To encourage and support students in accessibility research, CREATE funds minigrants to students who are working on accessibility-related research projects. Projects could be part of a course or be independent research under the guidance of a faculty member. One example of a good use of funding is to pay a participant in a research study who has a disability.

Applications can be submitted at any time. Funds can be spent any time of year but should be spent within the academic year. 

Typically, it takes a few weeks to receive a decision. If funded, CREATE will pay expenses when they are incurred. There is no limit to the number of applications a student might make. 

Eligibility requirements 

To be eligible, the student and project must satisfy all of the following criteria:

  • The student must be a registered UW undergraduate or graduate student.
  • The student must be a CREATE Student Member.
  • The project must involve accessibility research.
  • If human subjects are involved, the student must take IRB training. 
  • The student must have a faculty advisor to help guide the student.
  • The student commits to providing a report with a presentation poster/demo. Any publication that results from the project must acknowledge CREATE.

Use of funds

Grants of up to $2,000 are limited to use for:

  • Compensation for study participants
  • Travel expenses for study participants
  • Funding for interpreting or captioning services
  • Other justified costs that are not compensation for applicant

Evaluation criteria

  • Student and project satisfy all the eligibility requirements.
  • Student would be a first-time recipient of a CREATE Student Minigrant.
  • Student provides evidence of understanding the disability group that is the target of the research.
  • Project has high potential for publication as a paper or poster at a conference.
  • Project budget follows the limitations above and is justified.
  • Project is well formulated and doable within the proposed timeline.

Proposal template 

Submit all of the following as a PDF attachment on the CREATE Student Minigrant application form:

  1. Name, email, department or school, faculty advisor
  2. Project title
  3. Project description (typically 1-2 pages)
    • Problem being addressed by the research
    • Any context or background needed to understand the problem
    • Methodology used to solve the problem
    • Plans for publication or other dissemination of results
    • Timeline for the project: start, finish, any milestones
  4. Budget with justification