Undergraduate Research allows students to explore a topic of interest beyond the classroom, working closely with a faculty advisor to design an original scholarly or creative project. Undergraduate researchers then engage in self-directed, mentored work in labs, libraries and archives, or in the field at home or abroad; they investigate, experiment, interview and observe, collecting data that will serve as the basis for an independent and original contribution to knowledge, scholarship, or the arts.

Undergraduate research enables you to become a producer, and not just a consumer, of knowledge or art. When you undertake an independent research project, you pursue a topic that most interests YOU, free yourself from the artificial constraints of the quarter system, and apply what you have already learned to new problems and issues. In the process, you will likely learn valuable new skills, connect with others who share your interests, and experience the joys of intellectual discovery and artistic creation. By engaging in independent research as an undergraduate, you don’t have to wait until after graduation to develop ideas that may influence others, and you’ll get to work closely with experts who will help you discover, hone, and effectively communicate those ideas. These experiences will not only increase your confidence, but may also help you decide among possible career paths.

Undergraduate research often serves as the basis of honors theses, performances, symposium or conference presentations, publications, as well as fellowship and graduate school applications. Some students conduct an independent research project as a capstone of their undergraduate experiences; others use their research to jump-start or simply explore a possible career in research or the arts; still others use their research to develop and communicate specific ideas or skills that they might not otherwise have an opportunity to pursue.

Students at any stage of their undergraduate career may apply for an Undergraduate Research Grant. Each student at Northwestern is eligible to receive one Academic Year Grant and one Summer Grant during his/her time as a Northwestern undergraduate. Grants cannot be used to fund research that will be undertaken after graduation.

The first step in getting started with undergraduate research is considering your interests and, ultimately, finding a faculty member who will advise and sponsor your project. Students often find it useful to consult with faculty with whom they have taken classes to explore research ideas and seek advice about possible advisors. A courteous email to a former professor can be very valuable; many faculty members are happy to discuss preliminary ideas and point you to potentially resources. You need not ask her/him to be your advisor; at this stage, your goal is simply to gather advice and information to help you formulate your next step.

Once you have identified your research interests and consulted with various faculty members, your choice of an advisor may be obvious—you simply need to ask whether she/he would be willing to supervise your project. Often, however, students find that a number of faculty members might be appropriate advisors for the project. In this case, it is important to carefully consider the specific contours and timeline of your project. Will the advisor be available to assist you throughout the duration of the project? Can she/he help you with the aspects of the research that you might find especially difficult or problematic?

Sometimes the choice of an advisor is limited by faculty availability or the ability of a particular lab to take on a new researcher. In such cases, it is especially important to know your options. Investigate research opportunities on and off campus (see the question on research opportunities, below, for more information). Talk to faculty in other departments or interdisciplinary programs; many faculty have wide-ranging interests and skills, and you may find the ‘perfect’ advisor in an unexpected place. Of course, you may also find that you need to revise or refine your proposed project a bit in order to find a professor who will work with you, but with a bit of legwork and creative thinking, most students are able to find a good fit between their interests and those of faculty.

For the purposes of applying for an Undergraduate Research Grant, your faculty sponsor can be a faculty member either at Northwestern or another university. Post-docs and graduate students may not serve as your primary advisor. While you may find it useful to seek advice and assistance from post-docs or graduate students, you will still need a sponsor who is a faculty member.

Our website includes links to research opportunities and databases at both NU and elsewhere at http://www.northwestern.edu/undergrad-research/links/index.htm. In addition, the ASG has developed an Undergraduate Research Database to help students identify and navigate research opportunities offered at or through NU: http://www.avpmcgee.com/asgurd/Home.html.

All applications should be submitted online at http://www.northwestern.edu/undergrad-research/apply/index.htm. Guidelines for the research proposal and application package are available at http://www.northwestern.edu/undergrad-research/guidelines/index.htm.

All applications are due before midnight on the due date.

Yes. The text of your research proposal should be no more than 2 singled-spaced pages. You may include additional information, as indicated in the application guidelines, as appendices.

Once you submit your application online, an email to your advisor will automatically be generated with instructions for uploading/submitting the letter. Your advisor may address the letter to the Undergraduate Research Grants Committee (URGC). We ask her/him to comment upon the merits of both the proposed project and his/her opinion of the student’s ability to carry out the research. Faculty advisors should submit their letters within 24 hours after the student has submitted the grant application package.

Academic Year Grants cover up to $1000 of research expenses, such as necessary travel costs, supplies, equipment rental, or compensation for interviewees or survey respondents. Summer Grants provide $3000 to cover living and research expenses for an 8-week period. Applicants whose projects require international travel may apply for additional URG funds to offset these expenses.

With the exception of the Summer Grant (which is intended to cover living expenses while you are conducting your research), grant monies may not be used for any expenses that are not directly incurred as a result of necessary research. In addition, grants may not be used for the purchase of durable equipment over $75 or for the purchase of books or other materials available from NU libraries or through Interlibrary Loan.

No. You can only request a grant to fund research that you have not yet undertaken or that is still currently underway.

Academic Year Grants: Include all expenses that are necessary and relevant for your research. Expenses might include travel costs (airfare, food, lodging), laboratory supplies (e.g., slides, chemicals, mice), compensation for interviewees or survey respondents, necessary photocopies (e.g. from library or archives). Academic Year Grants cannot be used to pay for equipment over $75 or for books available from the library or through Interlibrary Loan.

Summer Grants: Summer grants are intended to provide support for living expenses during an 8-week period of research. You do not need to submit a budget for these expenses. If your research requires international travel, you should submit an itemized budget of these travel expenses.

You will find answers to many of your questions on the Institutional Review Board website (http://www.research.northwestern.edu/research/OPRS/irb/), or you may contact Braden Van Buskirk, IRB Coordinator (B-VanBuskirk@northwestern.edu). For an overview of the IRB application process, also see the PowerPoint slides, "What Happens to your IRB Application?"

In addition, we offer IRB workshops during Winter Quarter for Summer Grant applicants. The schedule for these workshops will be available on our main webpage (http://www.northwestern.edu/undergrad-research/) during Winter Quarter.

Your faculty advisor is your key resource for developing your research proposal and application package. You may wish to give him/her a copy of our handouts “Developing an Undergraduate Research Grants Package” and “Crafting a Research Proposal” (available as pdf downloads at http://www.northwestern.edu/undergrad-research/guidelines/index.htm).

In addition, the Office of the Provost is pleased to offer a limited number of individual advising appointments (send requests to urg@northwestern.edu), as well as information sessions throughout the year and workshops for Summer Grant applicants during Winter Quarter. (The schedule can be found at http://www.northwestern.edu/undergrad-research/index.html).

Because of the large number of Summer Grant applicants, we ask that you first have your advisor read a draft of your proposal and incorporate her/his suggestions before contacting one of the URG advisors. We also strongly encourage you to attend one or more of the Proposal Writing and Revision workshops that we offer during Winter Quarter. (The schedule will be available on our website http://www.northwestern.edu/undergrad-research/ in Winter Quarter.)

Academic Year Grants: the committee usually meets approximately one week after the deadline, and you can expect an official notification approximately 10-14 days after the application deadline.

Summer Grants: Because of the large number of applications for summer grants that we receive, the wait is a little longer than for Academic Year Grants. Applicants can expect to receive notification approximately 4 weeks after the application deadline.

Academic Year Grant recipients are required to register for 398 or 399 during the relevant quarter of research and receive credit for this course. Summer Grant recipients do not receive credit for summer research per se, although winners typically use this research as the basis for an independent study or honors thesis during the following academic year.

The URG committee aims to fund as many quality projects as possible. In past years, approximately 60% of Academic Year Grant proposals have received funding either as first-time applications or revised resubmissions. Approximately 45% of applicants have been awarded Summer Grants.

Academic Year Grant applicants may be invited to revise their applications and re-apply by a later URG deadline if they are unsuccessful on the first attempt. Additionally, some individual schools (e.g., Weinberg, School of Communications) or programs offer funds for academic year and/or summer research. Please contact your school or visit the links on our website (http://www.northwestern.edu/undergrad-research/links/index.htm) to learn more about these opportunities.

Summer URGs fund full-time 8-week research projects. Projects eligible for an Immersion Grant, by contrast, may combine experiential learning (e.g. internship, volunteering) with a research component.

Undergraduate Research Grants are dispersed as lump-sum payments processed through the Payroll Department. In order to receive your funds, you will need to follow the instructions in your award notification for completing and submitting the URG Award Form. Please complete this paperwork as soon as possible. Payroll disperses these funds once monthly (at the end of the month) and requires approximately 3 weeks to process the necessary paperwork.

If you have received a Summer Grant, you do not need to save receipts for your living expenses. Recipients of Academic Year Grants should retain receipts for research expenses through the end of the academic year.

Yes. The URG Program requires you to submit online a final 2-page research report summarizing your findings. Please go to http://www.northwestern.edu/undergrad-research/apply/index.htm to submit your report.

You have lots of options for disseminating your findings or final product once you’ve finished your project. Academic conferences are great opportunities for others to learn about your work, but travel can be expensive. If your work is accepted for presentation at a conference, we encourage you to apply for a Conference Travel Grant http://www.northwestern.edu/undergrad-research/conference/index.html to help cover the costs.

Northwestern also offers forums for undergraduate research, including opportunities to publish in the Northwestern Undergraduate Research Journal or present your research or creative project at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. For more on these and other opportunities, see http://www.northwestern.edu/provost/students/research_symposium/index.html

Finally, undergraduate research projects are often a terrific basis for applying for external grants and fellowships that allow you to continue your research and/or explore other opportunities after graduation. Contact Northwestern’s Office of Fellowships to find out more about these opportunities.