Summer Research Opportunities
and
If you're looking for opportunities beyond what Notre Dame provides, please browse the list below:
General
American Heart Association Undergraduate Student Research Program – American Heart Association
The American Heart Association Undergraduate Student Research Program provides funding to encourage undergraduate students to go into research careers. The award is for juniors or seniors to perform cardiovascular disease, stroke, or public health related research at an institution or university in the Midwest.
i3 Inclusion Institute of Information Science – University of Pittsburgh
The i3 Inclusion Institute of Information Science provides funding for undergraduates from underrepresented communities to receive graduate school application training, work on a team research project, and construct and present a poster about their research. Includes GRE test preparation.
Fellowships at the Smithsonian – The Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian fellowships are offered to individuals who design and develop proposals to conduct independent research using the resources, including the collections and facilities, of the Institution. Fellowships differ from internships, which are prearranged supervised learning experiences which take place in a specific timeframe.
Summer Research – Early Identification Program – The Leadership Alliance
The Leadership Alliance is an organization that seeks to mentor students from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds into competitive graduate programs and research-based careers. The Summer Research – Early Identification Program (SR-EIP) provides students from underrepresented populations research experience through eight to ten week internships, as well as ongoing resources and networks.
Young Explorers Grant – National Geographic
National geographic provides funding to both U.S. citizens and foreign nationals from the ages of 18 to 25 for research, conservation, and exploration-related projects. Their mission is to fund creative individuals for field project work.
Humanities
Hedgebrook Writers in Residence – Hedgebrook
Hedgebrook is a cottage on an island outside of Seattle, Washington that invites women writers of all ages to spend their days writing and nights sharing their work and networking with other women writers. The program is open to all women that are working on a piece of creative writing. Those chosen to participate are provided with free housing and meals.
Humanities Undergraduate Research Awards – Institute for Humanities Research
The Humanities Undergraduate Research Award (HUGRA) provides funding for undergraduate humanities research. The top research proposal of the year wins an award with extra funding.
Social Sciences
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the major federal agency that provides funding for the sciences and engineering (includes social sciences, but excludes medical sciences). They have many funding opportunities for undergraduates; however, the most well-known is the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/. The NSF REU funds undergraduate U.S. citizens or permanent residents to participate in research projects that have been funded by the NSF.
Summer Research Initiative – University of Maryland
The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland created the Summer Research Initiative to Increase Diversity to increase knowledge of underrepresented minorities and increase diversity in faculty positions. They are particularly interested in applications from African Americans, Latino/Hispanics, American Indian/Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islands, and students doing research on those populations. The eight week program is open to rising juniors and seniors and provides research experience, as well as lectures, workshops, and networking opportunities.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship – Caltech
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at Caltech introduces students to research under the guidance of research mentors. These ten week programs come with a $7,100 award and include seminars, development series, student-faculty dinners, and field trips.
Leadership Alliance Mellon Initiative (LAMI) – University of Virginia
The Leadership Alliance Mellon Initiative (LAMI), which is sponsored by the Leadership Alliance program through a grant from the Mellon Foundation, aims to increase the number of underrepresented students pursuing graduate education and careers in the humanities and social sciences. At UVA, LAMI is an eight-week research internship for rising third and fourth year undergraduate students. LAMI students participate in faculty-mentored, research projects, get training in the use of digital research tools, receive training and support for graduate studies, and present their findings at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium (LANS).
STEM
Amgen Scholars Program – Amgen Foundation
The Amgen Scholars Program is hosted by ten U.S. institutions and places science and engineering undergraduates in summer internships with research professors. The program is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are sophomores, juniors, or non-graduating seniors. Each institution has its own application, but students may apply to as many institutions as they like.
ASB Diversity Travel Award – American Society of Biomechanics
The ASB Diversity Travel Award is an initiative begun by the American Society of Biomechanics (ASB) to create more diversity in the biomechanical studies community. They provide travel awards to undergraduates from underrepresented communities to attend the ASB annual meeting.
DHS HS-STEM Summer Internship Program – Department of Homeland Security
This program sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security offers undergraduate students majoring in STEM fields related to homeland security ten week internships at federal research facilities. Program participants receive a stipend and travel allowances.
Energy Efficient Electronics Science Summer Internship Program – University of California, Berkeley
The Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science (E3S) is a consortium of academic institutions that work collaboratively to make breakthroughs in the physics, chemistry, and materials science of electronic systems to reduce energy consumption. The center has multiple summer programs for undergraduates including the Summer Research Program for Juniors and Seniors and the Summer Research Workshop. Both provide free housing and limited travel allowances.
Gerald A. Soffen Student Travel Grants
This award provides funds for undergraduate students in aerospace-related science or engineering fields to attend a conference at which they will present their independent research.
Google Travel and Conference Grants – Google
This award was initiated by Google to encourage diversity in computer science. The award provides funds for people from underrepresented groups to travel to selected conferences in computer science and related fields.
Grants-in-Aid of Research Program – Sigma Xi
The Grants-in-Aid of Research Program sponsored by Sigma Xi provides funds to undergraduate science and engineering students to travel to a research site or purchase non-standard laboratory equipment. The award is for up to $1,000.
Janelia Undergraduate Scholars Program – Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Janelia Undergraduate Scholars Program sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute immerses students in a ten week summer program that provides research and networking opportunities. The program provides students with a stipend and living expenses.
Lincoln Laboratory Summer Research Program – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Lincoln Laboratory Summer Research Program provides funding for students to apply advanced technology to problems critical to national security. Students join already existing projects. The opportunity is only available to seniors who are U.S. citizens.
Minority Diversity Initiative Program – Baylor College of Medicine
The Genetics/Genomics Research Education and Training (G/GREAT) Program, which is part of the Minority Diversity Initiative Program provides funding and housing for underrepresented minorities in the sciences and engineering to perform genomic research in biomedical/genetics laboratories at Baylor University.
NASA Internships - NASA
NASA offers internships to undergraduates at one of eighteen of their facilities throughout the nation. Students must be U.S. citizens and receive a stipend to offset living expenses.
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the major federal agency that provides funding for the sciences and engineering (includes social sciences, but excludes medical sciences). They have many funding opportunities for undergraduates; however, the most well-known is the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/. The NSF REU funds undergraduate U.S. citizens or permanent residents to participate in summer research projects that have been funded by the NSF.
On to the Future Program – Geological Society of America
The On to the Future Program (OTF) is an initiative begun by the Geological Society of America (GSA) to create more diversity in the geological science community. They provide partial travel awards to undergraduates from underrepresented communities to attend their first GSA annual meeting.
Pasteur Foundation Summer Internship Program – Institut Pasteur
The Institut Pasteur is a biomedical research facility in Paris, France. The internship is for juniors (rising seniors) with an interest in biosciences and biomedical research and a desire to learn French. The internship provides a living allowance and travel/housing subsidy.
Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity, and Sustainability Undergraduate Research Fellowship – Ecological Society of America
Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity, and Sustainability (SEEDS) Undergraduate Research Fellowship is an initiative begun by the Ecological Society of America (ESA) to create more diversity in the ecological science community. They provide funding for a paid summer research or internship opportunity, travel to annual leadership meetings, and travel to the ESA Annual Meeting. Must be an underrepresented minority, low income, first-generation college, or veteran student.
Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research – National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is part of the Department of Health and Human Services and the nation’s medical research agency. Their primary funding opportunity for undergraduates, the Summer Internship Program (SIP), funds U.S. citizens or permanent residents for a summer internship at the NIH for a minimum of eight weeks.
Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) – Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Summer Medical and Dental Education Program is a summer program that includes math and science enrichment, clinical experience, and career development activities for those intending to pursue medical or dental degrees. The program is for first-years and sophomores from underrepresented communities. The program provides living expenses, a stipend, and travel based on need.