, please reach out to the Boise State University Financial Aid office.

The RRC is offering research scholarships to support Boise State University undergraduate students in research.

Apply for the semester during which you will be actively conducting your research/creative activity project. Note the different timelines for each semester.

SUMMER 2025 Program Important Dates:

Application Opens: February 11, 2025
Deadline to Apply: March 24, 2025
Emails to Selected Scholarship Recipients: April 14, 2025
Acceptance Decisions Due from Students: April 21, 2025
Project Starts: May 11, 2025
Project Ends: July 20, 2025

FALL Program Important Dates (estimated):

Application Opens: early April
Deadline to Apply: late April
Emails to Selected Scholarship Recipients: May
Acceptance Decisions Due from Students: May
Project Starts: late August
Project Ends: December

SPRING Program Important Dates (estimated):

Application Opens: late September
Deadline to Apply: mid November
Emails to Selected Scholarship Recipients: early December
Acceptance Decisions Due from Students: mid December
Project Starts: early February
Project Ends: early May

Follow these instructions to complete the RRC Soaring Scholarship Student Application:

Identify a faculty research mentor/supervisor you would like to work (see RRC Raptor Biology faculty) with and a research/creative activity project you are passionate about. All grantees need to work with and receive support/coaching/assistance from a faculty member. Check out the Office of Undergraduate Research Getting Started guide to learn more about connecting with faculty and doing research on campus.
Prepare to apply for the semester in which you plan to actively conduct your research. Refer to Important Dates for Summer, Fall and Spring semester deadlines for applications, which are a few months before you intend to start research.
Prepare answers to the following questions (that appear on the application form): Please provide a short description of your research/creative activity project (250 words or fewer). How will your project make a scholarly contribution to knowledge (250 words or fewer)? How will this project support your academic and career goals (250 words or fewer)? Why does this project matter to you (250 words or fewer)? How does your project relate to raptor ecology or conservation, directly and/or indirectly (100 words or fewer)? What are the details of the conference where you will present your research findings (conference name, location, dates)?
Complete the Soaring Scholarship for Undergraduate Research Application Form. Apply for Soaring Scholarship Now (Student)
Either after or before you submit your application form (Step 4), make sure that your faculty mentor/supervisor completes the RRC Soaring Scholarship for Undergraduate Research Faculty Application. Both forms will need to be submitted by the same deadline (see Important Dates) in order for applications to be considered.

Students awarded the Soaring Scholarship for Undergraduate Research award must agree to the following expectations:

You will acknowledge support from the Raptor Research Center at Boise State University in the presentation/poster supported by this award.
Complete and submit a project description and planning document that will outline a weekly schedule for achieving research/creative activity goals (IFITS will provide a template).
Attend a mandatory student orientation (date will be shared). Your faculty mentor is also highly encouraged to attend the session.
Fulfill the commitments outlined in your project description and planning document (as previously described).
Accept a $3,000 stipend (for fall or spring) or $6,000 stipend (for summer), payable to you in two installments.
At the end of the semester (or Summer), you will complete an exit or final thoughts survey to gather information about your experience that can help us provide guidance to participating laboratories of what worked well, potential areas of improvement, and how you met the expectations included in your original research proposal.
Submit the exit survey and your digital poster before the project ends. These details will be covered during the student orientation session.
Create and present a research poster at the Boise State Undergraduate Research Showcase (URS), the Idaho Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR), and/or another conference of your choosing. Submit to the RRC details of the conference at which you presented: capacity (oral presentation or poster), title, coauthors, and abstract of the presentation.

Soaring Scholarship for Undergraduate Research Application Forms:

RRC Soaring Scholarship Student Application Form

RRC Soaring Scholarship Faculty Mentor Application Form

Travel Grants

Faculty can apply for conference funding for undergraduate students through the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR). Funds are limited and are available on a first-come first-serve basis. Funding requests open one to two semesters before the research semester. Check the OUR website for application forms or email studentresearch@boisestate.edu.

Funding for conference travel may also be available through faculty mentors’ departments.

Research Conversations with the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR)

Join the OUR for informal conversations around undergraduate research. These will be held every other week during the semester. Calendar invites will be sent to the scholarship recipients.

Contact Us

For questions about the application process, eligibility, or other information about the scholarships, please email RaptorResearchCenter@boisestate.edu or studentresearch@boisestate.edu.