Undergraduate Awards

Given to a graduating Biological Sciences major, must have a minimum GPA of 3.7 in the major, complete an exceptional research project and defend it before a subcommittee of the undergraduate program committee. The subcommittee will select the awardee who will receive a $500 honorarium. Deadline to apply: March 1, 2026. Here is the application form.

Given to a student in Biological Sciences with high academic achievement who has completed an outstanding BioS 399 research project in the area of ecology, evolution, or conservation biology. A committee of the Ecology and Evolution group will select the awardee who will receive a $500 honorarium. Deadline to apply: March 1, 2026.  Here is the application form.

Given to a $1,000 scholarship for a continuing, full-time student majoring in Biological Sciences, Integrated Health Sciences, or Neuroscience at UIC who displays academic excellence and has a minimum GPA of 3.50. Deadline to apply: March 1, 2026. Here is the application form.

The Eliot B. Spiess Genetics Award is to be presented annually during the UIC Undergraduate Award Day to a top junior or senior undergraduate Biological Sciences major who shows exceptional commitment to scholarship in the field of Genetics. The recipient will receive a $1,500 prize in recognition of their achievements.

The endowment for the award was established in 2021 by Rodney Rothstein, professor of Genetics & Development at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, who was an undergraduate advisee of Professor Eliot B. Spiess. Dr. Spiess was a Professor of Biological Sciences from 1963 until his retirement in 1989. He instilled a love of genetics to all students whom he taught at the University. He himself was a student of Theodosius Dobzhansky and studied mating behavior in the fruit fly Drosophila. He was committed to undergraduate education and taught both introductory genetics as well as population genetics. Professor Spiess encouraged his best students to further their education and study genetics in graduate school. For that reason, the award is limited to an exceptional student who shows great promise for graduate studies in Genetics, in the hope that it will encourage them to go on and pursue this path.

To be considered for this award, students must be nominated by a current UIC faculty member or graduate student. Letters must address the evaluation criteria delineated in the award description and be sent to Suzanne Harrison (suzanne7@uic.edu). Deadline to apply: March 1, 2026.

The Richard J. Massey Endowed Scholarship Fund was established to acknowledge excellence in our undergraduate Biological Sciences, Neuroscience and Integrated Health Studies students who are pursuing their passion for the life sciences. Only continuing, full time students are eligible to apply for the award.

The winner will receive an award of $1,100 scholarship. Deadline to apply: March 1, 2026. Here is the application form.

Given to an outstanding graduating Neuroscience major with a GPA above 3.7 and who performed an exceptional research project. The awardee is selected by an undergraduate program committee and will receive a $500 honorarium. Deadline to apply: March 1, 2026. Here is the application form.

Given to a neuroscience major who has completed an exceptional research project with a focus on cellular/molecular neuroscience and who is a Neuroscience major and has a GPA of 3.2 or higher. The awardee is selected by an undergraduate program committee and will receive a $250 honorarium. Deadline to apply: March 1, 2026. Here is the application form.

Given to a neuroscience major who has completed an exceptional research project with a focus on systems and behavioral neuroscience who is a Neuroscience major and who has a GPA of 3.2 or higher. The awardee is selected by an undergraduate program committee and will receive a $250 honorarium. Deadline to apply: March 1, 2026. Here is the application form.

Given to a student who crafts a 2-3 minute video reflecting on his/her time as a neuroscience major at UIC. This award honors the memory of Dr. David Featherstone, an out-of-the-box, highly creative and fun faculty member. The video needs to be creative, quirky and spirited! The student who makes the video judged to be the best will receive a $250 honorarium. Deadline to apply: March 1, 2026. Here is the application form.

Given to a student who is declared a neuroscience major with at least one year remaining in their studies at UIC and who plans to complete a novel, “out-of-the box” research project under the guidance of a UIC Neuroscience faculty member. Students must submit a no more than 5 minute video presentation about their proposed research. Two awardees will receive a $500 scholarship on Awards Day. Deadline to apply: March 1, 2026. Here is the application form.

The Richard J. Massey Endowed Scholarship Fund was established to acknowledge excellence in our undergraduate Biological Sciences, Neuroscience and Integrated Health Studies students who are pursuing their passion for the life sciences. Only continuing, full time students are eligible to apply for the award.

The winner will receive an award of $1,100 scholarship. Deadline to apply: March 1, 2026. Here is the application form.

Given to a $1,000 scholarship for a continuing, full-time student majoring in Biological Sciences, Integrated Health Sciences, or Neuroscience at UIC who displays academic excellence and has a minimum GPA of 3.50. Deadline to apply: March 1, 2026. Here is the application form.

Given to a $1,000 scholarship for a continuing, full-time student majoring in Biological Sciences, Integrated Health Sciences, or Neuroscience at UIC who displays academic excellence and has a minimum GPA of 3.50. Deadline to apply: March 1, 2026. Here is the application form.

The Richard J. Massey Endowed Scholarship Fund was established to acknowledge excellence in our undergraduate Biological Sciences, Neuroscience and Integrated Health Studies students who are pursuing their passion for the life sciences.  Only continuing, full time students are eligible to apply for the award.

The winner will receive an award of $1,100 scholarship. Deadline to apply: March 1, 2026. Here is the application form.