Funder: Computing Research Association
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2027 (Nomination deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $1,500 per recipient for research conference attendance; up to eight awardees in the 2026–2027 cycle
Summary: Recognizes undergraduates with outstanding computing research potential and supports attendance at a research conference of their choice.
Key Information: Students cannot self-nominate; nominations must come from their home department with the chair/head’s electronic signature.
Description
The Computing Research Association’s Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Awards recognize students at North American colleges and universities who demonstrate outstanding potential in computing research. The program spans the breadth of computing rather than a single specialty. Recipients receive financial assistance to attend a research conference of their choice, with additional recognition for runners-up, finalists, and honorable mentions.
Excellence in research is the primary selection consideration. Reviewers consider the significance of the research problem, its challenges, and the student’s individual contributions, including idea generation, data collection, analysis, algorithm development, implementation, and paper writing. For collaborative work, nominations must distinguish the student’s achievements from the team’s accomplishments. Research leadership and independence also matter, alongside academic achievement and service such as club leadership, teaching, and peer tutoring.
