When is the submission deadline?

Please submit your entry by 11:59 p.m. on April 17, 2025, in order to be considered. 

Can I see examples of winning projects?

Yes!  All LAUR winners have the option of submitting their projects to eScholarship, so previous winning entries can be viewed in eScholarship, the UC’s open access repository.

Does submitting to eScholarship affect future publication potential?

Not at all.  One of the advantages of eScholarship is that you retain all copyright to your work. By submitting to eScholarship you give the University of California a non-exclusive right to retain, preserve, and provide access to your material; “non-exclusive” means that you keep all rights to your work and you can still enter into agreements with publishers.

How do I know which category to enter?

The majors within each of UCSB's academic departments are listed at the links below. Please contact us if you are still not sure which discipline your entry falls under.

Social Sciences Division
Sciences & Engineering

Can I submit the same project that I am entering in the Chancellor’s Award for Undergraduate Research?

Absolutely.

I have an online art project that I would like to enter. Is that okay?

Yes, online projects are welcome. 

Who judges the entries?

Each of the three LAUR categories (Humanities & Fine Arts, Social Science, and Science & Engineering) has its own judging panel. 

Each judging panel is composed of two faculty members from departments corresponding to the category, and two librarians or library staff members who have expertise in the corresponding academic disciplines.

Can I enter a research paper that I wrote last year?

Yes, any paper or project submitted by any student for a UCSB class or individual research project during the student’s academic career at UCSB is eligible for submission.

Does the award affect my financial aid?

Yes, it may affect your financial aid. The award is added to your Financial Aid Award Letter, which in some cases may result in adjustments to your overall aid. Once your financial aid has been paid, the remaining award monies are paid directly to you.

Please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to learn more.

The funds are disbursed to your BARC account and the BARC office will generate your refund via direct deposit or paper check depending on the refund method you have selected with their office.

I didn’t actually work with a librarian on my research paper.  Am I still eligible?

Yes, absolutely!  Our judges will be looking for evidence of how you used the UCSB Library resources in general; this can include using our databases to find articles, books, reports, primary sources, maps, and other materials. It can also mean using Library spaces, consulting with a librarian, using Interlibrary Loan (ILL), the DREAM Lab, Makerspace, or any other Library services and resources that you used for your project. 

I want to revise a paper that I wrote for a class last quarter.  Will that still be acceptable?  

Yes, you may make any edits you like before you submit your paper. 

I graduated in Winter Quarter but completed my research project earlier in the year.  Am I still eligible?

No, you must be a currently enrolled student to be eligible.