ORCA Grant

ORCA Grant

Each year the Office of Research and Creative Activities (ORCA) at Brigham Young University (BYU) funds several hundred ORCA Grants. These grants encourage and facilitate undergraduate mentored research for all fields of study at the university. Funds comes from both private and university donors (e.g., BYU Alumni Association). Approximately one-third of applicants each year are awarded a grant. Each ORCA Grant provides $1,500 to the student recipient and $300 to the mentor. In the 2011-2012 academic year, the university awarded $427,500 to 285 undergraduates whose research proposals merited grants.

All ORCA Grant recipients are required to submit a report at the project's conclusion, which is published in the Journal of Undergraduate Research. Additionally, most students go on to publish ORCA Grant-related research in professional academic journals-–an accomplishment that propels many to pursue academic and professional careers. BYU is in the top five nationally for the number of students who go on to earn PhDs, No. 1 nationally for students who go on to dental school, No. 6 nationally for students who go on to law school, and No. 10 nationally for students who go on to medical school.