Student Project Funding

The Keller Center provides funding to support engineering students participating in STEM- or humanities-focused research and development activities, as well as non-engineering students participating in STEM-focused projects. Projects that also relate to entrepreneurship and design thinking are particularly encouraged.

By applying, you are requesting funding. Requests are not always granted; if they are, you may not be granted the total requested amount.

Eligibility

  • Princeton undergraduate and graduate students and student organizations (NOTE: E-Club teams must request funding through your co-presidents)
  • Must consist of at least one engineering student and/or the project must have STEM focus
  • If funding request is for an outside event, you must be actively involved in the event (e.g., speaker, presenter); funding requests for attendance only will not be accepted

Funding may not be used for classwork, junior independent work, senior thesis research, or startup funding; instead:

Award Amounts

  • Individual student
    Up to $1,000 per academic year
  • Group or student club
    Up to $3,000 per academic year

Application Period

  • Application opens: September 17, 2023
  • Application closes: March 31, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.
  • Decisions typically within two weeks of submission

Program Requirements

Application Prep

  • Discuss the proposed project with your faculty or staff adviser.
  • Ensure your adviser will provide a recommendation (will be facilitated via SAFE)
  • Create a thorough, accurate, and reasonable budget and justify your estimated costs.
  • If the proposal includes travel, your plans must be submitted and approved in Enroll My Trip and you must abide by all University travel rules and regulations.
  • If you are part of an unofficial/unregistered group participating in the same activity, and do not have a group ID to access the group SAFE application, you must have an administrator sponsor your activity by requesting a group ID via this form.  The sponsor will need to provide the chart string in the request that will be used to receive awarded funds.

Application

  • Answer all questions and upload all documents as indicated on the application, including recommendation.  Incomplete applications will not be considered. 
  • There are separate funding opportunities for undergraduate students, graduate students, individuals, and groups; be sure you are selecting the correct activity type.
  • Ensure you have a strong adviser endorsement and a feasible budget as these are heavily considered during application review.
  • If the proposal includes travel, you must apply a minimum of one month prior to your travel date; three months is recommended for complex travel.

Post-Project

By the deadline indicated in the award notice, you must:

  • Provide a full account of your expenses, including portions of the award covered by other funders.
  • Substantiate all expenses by uploading receipts to SAFE.
  • Return unspent funds via check or money order payable to Princeton University Trustees and delivered to the Princeton Entrepreneurial Hub, Room 113.
  • Upload a final project report to SAFE containing:
    • A narrative account of the research/activities undertaken with the support of the award
    • An acknowledgement to the donor of the funds (name is listed on award letter)

 

Apply via SAFE

Contacts

woman with long hair, wearing glasses and turquoise scarf and shirt, smiling
Entrepreneurial Program Manager
Manda Ryan
Program Coordinator, eLab and Tiger Challenge