Through a generous contribution from Southwest Airlines, the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is excited to provide undergraduate students with flight-based monetary support for research-related activities such as presentation or performances at professional conferences or events, field work, data collection, and/or professional training. Awardees will work with OUR to book airline travel arrangements.

Currently enrolled UNLV undergraduate students with a declared major who are working with a full-time NSHE faculty research mentor are eligible for consideration

Undergraduate students are required to submit the following as part of their application package:

  1. One-page personal statement detailing their research, justification for travel, and any other relevant information
  2. Curriculum Vitae (CV). For instructions, please peruse the following samples: (1) Arts, (2) Social Sciences, and (3) STEM.
  3. Acceptance or invitation letter/email
  4. Itemized budget
  5. Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) (if applicable)

UNLV faculty research mentors are required to submit a letter of support to our@unlv.edu.

Please note that this award only covers roundtrip airfare to destinations that Southwest Airlines serves. Additionally, do NOT purchase your flight if you plan to submit an application. If awarded, we will provide you with flight vouchers. If you purchase a flight, we are unable to reimburse you.

Awardees are expected to meet the requirements listed below:

  1. Present at one of OUR’s triannual research symposia
  2. Acknowledge OUR's funding support in any subsequent presentation and/or performance

  • Students may only submit one Southwest Airlines Undergraduate Research Travel Support Funding application per each academic year.
  • Example of Non-Covered Items include:
    • Professional organization membership
    • UNLV universally non-reimbursed expenses

Frequently Asked Questions

At the end of each month, the funding review committee evaluates all applications for completeness, research relevance, frugality, and other criteria. If the committee decides to fund the research travel, the student will receive an award letter. Awardees are typically notified within one month of the application submission. Once the student completes the research travel, they must submit all related expense receipts and credit card statements for the requested items.

Once received, OUR will work with the awardee to book their Southwest Airlines travel arrangements.

Although there is no hard deadline, OUR requires that students submit their complete application materials at least one month before their anticipated travel.

OUR’s Travel Support Funding applicable to any research-related travel, including presentation or performances at professional conferences or events, field work, data collection, and/or professional training.

OUR is unable to retrospectively award travel. Awardees must work with OUR to book their airline travel arrangements prior.