1. Undergraduate Research
  2. Research Awards & Funding

Research Awards & Funding

Mark Sullivan

"My time spent in the OUR Summer Undergraduate Research
program was quite valuable in helping me prepare to be a successful
graduate student.” —Mark Sullivan (Biological Sciences, BS ’13)  

Archival Scholars Research Awards

Archival Scholars Research Award (ASRA) recipients receive a $1,000 stipend to develop independent research projects that draw on the University Library System (ULS) archives. Awardees receive archival training from librarian archivists, participate in workshops to supplement their work, and enrich their experiences as students of the arts and sciences. 

About the Archives

The ULS is proud to have special collections and archives housed in the Archives Service Center, Center for American Music, Fine Arts Library, Theodore M. Finney Music Library, and the Hillman Library Special Collections Department. These units work collaboratively to make their collections available and easily accessible to undergraduates. Examples of potential areas of research are available here; however, this is not a comprehensive list and students are encouraged to inquire about other collections that might align with their interests. 

Learn more at an upcoming ASRA Open House

Undergraduates interested in ASRA should attend an upcoming open house to see archival material and discuss possible projects with faculty, OUR staff, librarians, and archivists. Fall 2018 ASRA Open Houses are held on Wednesday, October 3 from 4-6 p.m. and Thursday, October 4 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. on the ground floor of Hillman Library. 

Application Details

Eligible Dietrich School undergraduates...

  • are interested in joining a community of scholars
  • are interested in humanities, primary source materials, archives, or library collections;
  • are interested in conducting self-directed research
  • can secure a faculty mentor within the disciplinary area of the research topic. 
Application: ASRA Online Application
Deadline: Monday, October 29, 2018

 

Curiosity Grants

Curiosity Grants are geared toward student-created research or creative projects with faculty mentorship. Typical awards range from $500 to $1,000. Each request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Applications for Curiosity Grants are accepted on a rolling basis. The typical response time is two to three weeks. Examples of expenses the grants may cover include: conference fees, special software for theater light design, group presentations, tools and supplies for physical projects, lighting, small 3-D printers, materials, survey incentives, and submission fees. 

Application Details

Eligible Dietrich School undergraduates...

  • need financial support to take independent research, scholarship, or a creative idea to the next level
  • can secure a faculty mentor within the disciplinary area of the research topic. 
Application: Curiosity Grants Application
Deadline: Rolling submissions, August 1 through April 15


Summer Undergraduate Research Awards

The Summer Undergraduate Research Awards (SURA) provide a $4,000 stipend to conduct independent research over the summer. Titles of recent SURA topics range from Internet Memes and Popular Culture to The Mirror and the Mind: Medieval Literary Mirrors and the Neuroscience of the Mirror Response. SURA recipients also enroll in a 12-week summer SURA course to learn how to communicate their research findings to a general audience.

All SURA recipients participate in an ethics workshop. Because ethical concerns are inherent in every kind of research, the ethics workshop provides students, faculty, and staff with a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the kinds of ethical concerns that will guide young scholars far into the future.

 

“I received a Summer Undergraduate Research Award to write a cartoon pilot script… On a whim, I pitched the finished script and another I had written afterward to Frederator Studios, which to my surprise opened the door to more pitches and finally a green-lit cartoon short titled Our Electrical Morals for their online channel Cartoon Hangover.” —Michael Rosenthal (English Writing, BA ’12)

Application Details

Eligible Dietrich School undergraduates 

  • are interested in joining a commuity of scholars
  • are interested in conducting self-directed research
  • can secure a faculty mentor within the disciplinary area of the research topic. 
Application: SURA Application
Deadline: Announced in Spring 2019