Undergraduate Research Facts
ALL students serious about research can find a research job or obtain funding to make the research experience possible.
Students undertake research projects in every academic discipline and faculty sponsors serve on all Harvard University faculties (including the Medical School, the J.F.K. School of Government, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences). To learn more about faculty member's research interests, please visit the departmental websites.
Awards are not limited to the sciences.
ALL undergraduates with a research proposal and a faculty sponsor may apply for funding to cover research expenses, his or her own time, or a combination of the two.
How Much Funding is Disbursed?
This year 700 undergraduates will receive over $1,500,000 for research through the programs administered by the Student Employment Office.
Over 280 students will receive $725,000 from Centers and Fellowships administered by the Office of Career Services (OCS) to travel and pursue research abroad over the summer.
Hundreds of students earn nearly $500,000 while involved in the ongoing research of the University and its hospitals.
Hundreds of students receive academic credit through individualized reading and research courses.
Who Receives Funding and How Does It Work?
Nearly ALL term-time and about 75% of the summer research applications are approved. Awards range from $1,000 to $3,600. Students also receive funding from Centers (the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, for example) and several fellowships offered through OCS. For a list of funding sources (click here).
There is no predetermined limit on a student's funding and continued funding is routinely approved. For example, a freshman eligible for Work-Study and engaged in research for 4 years could receive a total of $8,400 to work in a research lab 8 hours a week during the school year and 35 hours a week over the summer. Students ineligible for federal funds can still receive up to $6,200.
Many professors are able to pay students over and above their research awards. Many departments have special funding for rising seniors doing thesis fieldwork over the summer. In addition, Dean's Awards are available to rising seniors on financial aid to allow them to spend their last summer engaged in thesis research rather than a more traditional job.
