Guidelines for Grants
Eligibility
- You must be a Weinberg undergraduate to apply for Weinberg research grants. (Students enrolled in other NU Schools, who are also doing Weinberg majors, are not eligible for these grants.)
- Except where specified (such as with Conference Grants), applicants typically must first apply for a Northwestern University Undergraduate Research Grant (URG) from the Provost’s Office before turning to Weinberg College for funding. If your proposal is turned down by URG, you may then apply to Weinberg, using the Weinberg application form. Your URG proposal may be used to develop your Weinberg proposal, revising as recommended by the URG review committee and in consultation with your faculty sponsor. In most cases, the letter from your URG sponsor (faculty) may be used again for the WCAS grant proposal, but please note that he or she will need to endorse your WCAS proposal when prompted by the email, which is automatically generated when you submit your WCAS proposal. Although your sponsor will receive this email automatically, it is your responsibility alone to make sure your sponsor's endorsement has been submitted. Your grant status will update from "Endorsement" to "Award Decision" after your faculty sponsor has submitted their endorsement.
- Beginning the Required IRB Application Process: The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Northwestern University is a multi-disciplinary committee that reviews research involving human subjects in order to ensure that the rights and welfare of human subjects are protected. Federal law and NU policy mandates that all biomedical as well as social/behavioral research involving human subjects must receive IRB approval prior to the start of the research. If your proposed research involves collecting data from human subjects (including interviews, surveys, etc.), you will need to obtain IRB approval before you may begin your project.
All Northwestern researchers, including undergraduates, who are involved in the conduct of human subjects research are required to complete initial human subjects protection training and to re-certify every three years. This training is separate from the application process to receive IRB approval for your research project.
Please see the IRB webpage for more information: https://www.irb.northwestern.edu/
Notification
Allow at least two weeks from the submission of the complete application, including the faculty recommendation, to receive a decision from Weinberg on your grant.
Critical information for international travel
Whether traveling to a Travel Warning country or not, all student travelers should reference the information for undergraduates provided by Global Safety and Security.
All grant recipients whose plans include international travel (except those travelling to their home countries) are required to complete Northwestern’s Undergraduate Travel Policies, which include enrollment in Northwestern’s International Travel Registry. When you have completed all requirements, send a screenshot of your Travel Registry Summary to wcas-stugrnt@northwestern.edu. This notification email MUST have your first and last name and "Travel Registry Complete" in the subject line. Your funds will not be processed until this step is complete.
- Your grant cannot be processed and paid to you until you complete all the requirements outlined in the university's Undergraduate Travel Policies, which for most students include enrolling in Northwestern’s GeoBlue for Students plan and the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
- Grants can only be paid on the last day of the month, and it requires that an early-month payroll deadline is met. The earlier that you complete the pre-departure requirements, the quicker we can start processing your payroll paperwork, so that you can receive your funding.
- Your Travel Registry must be complete at least 7 business days before your departure, or your grant could be revoked.
If your grant is used to study abroad, you must register through the Global Learning Office’s GLOapp
If you have any questions or problems with any of your Health & Safety pre-departure requirements, contact Andrea Mendoza in the Office of Global Safety and Security.
Questions?
Contact Ricardo Court, Assistant Dean for Academic Integrity and Undergraduate Research, at wcas-stugrnt@northwestern.edu or at: court@northwestern.edu.