Senior Thesis Research Funding
NDISC undergraduate fellows may apply for research funds to support their required senior thesis. Research may occur during fall, winter, and spring breaks, as well as over the summer; therefore this is a rolling deadline.
Requirements
Along with your name, ID number, email address, project title, and project dates, please include the following with your application:
- A statement describing and summarizing your project. Describe where you are in your project. Describe your research methods and goals. Note the project faculty supervisor. Make sure to note how NDISC support will contribute to the success of your project. This should be 1-3 pages in length.
- A copy of your transcript.
- A detailed budget statement listing all expected expenditures: including room and board, transportation costs, required certifications, books, and other supplies. Note: students may not apply for money to be used for clothing, computers, etc. The budget must include all outside sources of funding, including compensation earned from the internship, other scholarships, and other available monies.
In addition, please satisfy the following:
- Institutional Review Board (IRB) process. Research that involves interaction with individuals or their private information must undergo the IRB approval process. If this applies to you: Please review the process and assure NDISC as part of your application that you have already complied with the process or are making good progress. Failure to do so will result in forfeiting your eligibility and you must return all funds already granted.
- You must apply to other entities for financial support so as to be competitive and not to be solely dependent on NDISC support. A partial list is available. The political science department also has funds available.
- You must consult with relevant faculty on the proposed research and the proposed methods (interviews, archives, etc.). You must know how to use archives or how to conduct interviews (note-taking vs. recording, on or off the record, etc) before you begin.
- Please consult the NDISC Undergraduate Program Director Dan Lindley if your proposal involves international research.
- After your funded research is complete, please submit a written report to Dan Lindley about the successes and frustrations of your research experience. Include photos if relevant.
Note that funding is limited to NDISC undergraduate fellows, and availability may be limited.
For more information, please contact undergraduate program director Dan Lindley at dlindley@nd.edu.
Need additional support? CUSE and Nanovic Institute offer advice and grant writing workshops. The Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts also offers undergraduate research funding.