Preference will be given to design projects involving student teams working together to design and construct an object for competition.

• A student team is defined as three or more students
• Top priority will be given to design projects that will be entered into formal competitions (i.e. competitions sponsored by recognized and credible organizations).
• Priority will be given to student projects that involve a faculty member(s) as an advisor and one or more alumni as advisors or mentors.

Funding may also be available for projects to organize and/or participate in conventions, seminars or workshops. Preference will be given to activities sponsored and organized by UCLA students, including local student branches of national engineering organizations. Our intent is to support student participation in career workshops, Engineers Week activities, etc. and to recognize that not all engineering careers will be focused on product design.

In general, funding will not be awarded for food or travel expenses (including transportation and lodging). Possible exceptions:

• Funding may be provided to help transport the project object or materials to a competition, or
• Funding may be provided for refreshments associated with a UCLA sponsored event.

It is the Engineering Alumni Association’s intent to leverage the limited funds available, while distributing funds as equally and fairly as possible across all student segments. Guidelines for distributing grant money among projects that meet the above criteria include:

• Attempting to fund a diverse group of project activities, representing as many departments in the School as possible.
• Funding projects that in aggregate involve the most students possible (within the available budget).
• Funding projects that are defined by quality funding requests and applications that demonstrate:
  • A quality project proposal with clarity and correct writing.
  • Adherence to guidelines stated on the application form.
  • Engineering relevance and potential practical applications.
  • Reasonableness of cost, schedule and use of resources.
  • Plans to pursue other funding sources and/or re-use tools or materials.
  • The Committee will consider past funding for ongoing, multi-year efforts.
  • Cross-functional or interdepartmental efforts will be given extra consideration in order to promote this type of collaboration and teamwork.