Harvard College Research Program

The Harvard College Research Program supports student-initiated scholarly research and creative endeavors undertaken with faculty guidance. Funded by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and alumni/ae donations, HCRP grants advance academic experiences outside the classroom and expand opportunities for students to work closely with faculty members. They underline the Harvard Faculty's commitment to individual work and help create an environment where students will gain experience, personal encouragement, and insight into the academic life of a professor.

"I am thankful to the HCRP for allowing me to give promising undergraduates an intense research experience. I treat HCRP fellows as full members of my research group."- Daniel M. Jacob, Professor of Earth and Planetary Science

Program Overview

All undergraduates may apply for HCRP funding, regardless of financial need. Seniors are not eligible for summer funding after they've graduated, and students on leave are not ordinarily eligible for term-time funding. The HCRP encourages scholarly exploration in the freshman and sophomore years along with the more focused endeavors of juniors and seniors. Preference will be given to students with a demonstrated background or a proven interest in the subject area. This may include previous study or lab work, work experience or extra-curricular activities, or a bibliography developed with faculty guidance.

Funding can reimburse research and related travel expenses or provide a wage for students not receiving course credit for their work. When demand exceeds available funding, an effort is made to accept proposals from as many different fields of study as possible and from students who have not already completed a research project funded by the HCRP. Summer HCRP applicants are also considered for Phi Beta Kappa Research Grants, Folger Grants for Asian research, Deland Grants for work in History & Literature, Dunwalke Awards for projects abroad, and Samuel Abramson Fellowships.

Term time awards typically range between $500 and $1000 a term, and summer awards are generally between $1000 and $2500. Students may list expenses in excess of this range without being put at a disadvantage in the application process. Please apply for other sources of funding if your plans require more than our standard award.

Eligibility

All enrolled undergraduates who are conducting or intend to conduct student-initiated scholarly research or creative endeavors may apply for HCRP. The research conducted must be during the award period applied for and the student may not be receiving course credit for the proposed research. The HCRP has three award periods: fall, spring, and summer. Students can undertake research projects in every academic discipline and must work under the guidance of a Harvard faculty sponsor. Faculty sponsors should be members of a Harvard Faculty, the Medical School, the J.F.K. School of Government, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to name a few.

The funds awarded must be used during the term applied for and used for the purposes outlined in the proposed budget. Written notification is required, if any changes are foreseen to the proposed research project and must be approved by the committee prior to the change being made. HCRP eligible expenses are:

• Research Related Travel Expenses including Airfare
• Salary/Stipend

Students receiving any other funding sources may not accept reimbursement for the same itemized expenses and must notify the Harvard College Research Program of all other sources including the name, contact information, funding amount, and eligible expense reimbursed by the funding source. If the student is receiving an award that is considered full funding, i.e. Herchel Smith, Weissman, etc. the student is therefore, ineligible to receive funding from the Harvard College Research Program. Please refer to the individual funding source to confirm their procedures and policies.

Application Deadlines

The HCRP Committee reviews applications to the program at three times during the academic year.

Due dates for 2008-09 HCRP and DSR applications are as follows:

• Fall: Wednesday, October, 8, 2008
• Spring: Friday, February, 6, 2009
• Summer: Wednesday, April 1, 2009

*Late applications will not be accepted unless written permission is received from Lauren Valente or Meg Brooks Swift before the deadline. Priority will be given to applications received by the imposed deadline. Because the demand for HCRP grants consistently exceeds the available funding, we strongly encourage you to get your application in on time. Please be sure to give your faculty sponsor ample time to meet this deadline.

Application Procedures

• CARAT Common Application for Research & Travel
• Research Proposal
• Resume
• Transcript (photocopies as well as unofficial grade reports from the Registrar's website are acceptable)
• Letter of Support – Harvard-Affiliated faculty sponsor who will advise your research project. 

CARAT
The HCRP requires that you complete the Common Application for Research & Travel.  CARAT is an electronic cover sheet allowing you to submit the same application to participating funding centers for one particular project.  This application is designed so that you can save your work and return later to make changes.  HCRP applicants may apply to multiple funding sources, and if awarded by multiple centers, may accept other grant awards if the combined awards do not exceed the grant amount requested in the budget form.  Any other funding received for the proposed project must be reported in writing to the Harvard College Research Program and vice versa. 

One of the components of CARAT is the Budget Form.  You will be asked to itemize your research expenses and report any personal resources that can be contributed to the cost of the research project.  HCRP funding can reimburse research and related travel expenses or provide a wage for students in place of more traditional employment. The total grant amount requested will be a calculation of Expenses – Resources. 

Expenses may include any legitimate costs required for the successful completion of your project.  For many undergraduates, major expenses will include travel (to and from the site as well as site-specific travel associated with the project), room (housing expenses throughout the project), board (expenses for food throughout the project), and major incidentals (such as vaccinations).  Some research projects might also include materials or supplies; research or study projects might also include archival access fees or photocopying; travel projects might also include a first aid kit or passport fees.  If you’ll be living at home, or if your organization provides housing, you won’t need to list these expenses.  If working in a laboratory or research facility, the cost of materials and supplies should be provided by the facility unless the facility does not have the resources, in which case, a letter from the laboratory/research facility manager should be appended to the application explaining the circumstances.      

Assets include any sources of income you know you can dedicate to the project.  These might include a family contribution, another grant, or a loan—but they should only include assets specifically designated for the project.  Students who do not have any resources to contribute will not be penalized.
If requesting a wage stipend, this should be itemized in the Other Expenses section of the CARAT budget form.  The HCRP pays an hourly wage of $9.00/hr.  You should show the calculation of the estimated number of hours a week times the total number of weeks during the term applied times the hourly rate.  Example: 8hrs/wk * 10 weeks * $9.00/hr = $720.00.

Research Proposal
Applications are read by the HCRP committee, comprised of faculty, advisors and Student Employment Office staff members.  The committee deliberates collectively and reviews applications for approximately 2-3 weeks after the application deadline.  The research proposal should be 2-3 pages in length and should outline the following:
 

• Objective
• Significance and implications of research
• Detailed plan for research
• Time frame
• Use of funds
• Faculty Involvement

Your research proposal should describe the question you are asking and contextualize the central issue by providing background research.  The significance and implications of the research should describe how it connects to a larger body of knowledge, as well as, the connection to your academic goals and personal ambitions. Show how your project is appropriate for the fellowship, and include relevant experience and personal qualifications.  Project a convergence between yourself, the fellowship experience proposed, and future goals.  Describe the methodology without being overly technical, explain the time frame and resources needed to conduct your research, as well as, the role or your faculty sponsor. 

If you are continuing an HCRP-funded project from a previous term, the requirements are the same as listed above.  Your research proposal should be a progress report and a plan for continued study. The letter from your faculty sponsor should state that the research is worthy of continued funding.

Resume, Transcript and Letter of Support
Your resume should demonstrate background or a proven interest in the subject area. This may include previous/current study or lab work, work experience or extra-curricular activities. Photocopies as well as unofficial transcripts from the Registrar's website are acceptable.  A letter of support from the faculty sponsor who will advise your research project is required.  This letter should address your ability to carry out the proposed project rather than a general letter of recommendation.  Provide your faculty sponsor with attached memo. Letters may be sent directly from the faculty member, but should arrive by the application deadline.

Program Requirements

The following Harvard College Research Program requirements must be fulfilled before complete disbursement of funds is made. If the following requirements are not fulfilled by the deadlines imposed, the disbursement of funds may be delayed or rescinded.

• Acceptance Form
• Any other funding received for the proposed project must be reported in writing to the Harvard College Research Program and vice versa.
• Upon acceptance of award, any change in research plans and/or intended use of funds must be reported to and approved by the Harvard College Research Program before the change is made.
• Final Report co-signed by faculty sponsor
• Student Exit Survey
• Faculty Evaluation Survey

Address questions and applications to:
(Meg Brooks Swift) or (Lauren Valente)
Student Employment Office
86 Brattle St.
Phone: (617) 495-2585