About Us

What We Do

The Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships (CURF) is dedicated to guiding students through the process of securing undergraduate research opportunities and applying for nationally competitive fellowships and scholarships. We also host various programs to support students, faculty, and staff in their research endeavors, including:

Additionally, we coordinate nominations for twelve national fellowships requiring institutional endorsement, including, but not limited to, Rhodes, Marshall, Churchill, Goldwater, Truman, and Udall.

Fulbright Programs are coordinated in the Office of International Programs. Boren and Gilman fellowships and scholarships are coordinated in the Office of Study Abroad. KU Students also have great success with a number of national awards that do not require nomination, and we provide advising resources and support for those interested in these awards, too!

We are happy to assist any student, faculty, staff member, or alum seeking more information on competitive scholarships and fellowships and/or undergraduate research.

We Work With:

Students

We offer a variety of programs for students as they get involved, learn more, share their work, and apply for KU research-focused awards and nationally competitive opportunities.

Mentors

We support and recognize outstanding mentoring of undergraduate students on the KU campus.

Instructors

We provide instructor resources, recognition, and programs to promote research in and outside of the classroom.

Alumni

We connect with alumni to keep them up to date on their alma mater and to share their success with the research and fellowship community at KU and beyond.

 

Fellowship FAQ

"Fellowship" and "scholarship" are often interchangeable terms for financial awards given by institutions to fund students.

The Office of Fellowships generally uses the word “fellowship,” following the National Association of Fellowship Advisors. We focus on nationally competitive awards that help students achieve their goals.

While “scholarships” often refer to need-based aid to help cover basic educational costs, “fellowships” often imply a variety of opportunities in addition to funding, such as specialized training or leadership programs, mentorship, study abroad, or research.

KU Students have a tradition of great success in national awards competitions. Many factors influence your chances with a particular scholarship. The Office of Fellowships can help you determine your suitability as a candidate.

Most importantly, even for those who don’t win awards, the process of putting together the application, working with faculty members and advisors, and figuring out goals is itself very rewarding.

The earlier the better! Fill out the fellowship/scholarship Interest form to get started. If you already have a specific award in mind, work with the Office of Fellowships staff to start preparing and establishing timelines.

However, some awards allow students to apply even after they’ve graduated. Email the Office of Fellowships at fellowships@ku.edu to find out if you are eligible.

Most of the national fellowships and scholarships we focus on at KU are not financial aid and are not primarily need-based. These awards mostly focus on helping you get additional opportunities during college and funding for graduate study.

KU Financial and and Scholarships has a lot of information on great ways to help pay for your undergraduate education.

Many national awards require endorsement from or nomination by KU. Campus deadlines are usually several months in advance of the national deadline, so that KU will have plenty of time to review the candidates and decide on whom to nominate or endorse. In most cases, it is not possible to apply at the national level if you have missed the campus deadline.

Many of the awards do require U.S. Citizenship but not all of them. Some awards are open to some non-citizens (PPIA), some are open to citizens of any country (Schwarzman), and some are open to permanent residents and New Americans (Soros). More opportunities emerge all the time, and we are happy to discuss your options with you.

National Association of Fellowship Advisors (NAFA)

The University of Kansas is an institutional member of the National Association of Fellowship Advisors (NAFA). NAFA members believe that advisors, institutions, and students should value the process above the result.

The NAFA Code of Ethics guides the Office of Fellowships.

Core values that all members of NAFA subscribe to:

Integrity: We agree to conduct ourselves responsibly and ethically in our relationships with students, colleagues at our institutions, and each other. We will approach all candidates and scholarships with the goal to maintain integrity in both our relationships and our approach to the scholarship process.

Collaboration: The effectiveness of all individual members and organizations is enhanced when we work together to promote our programs and protect our candidates’ best interests.

Respect: The profession and practice of advising for and administering competitive scholarships and fellowships is based on mutual respect and trust for each other and our candidates.

Fairness: We have an obligation to treat candidates and each other fairly, equitably, and in a non-discriminatory manner.