Undergraduate Research and Creative Collaborations

Please note: Student must apply to this award before presenting at a conference. Allow 3 weeks after you submit your request for application receipt, review, and notification. The program closes when the yearly funding is depleted or on the extended deadline of March 25, 2025 whichever occurs first.

Limited funds (up to $300 per student) are available to undergraduates from all disciplines to enable them to present their research or creative project at an academic or professional disciplinary conference. Student's work must have been accepted at an academic conference; student applicants must be the first and primary author and presenter of the abstract summarizing the research or creative project. A letter of recommendation is required from a faculty mentor.

To be eligible for funding, in their application students must submit written documentation of acceptance of their presentation or exhibit at the conference for which funding is requested. Student must apply to this award before attending the conference. Retroactive funding for a past conference presentation is not available. Funding is disbursed as a financial reimbursement for documented and itemized conference-related expenses up to a maximum of $300. Itemized  and dated receipts are required.

Link to the Student Application form

Faculty recommendation form

• The Spring Application Deadline is 5 pm ET on January 15, 2025.
  
  • Students who receive Spring funding must document each expense and submit itemized and dated receipts for reimbursment before May 15.
• The Fall Application Deadline is 5 pm ET on September 25, 2024.
  • Students who receive Fall funding must document each expense and submit itemized and dated receipts for reimbursement before January 15.

Limited funds (up to $250) are available to seniors writing senior theses. Standard costs for copying and binding theses cannot be funded. Expenses incurred or submitted for reimbursement after the deadlines specified for each semester are not eligible for reimbursement.

Note that this fund does not support the hiring of students or other individuals to perform services, such as research or production assistants. (Services rendered from a business vendor may be eligible.) The fund can support project expenses such as research supplies, equipment, interviewee compensation for IRB-approved projects, and expenses related to research at an off-campus site.

Weight will be given to the candidate's summary and to the faculty thesis advisor's recommendation. If a student is doing research on a project that receives funding from another grant, they need to request funding to reimburse only those expenses which cannot be covered by the grant funds.

Application Form

Application Checklist

Your completed application should contain the following:

• Student applicant information
• One-page funding justification summary: Summarize your research or creative project and explain at a high level how the requested funds will be used.
• Itemized budget request: Please each item, unit cost, the number of each item, and total cost. Ordinary school supplies and costs for copying and binding theses are outside the scope of this program. Students who need support for school supplies can reach out to the Student Support Services team.
• A resume
• Recommendation from your thesis advisor (Brandeis faculty). Students should direct their thesis advisor to fill out the Letter of Recommendation Form

• The Spring Application Deadline is 5 pm ET on January 15, 2025.
  
  • Students who receive Spring funding must document each expense and submit itemized and dated receipts for reimbursment before May 15.
• The Fall Application Deadline is 5 pm ET on September 25, 2024.
  • Students who receive Fall funding must document each expense and submit itemized and dated receipts for reimbursement before January 15.

Limited funds (up to $250) are available to students engaged in non-thesis research or creative projects during the Academic Year (Fall and Spring Semesters). Expenses incurred or submitted for reimbursement after the deadlines specified for each semester are not eligible for reimbursement.

Note that this fund does not support the hiring of students or other individuals to perform services, such as research or production assistants. (Services rendered from a business vendor may be eligible.) The fund can support project expenses such as research supplies, equipment, interviewee compensation for IRB-approved projects, and expenses related to research at an off-campus site.

Weight will be given to the candidate's summary and to the faculty recommendation. If a student is doing research on a project that receives funding from another grant, they need to request funding to reimburse only those expenses which cannot be covered by the grant funds.

Application form

Application Checklist

Your completed application should contain the following:

• Student information
• One-page funding justification summary: Summarize your research or creative project and explain at a high level how the requested funds will be used.
• Itemized budget request: Please each item, unit cost, the number of each item, and total cost. Ordinary school supplies are outside the scope of this program. Students who need support for school supplies can reach out to the Student Support Services team.
• A resume
• Recommendation from your thesis advisor (Brandeis faculty). Students should direct their thesis advisor to fill out the Letter of Recommendation Form

Summer Provost's Undergraduate Research Fellowships are $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.

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 (2,500 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 2023 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.