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. For a database of additional Harvard Undergraduate Research Funding sources click here.
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
- Faculty Aide Program
- Harvard College Research Program
- Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program
- Dean's Summer Research Awards
We recommend that students interested in research take a look at individual academic department websites for listings of faculty members' research interests. It is a good place to start if you are new to Harvard and have a strong academic interest. If you are looking for summer research funding, you will find an up-to-date listing of many sources of funding from departments, centers, and other grants offered through the Office of Career Services.
To read more about what some of our students have done with their research funding, visit Research Spotlight, which features the lead stories in past issues of the Undergraduate Research Programs Newsletter.
