Undergraduate Program

FINANCING YOUR RESEARCH

Research grants for work on the senior thesis are available from a number of Harvard institutes and centers. Application deadlines for these grants are usually well before Spring Break of the junior year, so you have to plan early. In addition to having a good idea of your thesis topic, many grants also require that you already have an advisor. Contact each program individually for more information.

There is also a Harvard College-wide database for funding resources: www.funding.fas.harvard.edu (requires PIN)

Many grant applications are coordinated through the CARAT portal: https://asperin.fas.harvard.edu/carat/

The Committee on African Studies offers summer travel grants to assist Harvard juniors with senior honors thesis research on Africa. These grants are only for travel in Sub-Saharan Africa. All grants cover only partial expenses. Undergraduate grants are for a minimum of eight weeks summer stay in Africa. Undergraduate applications will not be accepted unless candidates first contact the Committee to discuss issues of feasibility as well as African and American governmental policies that might affect the study. (Address: CGIS South, 1730 Cambridge Street, Rm. S403, Tel.: 495-5265, Website: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~cafrica/)

The Asia Center provides grant support to undergraduates who travel for research projects in Asia, with preference for students traveling to Chinese-speaking countries. (Address: CGIS South, 1^st Floor, 1730 Cambridge Street, Tel.: 496-6273, Website: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~asiactr/index.htm)

Asia Center Summer Language Grants are open to undergraduates who plan to enroll in a summer language program in the United States or abroad. Eligible languages include Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese, though all East-Asian Languages will be considered. The grant will provide funding towards tuition, travel, and living expenses. Preference will be given to those students whose concentrations either require or give credit for language study, or who plan a senior thesis project that makes use of the language to be studied. (Address: 1730 Cambridge Street, Tel.: 496-6273, Website: www.fas.harvard.edu/~asiactr/)

CAPS Undergraduate Senior Thesis Research Grants: The Center for American Political Studies (CAPS) will award up to eight senior thesis research grants in the amount of $2,500 each to Harvard College juniors who are writing a thesis on any aspect of modern (post-Civil War) American politics. Undergraduates in any concentration in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences are welcome to apply. The purpose of this grant is to enable students to spend time in the summer and in the fall of their senior year on thesis research. Application deadline: mid-March. (Address: CGIS Knafel, 1737 Cambridge Street, Rm K429, Tel.: 495-2724, Website: http://caps.gov.harvard.edu/undergradthesisgrants.shtml )

CAPS Undergraduate Research Seed Grants are available to juniors and seniors who are conducting research on modern (post-Civil War) American politics and who are being advised by or taking a class with a member of the CAPS executive committee. The maximum value of the grant is $250. This grant may be used to cover such expenses as a trip to Washington, DC to conduct interviews with policymakers or a trip to an archive. To apply for a CAPS undergraduate seed grant, send an e-mail to CAPS Administrator, Lilia Halpern-Smith, at lhalpern@gov.harvard.edu. The e-mail should briefly describe your project and provide a budget detailing the research-related expenses for which you need support. Your e-mail application will be circulated to a small committee of CAPS faculty, and a decision will be made quickly, usually within a matter of days. There is no application deadline. Students may apply anytime during the year. (Website: http://caps.gov.harvard.edu/undergradseedgrants.shtml )

The Office of Career Services (OCS) Fellowships Office administers competitions for 36 or more grants supporting study, work, and travel each year. Complete information about these and other opportunities can be found in The Harvard College Guide to Grants and its Harvard student supplement. (Address: OCS Fellowships Office, 54 Dunster Street, Tel., 495-2595, Website: http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu)

The Dean’s Summer Research Awards are designed to give rising seniors who receive financial aid the opportunity to devote the summer to thesis research. The awards provide students who have already received a research grant with an additional grant to cover the summer savings requirement of their financial aid packages. (Website: http://www.seo.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k80947&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup131546)

The Dressler Family Traveling Grant is designated for sophomores and juniors to travel and study in the Romance language countries (e.g. France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Romania, and Latin America.) This grant is to be awarded at the discretion of the Chair of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, based on the recommendation of a selection committee. The purpose of the grant is to afford students who have completed at least one course in Romance Languages and Literatures at Harvard the opportunity to travel and study in these countries in order to further their understanding of language, literature, politics, history, culture, etc. Financial need is a requirement for application. (Address: Boylston Hall, 4^th floor, Tel.: 495-2546, Website: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~rll/undergraduate/prizes.html)

The Center for European Studies offers Summer Travel Grants for undergraduates writing theses on political, historical, economic, social, cultural and intellectual trends in Europe since 1750. The Center funds research in Western and Central Europe. Grants must be used for research abroad during the summer break. Interested applicants must have their topics and status cleared prior to application. (Address: 27 Kirkland Street, Tel.: 495-4303, Website: http://www.ces.fas.harvard.edu/grants/descriptions_ug.html)

Fairbank Center Undergraduate Summer Research Grants These grants support undergraduate research during the summer in China or Taiwan. Preference will be given to students whose research is directly related to a senior honors thesis. Grants will not exceed $3,000. Recipients are required to submit a brief report on their work over the summer.  (Address: 1730 Cambridge Street, Tel.:, 495-4046, Website: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~fairbank/)

Fung Foundation Scholarships for Summer Research, Study, and Work in China (Asia Center & Office of International Programs)
These grants for undergraduates of up to $5,000 may be used for senior thesis research, language study and internships in China over the summer. Recipients become Fung Scholars and are expected to participate in related events. Recipients are required to submit a brief report on their work over the summer and may be asked to participate in a public panel discussion upon their return. (Address: 1730 Cambridge Street, Tel.: 496-6273, Website: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~asiactr/index.htm)

The Harvard College Research Program provides support for student-initiated research and endeavors undertaken with faculty guidance. Grants can be used to cover research/travel-related expenses or certain portions of financial aid packages. Students who complete the HCRP application are also considered for the Phi Beta Kappa Summer Research Grant, which is made available to students who wish to pursue summer research on a thesis in the humanities or social/natural sciences. (Website: http://www.seo.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k80947&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup131543)

The Center for International Development offers travel grants for thesis research in international development. (Website: http://www.cid.harvard.edu/cidstudents/opportunities.html)

The Korea Institute offers summer travel grants to undergraduates in the social sciences and humanities fields who wish to do research in Korea for a senior honors thesis. This research must be conducted in Korea during the summer.(Address: 1730 Cambridge Street, Rm S228, Tel.:, 496-2141, Website: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~korea/)

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies awards a number of travel grants annually to Morocco, Israel, and other Middle Eastern countries. Summer travel and research grants are available for juniors to aid in work on theses pertaining to the country to which they wish to travel. (Address: 38 Kirkland St., Tel.: 495-4055, Website: http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/)

The Carol K. Pforzheimer Student Fellowships support undergraduate research based in the support of a wide range of undergraduate research proposals utilizing the special resources of the Schlesinger Library and the Radcliffe College Archives. Particularly suitable for students interested in gender issues and the history of women in America. (Address: Schlesinger Library, Tel.: 495-8647, Website: http://www.radcliffe.edu/schles/pforzheimer_grant.aspx)

The Institute of Politics offers Summer Research awards each year to Harvard undergraduates for field work contributing to senior theses. These grants provide financial aid during the summer months to encourage direct observation of political and governmental processes within the United States. The Institute also awards a number of summer internship stipends to students whose financial needs would otherwise prohibit accepting a public sector internship. (Address: 79 John F. Kennedy Street, Tel.:495-1360, Website: http://www.iop.harvard.edu/)

The Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies and the Henry Rosovsky Fund award several summer travel grants for Harvard undergraduates in the humanities or social sciences for research and/or field work in Japan, relating directly to a senior honors thesis in an area of Japanese studies. Applicants must usually have completed at least two years of Japanese language study (Address: 1730 Cambridge Street, Tel.: 495- 3220, Website: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~rijs/fellowships/undergrad.html)

The Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies offers summer research travel grants to Latin America, the Caribbean, or the Iberian peninsula for senior thesis research on related topics. Such grants typically cover airfare, and may sometimes cover some additional expenses. (Address: 1730 Cambridge Street, Tel.: 495-3366, Website: http://www.drclas.harvard.edu/)

The Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies offers research travel grants to undergraduates writing senior theses on a topic in Russian or Eurasian studies. Each spring they host an Undergraduate Colloquium, where seniors present their thesis work. (Address: 1730 Cambridge Street, Tel.: 495-4037, Website: http://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/)

The Saloma Fund for Undergraduate Research provides monies intended to be used to finance research that leads to a senior honors thesis in Government. Upon completion of the research project funded by the award, each recipient must provide a written report describing what research objectives were accomplished and identifying the salient findings. Interested students should contact the Government Undergraduate Program Office for more information.

The Ukrainian Institute Summer Travel Grants invites undergraduates to apply for support to conduct research projects in the Ukraine during the summer. Grants for undergraduates will be available for travel and research expenses. (Address: Ukrainian Research Fellowships Committee, 34 Kirkland St., Tel.: 495-4053, Website: http://www.huri.harvard.edu/)

The Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History offers prizes for summer thesis research on some aspect of American history. (Address: Emerson Hall 4^th floor, Tel.: 495-3591, Website: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~cwc/grantsundergradapp.html)

The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs provides grants to some of their Undergraduate Student Associates in the spring of the junior year to fund research abroad over the summer. Each Undergraduate Student Associate presents work for comment in the Center’s undergraduate thesis seminar. (Address: 1737 Cambridge Street, Tel.: 495-4420, Website: http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/)

For more information on grants and the Department’s related centers, point your browser

to www.gov.harvard.edu, www.cgis.fas.harvard.edu, or to the University’s main site, www.fas.harvard.edu.