Quad Undergraduate Research Scholars Program

Quad Undergraduate Research Grants are competitive, open-discipline awards that support faculty-mentored, scholarly undergraduate research and creative inquiry experiences for University of Chicago College students. 

Quad Undergraduate Research Scholars receive a grant of $5,000 and participate in CCRF programming to enhance their experience and build a cross-disciplinary research community. Quad grants support engagement in research for an entire academic year. (See Scholar Benefits and Expectations for a fuller discussion of the research timeline, time commitment, and circumstances such as quarters spent abroad or on leave.)

These awards are for students who have identified or are already pursuing research with a faculty member, faculty research cluster, or other faculty-driven research initiative. "Faculty" includes instructional and senior instructional professors.  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, near the start of the Autumn and Winter Quarters. Candidates must apply by the stated deadline; these are not reviewed or awarded on a rolling basis and extensions are not possible.

Awards cannot be made to recent graduates or for use the summer after graduation.

Read more about the eligibility, scholar benefits and expectations before applying to the Quad Undergraduate Research Scholars Program:

• Eligibility
• Scholar Benefits and Expectations
• Application

What is scholarly undergraduate research? Undergraduate research is a faculty-mentored 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.