Quad Undergraduate Research Scholars Program

Quad Undergraduate Research Grants are competitive, open-discipline awards intended to support scholarly undergraduate research and creative inquiry

Quad Undergraduate Research Grants are competitive, open-discipline awards intended to enhance the educational experience of University of Chicago College students by supporting scholarly undergraduate research and creative inquiry experiences through active participation in faculty-driven research. These awards are designed to support the student in securing vital undergraduate research experiences with faculty by reducing their financial burden during the academic year

These awards are explicitly for students who have identified or are already pursuing research with a faculty member, faculty research cluster, or other faculty-driven research initiative.  Students may undertake research with other senior scholars with University arts and research institutes; they must be formally appointed (paid) by the University of Chicago. This includes but is not limited to the Smart Museum, Court Theatre, Hannah Holburn Gray Special Collections Research Center, Franke Institute, the Neubauer Collegium, etc.

Students who receive a Quad grant will be recognized as Quad Undergraduate Research Scholars. Scholars will be supported by annual CCRF programming designed to enhance the scholars' experience and build a cross-disciplinary research community. 

Applications are accepted two times per year – once in early October and once in early January. Candidates must apply by the stated deadline; these are not reviewed or awarded on a rolling basis. The grants are for $5,000 in total and disbursed in installments of $2,500 each over two, sequential quarters. Graduating seniors may request to receive a one-quarter award totaling $2,500 during their final two quarters. Awards will not be made to recent graduates or for use the summer after graduation.

Eligibility:

  • Applicants must be matriculated College students in good standing and registered full-time during the award period. 
  • Applicants may be rising 2nd, 3rd, or 4th-year undergraduate students at the University of Chicago. Recent graduates are not eligible, nor can funding be used the summer following graduation.
  • Open to all majors.
  • Students must be working on faculty-driven research projects at the University of Chicago; Quad does not fund BA thesis projects, or self-directed or independent research projects (see below), or international research.
  • Students must apply during the application cycle that most closely corresponds with the first quarter they will begin (or continue) their research. 
  • Applicants do not need to be already engaged in research with faculty to be eligible to apply. Students who have recently secured an opportunity with a faculty-driven research enterprise are eligible to apply. They will be expected to effectively articulate their research plan and what they will contribute to the broader faculty-driven research project. The faculty mentor overseeing the undergraduate will be required to submit a letter of support.
  • Students proposing research that involves human subjects must provide proof that they have secured IRB approval or have completed the application and are awaiting results.
  • GPAs will be reviewed at the time of application and strong academic performance is expected.
  • Applicants must be pursuing undergraduate research during the academic year. Please apply for a Quad Summer Undergraduate Research grant if you are pursuing research during the summer only.
  • Grants are not made for research experiences that are less than 10 hours per week; the average committment for a grant of this amount is 10-13 hours per week during the academic quarter.

Expectations:

  • All Quad scholars and mentors may be asked to complete a quarterly research-assessment form reporting on their experience.
  • All Quad scholars will be required to present their research at the annual University of Chicago Undergraduate Research Symposium (typically in April); if unable to present at the first symposium, they will be required to do so before graduation.
  • For the duration of the award period, students must continue to be actively engaged as an undergraduate researcher, and remain a full-time undergraduate student in good standing with the University. Quad Scholars must spend an average of 10-13 hours per week on their research during their funded academic quarters.
  • All Quad scholars will be expected to complete a post-award survey and will be invited to submit annual alumni surveys.

Application Process: 

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 11, 2021
  • Winter Quarter Deadline: January 10, 2022 

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; 
      • 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 email your unoffical transcript document to ccrf@uchicago.edu separate from the application 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. 

APPLY HERE (AUTUMN 2021)

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.

Applicants may stay updated on their application status by checking their application portal online. 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.