Quad Go! Grant Program

Quad Go! enables students who are new to research, and have secured an introductory-level opportunity, to complete a simplified application for a $2,000 grant, giving them quick access to resources so they can “Go!” and discover what research is all about.

Quad Go! grants support initial forays into and explorations of research. Grantees should have less than one quarter of prior research experience (it’s fine to have no experience at all!). The grant prioritizes students in their first and second years at UChicago but is open to all enrolled undergraduates. (See Eligibility for full details.)

These awards are for students who have already identified a faculty mentor. “Faculty” includes instructional professors. Postdoctoral scholars who are not also appointed as instructors may not serve as primary faculty mentors but may be listed as additional mentors within the application.  Students may also undertake research with other senior scholars with University arts and research institutes, so long as these scholars are formally appointed (paid) by the University of Chicago.

Quad Go! is a pilot program during the 2026-2027 Academic Year. Grant numbers are limited, and the program may be modified in response to participant feedback and administrative observations.

Applications are accepted two times per year, in approximately the middle of Autumn and of Winter Quarter. Candidates must apply by the stated deadline; applications are not reviewed or awarded on a rolling basis and extensions are not possible.

Quad Go! grantees may not "mix and match" funding sources during the academic year by being paid from their mentor's research funds, a Metcalf grant, or any other source for research with the same mentor during the same term(s) in which they are receiving a Quad Go! grant. This applies even for applicants undertaking nominally "different" projects with the same mentor. The Quad grant supports your overall research experience with your mentor, not a discrete fraction of it.

Read more about the eligibility, scholar benefits and expectations before applying to the Quad Go! Program:

• Eligibility
• Scholar Benefits and Expectations
• Application

What is scholarly undergraduate research? Undergraduate research is a faculty-driven investigation or creative inquiry conducted by undergraduates that seeks to make a scholarly or artistic contribution to knowledge; it is a meaningful scholarly activity that is guided by a faculty mentor or other research mentor(s), aids in the development of research tools, and enriches the student's academic experience by helping them develop a greater understanding of their chosen discipline(s) and its research methodologies.