Mr. Eloranta was an employee of the Polaroid Corporation when it was headed by Dr. Land. Dr. Land's aim in establishing this award was to encourage undergraduate creativity and stimulate involvement in a broader range of intellectual activity that is normally possible during the term. The Fellowships are administered by UROP, the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, a program also inspired by Dr. Land who believed in teaching and learning through research collaboration. The award is made by the Eloranta Summer Fellowship Committee based on its review of submitted proposals. The stipend may be used to cover living expenses, travel, or materials and services costs.
Fellowships are very competitive.
Approximately thirty proposals are submitted annually. There is no requirement that it be in a student's major. The proposal should describe the student's own plan, not a faculty member's research, nor the continuation of a laboratory's work. The idea may be wholly original, or may be one suggested by someone else but being pursued in an independent, original or unusual way. The plan may have been inspired by or may have grown out of previous work, perhaps a UROP project.