Login to Complete an Application or to Access Judging Panel
APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS
Interested in a career in tunneling and underground engineering? UCA can help you get there!
Scholarships exist to help you further your career aspirations. Click on the link below to apply for the scholarship of your choice.
Application Deadline for Cutting Edge Attendance Scholarship is September 25th, 2025
Conference Scholarships:
(Conference Scholarships provide registration to the conference and some travel reimbursement.)
Scholarship for Conference Attendance provides selected students with an opportunity to attend where they can experience first-hand the challenges, opportunities and rewards of a career in the field of tunneling and underground construction. The scholarship is sponsored and awarded by the UCA and RETC.
NAT Conference Attendance Guidelines
Conference Participating Scholarship includes:
- Conference Registration
- A one-year student membership to UCA of SME
- An invitation to the Networking Event and the Scholarship Orientation
- Valuable opportunities to network with industry experts and potential employers
- Up to $1,000 travel reimbursement to the conference (these funds are intended to cover travel costs associated with the conference and recipients will need to provide an expense account following the conference.)
Cutting Edge Conference Attendance Scholarship--Closed For Applications
Cutting Edge Scholarship for Conference Attendance provides selected students with an opportunity to attend the Cutting Edge Conference in November where they can experience first-hand the challenges, opportunities and rewards of a career in the field of tunneling and underground construction.
UCA Cutting Edge Scholarship for Conference Attendance Guidelines
This scholarship includes:
- Conference Registration
- A one-year student membership to UCA of SME
- An invitation to the UCAYM Networking Event and the Scholarship
- Orientation at the conference
- Valuable opportunities to network with industry experts and potential employers
- A $1,000 travel reimbursementto the conference (these funds are intended to cover travel costs associated with the conferene and recipients will need to provide an expense account following the conference.)
RETC Conference Attendance Scholarship-- Closed for Applications
The Rapid Excavation and Tunneling Conference (RETC) is a biennial international conference dedicated to the exchange of new developments in the technology of underground rapid excavation and tunneling on a global scale. The RETC Attendance Award provides selected students with an opportunity to attend the RETC Conference. Applicants must be full-time freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate students with a designated major in an applicable field of engineering (civil, mechanical, mining, electrical, geological) or construction management. Applicants must have a demonstrated interest in the underground industry.
RETC Scholarship for Conference Attendance Award Guidelines
Scholarship Description
Up to 12 recipients will be selected. Each recipient will receive:
• RETC Conference Registration
• Round-trip airfare to Conference
• Hotel Accommodations at the conference hotel
• Conference Proceedings
• Social Function Tickets
• $200 stipend for miscellaneous cash needs
Recipients are responsible for their own ground transportation and for any other expenses, including meals, other than the social functions provided.
Academic Scholarships:
(This scholarship provides money, registration to the conference, and some travel reimbursement.)
RETC Academic Scholarship-- Closed for Applications
The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration annually awards one or more scholarships to promising college students who desire to develop their skills in the tunneling industry. The total amount of the award (approximately $5,000) is apportioned to one or more students at the discretion of the RETC Executive Committee.
Academic Scholarship Guidelines
Also receives:
• NAT Conference Registration
• Round-trip airfare to the Conference
• Hotel Accommodations at the conference hotel
• Conference Proceedings
• Social Function Tickets
• $200 stipend for miscellaneous cash needs
Recipients are responsible for their own ground transportation and for any other expenses, including meals, other than the social functions provided.
CIVIL UNDERGROUND TEACH THE PROFESSORS/LECTURERS PROGRAM
This program is aimed at providing education and curriculum in the growing field of civil underground to professors/instructors who teach junior level structural, geotechnical and construction courses.
Eligible professors/instructors are those who will teach structural, geotechnical or construction engineering to junior level civil engineering students during academic year 2026-27.
Applications Open on December 15 2025
Civil Underground Teach the Professors:
Teach the Professors
Calling all professors, lecturers, and instructors teaching structural, geotechnical, or construction engineering to junior-level civil engineering students in the 2026–2027 academic year to apply to the Civil Underground Teach the Professors Program. This program provides you with education and curriculum resources in the growing field of civil underground infrastructure.
Civil underground involves designing and constructing tunnels, shafts, deep excavations, and underground infrastructure.
To help with the shortage of trained civil engineers within this growing infrastructure sector, the Underground Construction Association (UCA) Civil Underground Teach the Professors Committee is selecting ten civil engineering professors/lecturers/instructors to attend the UCA North American Tunneling (NAT) Conference in Anaheim, CA, June 15-18, 2026.
This program will help you pursue your passion for teaching civil engineering undergraduates. It offers you networking opportunities, resources, and support programs. These tools will help you share your knowledge of civil underground infrastructure with your students. You don’t need to have experience in the industry to participate.
Requirements:
- Your school must be located in the United States
- Participate in two to three hours of virtual meeting(s) in May – early June 2026
- Attend the NAT conference in Anaheim, CA, June 15-18, 2026
- Participate in a civil underground-related curriculum workshop during NAT
- Prepare and implement your civil underground-related curriculum during the 2026-2027 academic year
- Complete and submit an assessment of your curriculum implementation
- Share your developed curriculum by the end of the 2026-2027 academic year
Participants will receive:
- $1,000 honorarium after attending NAT in 2026, NAT travel expenses, and $500 honorarium upon receipt of curriculum and assessment.
- NAT Conference registration
- Free one-year UCA membership
- Networking opportunities with industry experts and potential employers
- Participate in a civil underground-related curriculum workshop during NAT
- Prepare and implement your civil underground-related curriculum during the 2026-2027 academic year
Submit your completed application by 11:59 PM Mountain Time on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, to be considered.
UCA Emerging Leaders Program
This program is aimed at providing a distinct opportunity to celebrate the contributions of emerging talent of young professionals within the tunneling industry.
Eligible young professionals are those who shows compassion for their fellow tunnelers, a meaningful commitment to UCA and its mission, a demonstrated technical innovation and excellence, and a track record of exceeding expectations.
Applications Open in 2026
Emerging Young Leaders:
Emerging Young Leaders
Each year, a selection committee will name up to three (3) emerging leaders, representing approximately 1% of the total under-35 UCA membership. Emerging leaders will be chosen based on the following criteria, in order of importance:
- Compassion for their fellow tunnelers
- Meaningful commitment to UCA and its mission
- Demontrated technical innovation and excellence.
- A track record of exceeding expectations
Emerging leaders will receive one year of funding to attend both of UCA's annual cornerstone events: RETC/NAT and the Cutting Edge Conference. At each event, recipients will explore a self-directed topic relevant to their professional development or the future of the industry. One month after Cutting Edge, each recipient will submit a reflection detailing what they learned from each conference and how they plan to apply it to their work. These reflections would become the property of the UCA and SME and pending quality, could be published through various UCA of SME media. You may receive this award once per lifetime.
As part of the program, Emerging Leaders will be expected to contribute 15 hours of volunteer service in support of SME staff during the planning of either RETC/NAT or Cutting Edge. This commitment will require advanced coordination with SME personnel and may include responsibilities such as assisting with guest registration, managing attendee check-in and check-out at session rooms, supporting event setup, and providing general administrative assistance throughout the week.