Quad Application

How to Apply

Before applying for a Quad Undrgraduate Research grant, please carefully review all of the materials pertaining the award program, eligibility, expectations, and deadlines below. Independent study/research and BA thesis research does not qualify for Quad funding.

Applications submitted after the stated deadlines will not be reviewed. Applications are reviewed following the stated deadline, not on a rolling basis.

  • Autumn Quarter Deadline: October 2, 2023
  • Winter Quarter Deadline: January 8, 2024

There are no exceptions to these deadlines and no off-cycle awards made. ALL application materials, including recommendation letters, are due on the stated deadlines. 

Application Instructions

To complete your application, you will be asked for the following information: 

  • Basic information about yourself (Year, Major, current GPA, UCID, etc.)
  • Project information: project title, name of faculty mentor(s), approximate start/end dates of the research, average hours dedicated to the research per week
  • Research Proposal (pdf.): maximum of 1000 words, single spaced, 12-point font. Please include the title of your project and name in the header of your essay.
    • In your research proposal, please describe in your own words the following:
      • The general aims of the faculty member's research and what you will contribute to that research effort;
      • A detailed accounting of the structure of your particular contribution and experience, including what you and your research mentor hope to accomplish over the duration of your undergraduate research experience and an estimated timeline of major phases or milestones; 
      • Evidence that you have the requisite research skills, training, and approvals (human subjects, etc.) to proceed with your research experience;
      • Please also address your motivations for pursuing the research experience and how this experience will contribute to your education at UChicago and the development of your future plans;
      • You may include citations and an additional page of supplementary information, as relevant. These will not be included in your word count. 
      • Please treat this as a formal research proposal; it should be written clearly and carefully. It functions as the core of your application and its quality will determine the success of your application. 
  • An unofficial copy of your most recent transcript (pdf.) Note: The application will ask you to upload your unoffical transcript document via a separate, secure portal.
  • Academically-focused curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Letter of recommendation from your primary research mentor. Please also send a copy of your research proposal to your research mentor. You will be asked to confirm that you have/will sent the proposal to your mentor as a part of your online application. 
    • A UChicago faculty member (of any rank, including lecturer or senior-lecturer) must serve as your research mentor. They will be asked to affirm the information you provide in your research proposal.
    • NOTE: Recommendation letters are due on stated application deadline. 
  • Name of secondary research mentor (optional): this may be an additional member of the research project or the person you expect to work most closely with (post-doc, etc). You will only need to provide their contact information, title, etc. They do not submit a letter. 

Undergraduate research entails developing skills and knowledge that are important to discover and practice on your own. Because use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools inhibits development of these skills and knowledge, students are not allowed to use any AI tools, such as ChatGPT or Dall-E 2, in the preparation of this application. Students are expected to present work that is their own without assistance from others, including automated tools. If you are unclear if something is an AI tool, please check with CCRF.

APPLY HERE [link opens approximately one month in advance of the next deadline]

Review Process

All complete applications are reviewed by a committee of faculty and staff, beginning after the stated deadline. Please see the review and selection criteria page for more information.

We will notify you and your mentor via email whether or not you are awarded a Quad Grant. The review process takes approximately 5 weeks. Please note this is an approximation. The Quad program is very competitive and it can take longer, depending on the total number of applications received.

The Quad Undergraduate Research Scholars Program is made possible by our generous donors including the Liew family and the Cheung family, as well as through the Dean's Fund for Undergraduate Research and the five Collegiate Divisions (Humanities, Social Sciences, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, and New Collegiate). The program is managed by the College Center for Research & Fellowships (CCRF).