Summer Grants
April 8, 2024 UPDATE:
THE WCAS SUMMER GRANTS PROGRAM APPLICATION PORTAL WILL OPEN ON APRIL 15, 2024 AND CLOSE ON MAY 2, 2024 AT SOAP.NORTHWESTERN.EDU.
WCAS Summer Grant Awards from the Weinberg College Baker Program in Undergraduate Research are made to Weinberg College first-years, sophomores, and juniors and consist of a $4000 stipend to cover research and living expenses for a continuous eight-week summer period. Students in other NU schools who propose research with Weinberg College faculty are not eligible for this award. Award priority is based on seniority and preference is given to rising seniors engaged in independent scholarly work, such as a senior thesis.
To be eligible for a WCAS summer research grant, students MUST meet the following conditions:
- Their home school is Weinberg College, i.e., they will graduate with a Weinberg College degree, and are not students in other schools who have a second major in Weinberg;
- They may not be enrolled in summer classes at Northwestern or elsewhere during the eight-week research period;
- They are not graduating any earlier than the end of the Fall 2024 term;
- They must not accept any other research grant that covers the eight-week research period;
- They must be in good academic standing.
In accepting a WCAS Summer Grant you agree to abide by these eligibility requirements for the duration of the research grant period; violation of these requirements may result in retraction of the award.
Note: applicants typically must apply first for an Undergraduate Research Grant (URG) Summer Grant through the Provost's Office before applying for a Weinberg Summer grant. If the URG application is not funded, then one may apply for a WCAS Summer Research Grant.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR RESEARCH ABROAD. Applicants who plan to conduct any of their summer research outside of the United States should submit their applications as soon as the application portal opens. Please be aware that all research conducted abroad with the support of College and/or University funds carries additional requirements set out by NU's Office of Global Safety and Security: http://undergradresearch.northwestern.edu/international-projects. These requirements must be met before successful applicants will receive any funds. Travel to certain countries may be restricted for health and safety reasons. Note also that the $4000 amount applies to students conducting research abroad as well; there are not supplemental funds for research abroad.
Please note that applications have outstripped available funds for the past several years. While the majority of applications have been funded in the past, you should pursue other opportunities for summer funding and employment--and not assume that you will receive a WCAS summer grant, even with a strong proposal and faculty endorsement.
You should allow at least two to three weeks for a decision from the time that your faculty mentor provides his or her online endorsement of your proposal. As in the past, decisions will be made on rolling basis, with priority given to rising seniors and thesis research; sophomores and first-year applicants may need to wait longer for a decision. Awards will be paid at the end of June and the end of July. If you are awarded a summer grant and are interested in being paid in June, you should submit your proposal as soon as possible.
Though the URG committee does not consider applications of less than eight weeks of research, Weinberg College may do so. Weinberg students who seek support for a shorter period than eight weeks of concentrated research may be considered for a prorated stipend. Prorated awards are usually for six or seven weeks of research, as approved by the faculty supervisor. Applications for fewer than six weeks are rarely successful and applications for four weeks or fewer are not considered.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Application for WCAS summer grant is made via an online protocol — similar to the one used by the Undergraduate Research Grants (URG) program administered by the Assoc. Provost’s Office. This protocol is available at: https://soap.northwestern.edu. From that site you can access links for both Provost's Office and WCAS grants.
DEADLINES
The WCAS Summer Grants application portal will open on April 15, 2024 and close on May 2, 2024.
An application is not complete and cannot be considered for funding until the online faculty endorsement has been submitted. It is your responsibility alone to make sure your faculty research supervisor has submitted his or her endorsement! Typically, students can expect a decision on their proposal within two to three weeks after Weinberg receives the complete application package, including the faculty sponsor endorsement, although non-preferenced applications may take longer. Please be aware of the IRB and international travel requirements (if applicable), explained on our Grants for Undergraduate Research page. Grant recipients who do not meet applicable requirements may have their grants delayed or revoked.