Frequently Asked Questions About STAMPS
Here are some answers to some commonly asked questions about the STAMPS application process
Student FAQ
Explore answers to common questions about eligibility, developing a project, finding a faculty mentor, preparing your application, allowable expenses, and what to expect if you receive an award.
Common Student Questions
Get some additional insight on preparing your application.
No, like many granting agencies that significantly limit the use of AI in applications, the advisory committee has decided for a complete ban on use of AI in any part of a Stamps Impact Prize application.
We anticipate students will have identified a faculty mentor through classroom and/or laboratory/studio experiences. Such interactions often lead to student-initiated research or creative achievement projects. Students looking for a mentor on a research or creative achievement project should contact the Director of the Stamps Impact Prize for assistance in identifying a faculty with expertise in that area.
Student proposals can be on ANY topic so long as that project is student-created and aligns with a faculty’s expertise.
The Stamps Impact Prize will provide support for projects over multiple terms (and summers if needed) typically during a student’s Junior and/or Senior years.
You do NOT need to be a Stamps Scholar to be eligible.
Stamps Scholars receive significant funds on enrichment activities and their applications would be a low priority in funding and only after exhausting existing enrichment funds.
No, the Stamps Impact Prize is limited to undergraduate students only.
Typically, no, the Stamps Impact Prize is intended to support individual student projects; monies to support broad activities of student organizations are available elsewhere on campus.
Monies to support student summer stipends are handled by the Stamps Impact Prize Program directly and distributed through Payroll Office. Monies for travel and supply expenses are placed into a Faculty-Mentored 25-Account and distributed according to UM’s Procurement Policies. Un-used monies in this account are returned to the central fund for reallocation to future projects.
Yes, if substantial student time/effort will be devoted to the project during periods of non-enrollment (i.e., summer terms when the student is not enrolled for course credit), then the budget may include a stipend for the student for that period of non-enrollment only. Note that such stipends will likely be processed as payments through the university payroll system, and be subject to income tax. Total award amounts are up to $5,000.
Anything that university funds can be spent on could be potentially included in the budget, including commodities/materials, contractual services, research participant incentives, and travel, for example. All costs should be necessary, reasonable, and allocable to proposed project activities. Students are encouraged to consult with their faculty mentor about eligible expenses and the budgeting process. Total award amounts are up to $5,000.
No, the Stamps Impact Prize is limited to current undergraduate students only.