Holster Scholars Program

The Holster Scholars Program is a selective enrichment opportunity available only to first-year Honors students. The program supports a small number of motivated students who pursue independent research, design, or creative projects during the summer following their first year. Holster projects are in-depth, individualized learning experiences pursued under the direction of a faculty mentor.  Beyond some basic requirements, projects are self-designed.

In the fall of each year, Honors freshmen may submit applications with a preliminary project proposal. A subset of these students are selected to participate in a one-credit course to develop their proposals, connect with potential mentors, and hone their ideas. They then re-submit final proposals in March interview with the Holster selection committee. Approximately 8-9 students will each be awarded grants of up to approximately $4,400 to complete their projects during the summer under the guidance of a faculty mentor.  Scholars present their work in the fall of their sophomore year at the Holster Scholars Symposium.

Holster Scholars
Holster Scholars gathering at the 2025 Holster Symposium

Eligibility

  • Candidates must be freshmen enrolled in the UConn Honors Program
  • Only students at the Storrs and Stamford campuses are eligible, and Finalists must be able to attend the spring Proposal Development Seminar (UNIV 1730) in person
  • Holster Scholars must maintain “good standing” in the Honors Program

Selection

  • Candidates are selected by an interdisciplinary panel of faculty, staff, and administrators
  • Finalists are interviewed as part of the selection process
  • Criteria for selection are outlined on the application and include a strong written proposal, personal statement, resume, recommendations, and an interview

Program Benefits

  • Finalists receive permission to join the spring Holster Project Development course.
  • Individualized mentoring and guidance from faculty and staff
  • Peer support for your intellectual pursuits
  • Experience designing, implementing, and presenting your work
  • Selected scholars receive up to $4,400 of summer research funding

Funding for projects can be used to support housing, food, equipment, books, copying and printing, travel, and/or any materials you need to complete your project.

Projects

“Think outside the box” in terms of the shape and substance your projects. Examples include, but are not limited to:

  •     Scientific and technical research
  •     Archival or text-based research
  •     Creative arts: music, composition, drama, painting, photography, film
  •     Design work and invention
  •     Field observation and data collection
  •     Experiential learning related to an academic discipline

Every project must include:

  • Some form of research and methodology
  • Some form of reflection
  • Academic writing (even for creative arts, engineering, or experiential learning projects)

Information Sessions

We have scheduled the following information sessions about the Holster Scholars program:

  • September 15, 12:30 pm: Virtual Information Session
  • September 15, 7:00 pm: In Person Information Session
  • September 16, 12:30 pm: Virtual Information Session
  • September 16, 7:00 pm: In Person Information Session
  • September 29, 12:30 pm: Virtual Information Session
  • September 30, 11:30 pm: Virtual Information Session

The in-person sessions will meet in the Buckley classroom, the virtual sessions will meet in Webex.
You are welcome to attend more than one information session, but the content at each session will be the basically the same.

Timeline:

  • Holster Symposium: September 19, 2:00PM-5:00 pm in Konover Auditorium.  Public Welcome!  This is an Honors Event, and prospective Holster Scholars are strongly encouraged to attend one or more panels.  There’s no better way to get a sense of what a Holster Scholar project entails than to see the current Scholars present their work.
  • Application Workshop and Writing Retreat. November 9, 7:00pm – 9:00pm, in the Buckley Lounge. The program will provide refreshments and a quiet place to work for students who want to set aside a couple of hours to work on their applications.  Holster Scholars Program Coordinator Dr. Vin Moscardelli and some past Holster Scholars will be on hand and available to answer questions, provide feedback, etc.
  • Application Deadline: November 17. The application will include a brief personal statement; a research proposal; additional prompts about what students hope to gain/learn from the experience, a letter from a HS teacher, counselor, or mentor; and a preliminary recommendation from a UConn faculty member.
  • Finalists notified early in the Spring semester.
  • UNIV-1730, the Spring semester course for Holster students, is currently scheduled to meet in person on Thursday afternoons from 3:30-5:30 on the Storrs campus; please consider scheduling around this block if your application is still pending at the time of pre-registration.  If you’re selected as a Finalist, you will be auto enrolled in this section in January.  The first class will meet the second week of the semester, so don’t worry if you don’t appear on the roster by the first day of class.
  • Final proposals are due in the middle of March.
  • All Finalists will be interviewed by the selection committee after spring break.
  • If you are selected as a Holster Scholar, you will implement your research project over the summer months.
  • You will present your work at the symposium in the Fall semester of your sophomore year. Your presentation can take many forms: poster or slide presentation; research paper presentation; creative arts project (musical composition, dramatic staging; painting, photography exhibit; poetry reading, etc.); design model (for engineering, architecture, landscaping or environmental idea); a report on a community-based initiative; film/podcast/radio piece.

Contact

Dr. Vin Moscardelli
Director, Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships
Coordinator, Holster Scholars Program
(860) 486-0087
John W. Rowe Building (ROWE) 426A