Since 1994 the Undergraduate Science Research Program (USRP) has awarded grants to support undergraduate interdisciplinary research in the sciences. The Merck Company Foundation will have contributed over $11.5 million when the grant term ends in 2011.

The Merck/AAAS partnership was a pioneer in designing a grant program that focused on interdisciplinary collaboration in biology and chemistry at primarily undergraduate institutions. The USRP grants have been awarded to over 200 colleges and universities and have supported over 2,000 undergraduates, providing them with the opportunity to work with and learn from faculty in the laboratory and engage in basic research.

Public and private colleges and universities must meet certain criteria to compete. They must be located in the United States, offer an American Chemical Society-approved program in chemistry and confer 10 or fewer graduate degrees annually in biology and chemistry combined.

Applications for the Merck/AAAS awards are reviewed and rated by a panel of scientists and educators chosen by AAAS. The panel recommends award selections to The Merck Company Foundation. Criteria include the ability to provide undergraduate opportunities with faculty members in an interdisciplinary research program that demonstrates the relationship between biology and chemistry. A portion of the grant supports related programs and activities to enhance interdepartmental interactions and encourage cross-fertilization between biology and chemistry.