Hearst Foundation Supports Undergraduate Research at Brandeis
July 8, 2022
By Simon Goodacre | School of Arts and Sciences
The School of Arts and Sciences is delighted to announce that the William Randolph Hearst Foundation has awarded Brandeis $125,000 to support undergraduate research and creative work in the Creative Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. These funds are intended to remove barriers for students interested in participating in original research and increase equity in the allocation of undergraduate research opportunities with our field-leading faculty.
One of the biggest hurdles for students interested in research is securing their first position. Students without research experience are frequently forced to take unpaid positions to learn the necessary skills to participate in research projects. This means that students who are less financially secure frequently have to forgo unpaid research opportunities in favor of paid work elsewhere. The Hearst Foundation’s gift will close that gap by providing stipends to undergraduates performing research for the first time. First-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students will be prioritized.
Students will apply to this research opportunity through the Undergraduate Research and Creative Collaborations (URCC) Office, a unit in the Dean’s Office in the School of Arts and Sciences. Those who are selected will form a cohort with other students in the program. They will work for two semesters with a Brandeis faculty member, serving as Research Assistants in the Fall semester and moving onto more independent research projects in the Spring. Towards the end of the Spring semester, they will present their work at the Undergraduate Research Symposium and write a project proposal to continue their work in either summer or the following academic year.
“We are very grateful to the Hearst Foundation for supporting undergraduate research at Brandeis,” says Margaret Lynch, Director of Undergraduate-Faculty Research Partnerships. “Since the URCC’s inception, we have connected hundreds of undergraduate students with faculty researchers, but this grant will enable us to increase the equity and inclusion of those efforts.”