Provost’s Undergraduate Research Presentation Awards
The Provost Undergraduate Research Presentation Awards (PURPAS) support students who want to bring the findings of their research to a professional or scholarly community, or to other venues. PURPAS Awards support expenses for students who are presenting research (scholarly paper/posters), publishing their research in professional journals, or performing their creative work beyond Georgetown’s campus.
Photo By: Phil Humnicky/Georgetown Univ.
Please email undergradresearch@georgetown.edu before beginning your application to ensure PURPAS funds remain for the semester.
Due Dates: Application requests will be evaluated three times each year: January, April, and August. Applications must be received by the Center for Research & Fellowships prior to the research activity – not during or after. Due dates for the three review cycles are:
- January 1 by 11:59 PM ET
- April 1 by 11:59 PM ET
- August 1 by 11:59 PM ET
- NOTE: Graduating seniors who are applying for PURPAS funding for an eligible activity that will take place after their graduation must first email undergradresearch@georgetown.edu for approval to apply. In general, this activity should occur within three months following the official date of graduation.
- Applications received after the due date for each cycle will not be reviewed in that cycle. If still eligible, applicants can then apply for the next review cycle.
Funding: PURPAS awards are always subject to available funds; there is no guarantee that PURPAS funding will be available in a given semester. When funding is available, awards typically range from $100 to $500, with a maximum of $500 per student. Students are only eligible for one award during their undergraduate careers.
Note: Students who have been accepted for PURPAS funding will not be reimbursed until they have emailed their official receipts to undergradresearch@georgetown.edu.
Faculty Sponsors: Faculty sponsors must be Georgetown faculty and can be from any school or discipline. They must write a short letter or email addressing the importance of the activity and its contribution to your educational development. Faculty members should directly send their letter of support to undergradresearch@georgetown.edu.
Application: A complete application consists of:
- Submission of this application form
- A letter of support from a faculty member
- Confirmation of your paper/project’s acceptance
- Resume/C.V.
- Unofficial transcript
- You should send the acceptance to the research event or publication, your resume, and your unofficial transcript by email attachment to undergradresearch@georgetown.edu.
Evaluation: Merit-based awarding decisions are based on the following criteria:
- Professional or scholarly significance of presentation, performance, or publication venue;
- Student development of, and commitment to, their project;
- Relevance of the project to student’s future goals.
International Travel: Undergraduate students proposing international travel as part of their PURPAS application need to complete the steps outlined on the International Travel Policy guide, before their proposed travel begins, in order to be considered for funding. Please email undergradresearch@georgetown.edu with the results of the process, which applicants should receive via the Office of Global Services. The official authorization from OGS is necessary in order for CRF to review applications.
(Updated: February 2024)