Undergraduate Research Grants

Two Duke students doing research project in Brazil
Environmental engineering students in Bolivia.
MELLON UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS FOR SUMMER RESEARCH ON LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

With support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, these awards provide opportunities for Duke undergraduates to complement class work with research experience on Latin America and the Caribbean (includes Puerto Rico and US-Mexico border region).  The awards are open to all fields and subjects, and typically range from $500 to $2,000 per person, though larger amounts can be granted in exceptional cases. Applications are typically due in early spring semesters.

  • Undergraduate student travel is governed by Duke’s International Travel Policy. Refer to the Duke Restricted Regions List to ensure the location you are considering is approved for undergraduate travel. According to the Global Travel Advisory Committee, to conduct a project in a restricted location, undergraduate students “must formally, and individually, petition for a waiver of the Duke University restriction on travel.”

  • All research projects  and travel must take place during the summer (and last two to eight weeks), exclusive of travel to and from site. All participants must return at least three days before the beginning of the following academic year at Duke.

  • Research conducted at the request of and in partnership with host organizations (community-based participatory research) is suitable and encouraged for CLACS Summer Research participants. Undergraduate students whose proposed research involves human subjects, you should be aware that it is necessary for you to obtain approval of your research from the Institutional Review Board. Please consult with the Office of Research Support about the policies concerning research with human subjects at Duke University. Information can be found on the Office of Research Support web site at https://campusirb.duke.edu/. Summer funding cycle deadlines are tight, so it is strongly recommended that you begin this process while applying and that you don’t wait until award notification. No grant funds will be released until this approval has been obtained.

 

 

DUKE BRAZIL INITIATIVE (DBI) RESEARCH GRANTS

The Duke Brazil Initiative (DBI) is offering research grants for both individual and group projects focused on Brazil. We particularly encourage proposals that align with ongoing activities or signature initiatives of the DBI—social mobility and education, energy and environment, arts and curation, public health, race and culture—although new ideas from any discipline are welcomed. Application deadlines are typically set in early spring semesters.

 

Applicants please note:

If your research involves human subjects, you will also need to have your research plan approved by the Campus Institutional Review Board. These approval processes are not automatic and can take time, so you are encouraged to begin this process at the time of application for the fellowship. Do not wait until you receive an award notification. No fellowship funds can be released until the necessary registry and approval requirements have been fulfilled. This is a University rule.