Undergraduate Research and Creative Collaborations

Brandeis Funding Opportunities

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships 

Awards $5,000 stipends to support undergraduates conducting a research or creative project with the mentorship of a Brandeis faculty mentor.

Students who receive summer funding are expected to dedicate intensive effort toward the project for 7-10 weeks during the summer and participate in the summer community of Brandeis undergraduate researchers.

Deadline: March 11, 2026 at 5PM ET.

Applications will open in January 2026.

Eligibility

  • Brandeis undergraduates in good academic standing who will continue as undergraduate students in the subsequent Fall semester. Current first-year, sophomore, and junior undergraduates can apply, as well as seniors who will graduate in December of the year that the fellowship is awarded.
  • Students are required to fill out an I-9 in order to receive the stipend. International Students are encouraged to review the steps for beginning on-campus employment found on the International Students and Scholars Office website. 

Your completed application should contain the following:

  • Student applicant information
  • Transcript (unofficial is acceptable)
  • One-page resume that highlights your qualifications to conduct this research
  • Research proposal (2,000 words or fewer, excluding reference list)
    • Organize your proposal as follows:
      • Project summary (a 250-word overview of your proposed project)
      • Background and Introduction to the research or creative topic and project 
      • Project aims and goals (specify exactly what you plan to do) 
      • Methods or approach (how you plan to do it) 
      • Project output, outcomes and deliverables
      • Project timeline (outline what you will work on and when)
      • Project significance and impact
      • References cited (recommended if standard in the research area)
  • Contingency plan
    • If your project involves travel, field- or laboratory-based research, in-person human or animal research, or in-person group studio-based projects or performances, please submit a brief contingency research plan in the event that travel and research restrictions are in effect in Summer 2026 for the location of your project.
  • Mentoring plan
    • How often will you meet with your faculty mentor over the summer? 
    • Will you be able to attend group research meetings or communicate with other researchers or creative professionals in your field of interest? 
    • What type of training will your mentor provide (either directly or by referral to other people or resources)?
  • Students should direct their faculty mentors to submit their letter of recommendation via the Faculty Letter of Recommendation Form (Brandeis email required to access).
  • Fellowship awardees will be required to submit a project summary at the end of the summer and present their research to the Brandeis community at the URCC Symposium.

If you have general questions or want to discuss your application, contact Margaret Lynch, director of Undergraduate-Faculty Research Partnerships.

Undergraduate Research at Brandeis

Find Research Funding, Research Assistant Jobs, and Faculty Mentors with our searchable database! Brandeis undergraduates can search for fellowships and grants to support research and creative projects, find paid research assistant jobs, and message potential faculty mentors using the Brandeis ForagerOne platform.

In these pages, you can find out more about funding opportunities, including the Provost's Undergraduate Research Funds and Schiff Undergraduate Fellows Program. 

A different option: Students can work as a paid hourly research assistant. Students can search for open student research assistant jobs opportunities in Workday. Students can apply to these positions as soon as they are posted, and jobs are posted throughout the year.