Extraordinary research opportunities are available to you at Harvard, both for participating in the ongoing research of our faculty and for pursuing your own academic interest with a faculty sponsor.

Many students participate in research through term-time or summer employment. Others receive research funding from several sources designed to encourage undergraduates to work closely with faculty members and to pursue their own academic interests outside of the classroom.

The research programs administered by the Student Employment Office will help you find faculty mentors and financial support for your work. Funding for these programs has been generously provided by the University, alumni/ae and their families, and other philanthropic organizations to enrich the undergraduate experience and encourage promising students to continue their education at the graduate level.

The wages provided by the programs allow you to spend time on your academic interest rather than in more traditional employment. Reimbursement for research expenses is also available, giving you the chance to try something new, diverge from your faculty member's funded research, or enhance your own project through travel.

The programs

• The Faculty Aide Program encourages professors to hire undergraduate research assistants by matching half of the student’s wages up to $3000 during the academic year and summer term. Faculty Aide positions are open to all undergraduates, regardless of academic year or financial need, with the exception of students eligible for the Federal Work Study Program. The program provides opportunities for undergraduates to become closely involved in the ongoing research of a Harvard faculty member, often working directly with a professor. Students become Faculty Aides by contacting professors or responding to FAP job listings in the SEO jobs database.  The Faculty Aide Program gives students the chance to become acquainted with research techniques and gain experience outside the classroom, a great program for students in the initial stages of their research career. 

• The Harvard College Research Program supports students pursuing their own research projects under the mentorship of a faculty member. Funding can reimburse students for travel and supplies, or can provide a stipend for students not receiving course credit for their work in lieu of a traditional job. Fellowships range from between $500 during the term-time and up to $3,400 during the summer. Often such independent work becomes the basis for a senior honors thesis.

  Students apply for HCRP funding through the SEO by submitting the Common Application for Research and Travel (CARAT), a research proposal, budget, resume, transcript, and a letter of recommendation by the faculty member who will advise the research project. Funding is available for both the summer and the academic year through three application deadlines: summer, fall and spring.  

• The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program encourages minority students, and others with a demonstrated commitment to racial diversity, to pursue academic careers. It provides opportunities for talented undergraduates to work with faculty mentors and sponsors in research and other activities designed to encourage the pursuit of the PhD in the humanities and core sciences. The program selects students during the spring of their sophomore year.

• The Dean's Summer Research Award provides rising seniors, who have already received a research grant, with a $1000 credit to the fall term bill to cover part of the summer savings expectation of their financial aid package. This allows students to pursue thesis research during the summer between junior and senior years instead of working to save money toward college costs. Students apply for the Dean’s Summer Research Award through the SEO by submitting a research proposal and a simple application form. Applications are due in early April, on the same deadline as HCRP summer applications. Students may apply for both HCRP and Dean's funding.

To read more about what some of our students have done with their research funding, visit the Research Spotlight,  which features past issues of the Undergraduate Research Programs Newsletter.