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Fall 2021 Note: CUSE has updated our funding policies as of August 4, 2021. Make sure to review them before submitting an application below.
*Please do not submit applications to CUSE without first speaking with a CUSE research advisor*
Application Submission:
- Before you begin entering your proposal in the Student Grant Application System, please make sure you read the appropriate program guidelines thoroughly so that you submit all the materials required for that particular grant office.
- If you are eligible for funding from other units on campus, you are not eligible for CUSE funding.
- Make sure you indicate the correct email address of your faculty recommender.
- All proposals must include a letter of recommendation from a Notre Dame Faculty member of the appropriate department for the project and the funding opportunity.
- Unless otherwise indicated by the funding opportunity, a detailed and accurate budget justification must be submitted with the proposal.
- Some opportunities request additional documents beyond the proposal, letter, and budget. Refer to the specific grant requirements and upload materials as “additional documents”.
- CUSE is no longer using the URApply system as of August 4, 2021. If you have applied in that system in the past, please make sure to use the new system below.
APPLY NOW - the deadline for summer grant applications has passed and our application has been deactivated. Please reach out to a CUSE staff member if you have any questions.
Advice from Rebecca Blais, Class of 2018, who conducted research on elephant conservation in Sri Lanka over Summer 2015:
"I haven’t been home for two months and three Notre Dame students have already contacted me with questions about my project and requests for advice on their own project. The advice I gave mostly fell into these categories: choosing, planning, proposing, and enjoying. First, students who want to have an international experience should choose a project that will be fulfilling, meaningful, applicable, and beneficial. It is important to choose a project not just on the merits of the work, but also on what you can contribute to it. Second, planning is arguably the most important logistical part of the project because it comes in two phases, before and after the grant is proposed. Before, you need to plan out what you want to do, why you want to do it, where you’ll go and stay, money you will need, vaccinations, transportation, and so much more. There are many hidden costs in an international trip, so it is important to consider it from every angle. Also, it is vital that you do all of the research necessary on the area you are hoping to visit. Once your research proposal has been granted, you need to fulfill the pre-trip promises you made in your proposal, make the bookings, get the vaccinations, pack your bag, and continue to research important information relative to your trip. I recommend following a news outlet from your intended destination so you have an idea of what is going on in that country on a day-to-day basis. When it comes to proposing your actual project, you need to ensure you’re submitting your work to the correct institution and that your project is presented in a well-researched, clear, and concise format. You need to convey through your grant proposal that you are prepared to make your journey and that the research or work you want to do is worthwhile. Finally, enjoy your project. Whether you are following elephants in Sri Lanka or retracing the Odyssey in the Aegean, make sure you are enjoying the trip for which you have worked so hard. A smile can go a long way when you are traveling abroad and it might just turn out to enrich your experience in a way you could have never imagined. "