While College students can find funds to support their research, some undergraduates decide to start out by pursuing unfunded research on a voluntary basis. Many faculty members expect to need help with their research and might advertise unpaid or paid Research Assistant positions through their department/research center's listserv or via other on-campus job search platforms.
If your research supports the larger project of a faculty-member, they might be able to provide you with a small stipend from their own funds. Be sure to discuss any work-study eligibility if relevant. Make sure you also speak with your own network, especially those faculty who work in the discipline, because they may be able to identify funding sources that you may not have yet considered.
Students should also:
- Review the CCRF Research Grant and Scholars Programs for academic-year and summer undergraduate research funding
- Search the CCRF Opportunities Database for an expanding list of research and research-funding opportunities (in the "Type" search function, select "Research Funding")
- Attend a CCRF Undergraduate Research Grant Funding: Information Session
Note: UChicago students also have access to Proquest's PIVOT, a comprehensive database of research opportunities and grants for faculty, staff, and students. In order to set up an account and begin your search, visit PIVOT. You will need to create a PIVOT login, and then conduct an advanced search with ‘Undergraduate’ specified in the ‘Requirements’ field. (Note: if looking for funds from outside UChicago, start early, as these opportunities may have deadlines far in advance of the anticipated award-date).