Summer Research Travel Grants


HARVARD UNIVERSITY
INTERNATIONAL CENTERS

Summer Research Travel Grants (SRTG)

2007-2008 Common Application Process

Deadline: Tuesday, February 26, 2008, 12:00 noon at OCS

•  About the International Centers' SRTG common application process
•  Participating centers and their SRTG descriptions
•  Application instructions
•  Application trouble-shooting

For logistical questions about this application process, email the Fellowships Office at OCS (ocsgrant@fas.harvard.edu) or call (617) 495-8126.

About the International Centers' SRTG common application process:

Fifteen of the University's international research centers and programs will use a common application process this spring for their undergraduate and graduate summer research travel grants. This application process consists of several elements in common:

•  an application form (using the CARAT application tool),
•  basic application elements (a cover sheet, transcript, resume, proposal, budget, and two recommendations),
•  a single application deadline (February 26, 2008, at 12:00 noon), and
•  a single application collection point (the Fellowships Office at OCS).

In addition to these common application elements, participating research centers are also committed to a common award decision schedule. While each center will follow its own selection procedures, the common goal is to reach award decisions by early April—the individual centers to which you apply will notify you of their decisions directly.

Participating centers and their SRTG descriptions:

The Harvard international centers participating in this SRTG common application process are listed below. Click on a center's name to read more about its summer research travel grants, or simply scroll down for the same information.

•  Asia Center
•  Center for International Development
•  Center for Middle Eastern Studies
•  Committee on African Studies
•  Committee on Human Rights Studies
•  David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies
•  Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies
•  Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies
•  Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies
•  Korea Institute
•  Real Colegio Complutense
•  Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies
•  South Asia Initiative
•  Ukrainian Research Institute
•  Weatherhead Center for International Affairs

Application instructions:

There are six basic steps to this application, which are listed below. (Click here for a one-page copy of these instructions.)

1. Register through CARAT (the on-line “Common Application for Research and Travel” tool). The information you provide when you register will allow you to generate the application form, budget proposal, and additional instructions for submitting your completed application.

2. Print and sign the forms required for the application when you have finished uploading your registration information through CARAT. These will include a worksheet (telling you how many photocopied application sets each research center requires from you), an application form (which will become your application cover sheet), and a budget proposal (which will be included with your other application materials).

3. Assemble your original set of application materials. Your complete set of materials will include several items, collated in the following order:

4. Make the required number of photocopied application sets. The application worksheet generated through CARAT will indicate how many photocopied sets of the above materials you'll need to submit with your application. Each of these photocopied application sets should be assembled in the order specified in Step 3 above, and stapled together in the upper left-hand corner.

5. Collect your two letters of recommendation. One of these should be from an instructor supervising or familiar with your research. Both should comment on the suitability of your project. Letters should be addressed to the “Summer Research Travel Grants selection committees” and submitted in person with your other application materials, in sealed envelopes with the recommender's signature across the seal. Be sure to include an access waiver form for each of your recommendations.

6. Deliver your application materials — your "originals" set, your photocopied sets, and your two recommendation letters — to the Fellowships Office at OCS by Tuesday, February 26, at 12:00 noon. Please note that this is a non-negotiable deadline, and that late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. We encourage you to submit your materials well before the deadline if you can.

Application trouble-shooting:

CARAT application tool —If you experience technical difficulties using the on-line CARAT application tool, e-mail FAS Administrative Computing Support at admincmp@fas.harvard.edu or call (617) 495-7983, well before the deadline.

General application logistics —If you experience any logistical difficulties putting together your materials, e-mail the Fellowships Office at OCS ocsgrant@fas.harvard.edu or call (617) 495-8126. We recommend that you print out and assemble all of your materials by Friday, February 22 so that you may organize your application with time to spare before submission.

Research or study proposal —There is no prescribed topic or formula. Your proposal should simply outline the research or study you hope to undertake (including its significance and your methodology) as well as the reasons you have for pursuing it in your proposed destination(s). Your proposal may not exceed 750 words.

Budget proposal —If the form generated through CARAT doesn't allow space to address your expenses or other needs adequately, you may include a single-page budget proposal addendum with your original set of application materials and each of your photocopied sets.

Supplemental materials —If an international center requires supplemental information from you, be sure to include this material as indicated in Step 3 of the application instructions above. Supplemental materials will not be accepted in any other circumstance.

Recommendation waiver forms —You do not need to give these forms to your recommenders as long as you inform your recommenders that you are either retaining or waiving your rights of access to their recommendations. You can submit these waiver forms yourself with the rest of your application.

Late or absent recommendations —If you encounter difficulty collecting your recommendation letters, be sure to submit your other application materials by the deadline, giving yourself time to collect your letters later that afternoon. Recommenders may also send letters by fax to (617) 496-6880 or by e-mail to ocsgrant@fas.harvard.edu by the deadline, provided signed originals follow immediately.

If you can't submit your application materials in person by the deadline, you may arrange to have someone submit them for you, provided that materials are submitted by the deadline. If you plan on mailing your application to the Fellowships Office, be sure to arrange for delivery on the day before the deadline to ensure timely submission.

Additional questions —For questions about a participating center's requirements, contact the center's grant coordinator directly by e-mail or telephone. (Grant coordinator contact information is included in “Participating centers and their SRTG descriptions” below.)

ASIA CENTER SUMMER TRAVEL GRANTS (undergraduate)

The Asia Center offers a number of awards for summer research and language study. Award amounts generally do not exceed $3,000 unless otherwise noted. The amount of funds is limited, and applicants are strongly urged to apply to other sources as well in order to meet full travel costs.

For further information and application materials, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Jorge Espada (jespada@fas.harvard.edu)
Asia Center
CGIS South, Room 118A
1730 Cambridge Street
(617) 496-3981
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~asiactr/undergradgrants.htm

 

CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAVEL GRANTS (undergraduate)

The Center for International Development (CID) offers a limited number of grants to current undergraduates for field research on international development issues in developing countries (other than the student's home country). These grants are intended to defray travel and other direct research costs but may not be used for research or expenses in Cambridge, to hire a research assistant, or for taxis, rental cars, or program fees. Proposals should contain a clearly stated research question, a realistic scope of work, a well-designed plan to conduct the research, and a recommendation letter, preferably from a CID faculty associate, indicating support for the project. Awardees are selected based on faculty endorsement, the project's relevance to the international development field and CID, and academic value/feasibility of the project.

For further information and application materials, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Melissa Wojciechowski (melissa_wojciechowski@harvard.edu)
Center for International Development
Rubenstein Building, Room 408
79 John F. Kennedy Street
(617) 495-4806
http://www.cid.harvard.edu/cidstudents/summerinternship.html

 

CENTER FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES SUMMER AWARDS (undergraduate and graduate)

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) sponsors the following programs in support of summer research and/or field work:

For further information and application materials, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Dr. Susan Miller (sgmiller@fas.harvard.edu)
Moroccan Studies Summer Awards
Center for Middle Eastern Studies
38 Kirkland Street
(617) 495-4047
http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/

Dr. Susan Kahn (skahn@fas.harvard.edu)
Henry Rosovsky Summer Fellowships
Center for Middle Eastern Studies
38 Kirkland Street
(617) 495-7596
http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/

 

COMMITTEE ON AFRICAN STUDIES SUMMER TRAVEL GRANTS (undergraduate and graduate)

The Committee on African Studies offers summer travel grants to assist Harvard juniors with senior honors thesis research and Harvard graduate students doing doctoral dissertation research on Africa. These grants are for research in the social sciences or humanities and are only for travel in Sub-Saharan Africa. All grants cover only partial expenses, and interested students should also apply elsewhere for funds. Undergraduate grants are for a minimum of eight weeks' summer stay in Africa.

Please note the specific additional instructions for the Committee on African Studies grants which are listed on the common application forms. Specifically, an itinerary and a review of the literature as it applies to the thesis topic must accompany the application.

For further information and application materials, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Rita Breen (rbreen@fas.harvard.edu) OR
Lisa Tiemann (cafrica@fas.harvard.edu)
Committee on African Studies
CGIS South, Room 403
1730 Cambridge Street
(617) 495-5265
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~cafrica/grants.shtml

 

COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS STUDIES SUMMER RESEARCH AWARDS (undergraduate)

Harvard University Committee on Human Rights Studies summer research awards are intended to support students carrying out research projects anywhere in the world, including the United States, during the summer.

Proposals are welcome from virtually every discipline, with the stipulation that proposed research must relate to issues that centrally implicate human rights questions. All Harvard College students with sophomore or junior standing are eligible for these research awards. The awards are intended to encourage focused research; many students will wish to use the research opportunity to prepare for junior tutorials or senior theses.

Grants are generally made for up to $1,500, often in conjunction with awards from other Centers on campus. (IRB approvals, if necessary, need not be obtained before the proposal deadline. However, funds cannot be disbursed for projects requiring IRB approval until such approval is obtained.) Each student will conduct research under the direction of a faculty mentor. Mentors may be affiliated with any faculty of Harvard University; please note that the signature of your Head Tutor is required to indicate departmental approval.

A mid-term and final written report are required, and all awardees are additionally expected to orally present their work, usually in the winter, at a research symposium attended by Harvard faculty, fellows, scholars and students. Faculty members will be available to mentor awardees on the human rights aspects of their project throughout the year.

For additional information and application materials, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Program Manager (humanrights@harvard.edu)
University Committee on Human Rights Studies
14 Story Street, Room 417
(617) 496-4950
http://www.humanrights.harvard.edu/undergradstudy/award.html

 

DAVID ROCKEFELLER CENTER FOR LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES SUMMER RESEARCH TRAVEL GRANTS (undergraduate, graduate, and professional)

The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) awards grants to Harvard undergraduates and Harvard graduate/professional school students for research requiring travel to Latin America or the Caribbean, or to research sites within the United States. Average award amount for undergraduates is $1,100 and for graduate and professional students is $1,300. Grants may not be used for research or expenses in Cambridge, MA, to hire a research assistant, or for taxis, rental cars, or program fees.

For further information and application materials, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Katie Ferrari (kferrari@fas.harvard.edu)
David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies
CGIS South, 2nd Floor
1730 Cambridge Street
(617) 496-9153
http://www.drclas.harvard.edu/students/grants/summer_research

 

DAVIS CENTER FOR RUSSIAN AND EURASIAN STUDIES GOLDMAN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH TRAVEL GRANTS (undergraduate)

Goldman Undergraduate Research Travel Grants are offered annually by the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies. Grants typically cover up to $4,000 towards travel and living expenses for students carrying out independent research on topics in Russian and Eurasian studies. Depending on destination, grant recipients may also receive logistical assistance from the Davis Center 's Moscow liaison, who can help arrange homestays, archival access, and other assistance.

Full-time enrolled undergraduates who are pursuing independent research on topics in Russian and Eurasian studies are eligible. Preference is given to juniors doing research for a senior thesis.

Grant recipients are expected to spend at least six to eight weeks in Russia, Central, Eastern, or Southeastern Europe, and/or Central Asia carrying out a research project. Exceptions to the minimum time requirement may be granted only by written petition with strong support from the student's thesis advisor. Because the Goldman grants may not cover all costs associated with a research trip, applicants are expected to seek alternate funding sources.

Upon completion of the research trip, grant recipients submit a summary expense report and a brief narrative report (one to three pages) summarizing their accomplishments, any obstacles they encountered, and any changes to the scope of their project as a result of the trip. Grant recipients are also expected to present their findings at the Undergraduate Colloquium on Russian and Eurasian Studies, hosted each spring by the Davis Center.

For additional information, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Donna Griesenbeck (griesenb@fas.harvard.edu)
Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies
1730 Cambridge Street, Room 301C
(617) 495-1194
http://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/student_programs/undergrad_trav_grants.html

 

MINDA DE GUNZBURG CENTER FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES SUMMER TRAVEL AND RESEARCH GRANTS (undergraduate)

The Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies offers undergraduate summer travel grants to fund summer research in Europe for juniors in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences preparing senior theses on political, historical, economic, social, cultural, and intellectual trends in contemporary (post-1750) Europe. Grants must be used for research abroad during the summer break, and may not be used for equipment or for expenses in the US. The maximum award is $6,000. Funding is provided by the Krupp Foundation and by the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies. The amount of funds is limited, and applicants are urged to apply to other sources as well in order to meet full travel costs; in some cases, funding will be shared with other centers.

(Ariadne Undergraduate Summer Travel Grants to Greece fund summer research in Europe for undergraduate students preparing senior theses on political, historical, economic, social, cultural, and intellectual trends in modern or contemporary Greece. The maximum award is $6,000. Undergraduates should apply for a CES Summer Travel Thesis Research Grant and indicate in the proposal that they are applying for an Ariadne Grant.)

For over a decade, CES has offered these summer research travel grants for senior thesis writers. The Center also offers a series of workshops geared towards all students preparing a thesis, not just those who are doing research on Europe. Workshops on the following topics will be held in 2007-08:

The Center's publication “How to Write a Good Proposal” is an invaluable guide for students who expect to apply for funding to carry out their thesis research. Copies are available at CES and at the Fellowships Office at OCS. For further information and application materials, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Christy Colburn (ccolburn@fas.harvard.edu)
Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies
27 Kirkland Street
(617) 495-4303
http://www.ces.fas.harvard.edu/grants/descriptions_ug.html#test1

 

FAIRBANK CENTER FOR CHINESE STUDIES SUMMER TRAVEL GRANTS (undergraduate)

These grants support undergraduate research during the summer in or relating to China or Taiwan. Preference will be given to students whose research is directly related to a senior honors thesis. Grants will not exceed $3,000. Award amounts vary, but may cover a round-trip charter rate airfare between Boston and the destination country and a small stipend. Funds are limited, and applicants are strongly urged also to apply to other sources as well in order to meet full travel costs. Recipients are required to submit a brief report on their work over the summer.

For further information and application materials, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Jorge Espada (jespada@fas.harvard.edu)
Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies
CGIS South, Room 118A
1730 Cambridge Street
(617) 496-3981
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~asiactr/undergradgrants.htm

 

KOREA INSTITUTE SUMMER TRAVEL GRANTS (undergraduate)

The Korea Institute offers several Min Young-Chul Fellowships and one LG Yonam Fellowship to undergraduate students for summer research and/or fieldwork in Korea. Proposals must relate to a prospective senior thesis focused on Korea in order to be considered for a Min Fellowship. Typically, the amount of the award is limited to the cost of travel in the research project. Additional support for the cost of materials and other ancillary expenses may also be sought, but only in exceptional circumstances does the amount of the summer research award exceed the amount budgeted for travel expenses. Grants are open to undergraduate concentrators in all social sciences or humanities fields. Undergraduate applicants should have two years of Korean language training or functional proficiency in the language.

For further information and application materials, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Susan Laurence (korea@fas.harvard.edu)
Korea Institute
CGIS South, Room 228
1730 Cambridge Street
(617) 384-7388
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~asiactr/undergradgrants.htm

 

REAL COLEGIO COMPLUTENSE SUMMER FIELD RESEARCH GRANTS (undergraduate and graduate)

The Real Colegio Complutense (RCC) offers research grants for short periods of individual field research in Spain. These RCC grants are awarded to outstanding undergraduate or graduate Harvard students, to provide them with the opportunity to gather research data and develop contacts with scholars and institutions in their fields. The research projects must be related to papers, senior honors theses, or dissertations supervised by a Harvard professor or department, on Spanish subjects that have Spain as a central focus, such as Spain as part of the European and/or Latin American communities).

For further information and application materials, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Elizabeth Kline (rcc-info@camail.harvard.edu)
Real Colegio Complutense
26 Trowbridge Street
(617) 495-3536
http://www.realcolegiocomplutense.harvard.edu/BecasEn.htm#Summer%20grants

 

REISCHAUER INSTITUTE OF JAPANESE STUDIES UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER TRAVEL GRANTS (undergraduate)

The Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University awards summer grants to Harvard undergraduates for field work, research, and Japanese language study in Japan.

Students should inform the Reischauer Institute of their intentions to apply for these grants.
(The Reischauer Institute also awards grants to undergraduates to support summer internships in Japan; students interested in these grants should see www.fas.harvard.edu/~rijs/fellowships/undergrad.html.)

For further information and application materials, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Dr. Ted Gilman, Associate Director (tgilman@fas.harvard.edu)
Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies
CGIS South, Room 233
1730 Cambridge Street
(617) 495-3220
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~rijs/fellowships/undergrad.html

 

SOUTH ASIA INITIATIVE TATA UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDY GRANTS (undergraduate and graduate)

South Asia Initiative (SAI) Tata Study Grants are available to Harvard undergraduates across all disciplines for research or field work in South Asia, and Harvard graduate students across all disciplines and schools of the University whose master's or doctoral theses are focused on and involve research or field work in South Asia. Grantees may use their award any time during the academic year following receipt of the SAI grant.

For further information and application materials, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Ian Jackson (ijackson@fas.harvard.edu)
South Asia Initiative
CGIS South, Room 427
1730 Cambridge Street
(617) 496-4862
http://www.sainit.fas.harvard.edu/research.htm

 

UKRAINIAN INSTITUTE SUMMER RESEARCH TRAVEL GRANTS (undergraduate and graduate)

Both undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at Harvard are eligible to apply to the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute Summer Research Travel Grant program. Grants provide support to conduct projects in Ukraine, or regional projects in which Ukraine is a major element, during the summer. Grants of up to $2,000 for graduate students and $1,500 for undergraduates are available for travel and research expenses.

For further information and application materials, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Tamara Nary (nary@fas.harvard.edu)
Ukrainian Research Institute
1583 Massachusetts Avenue
(617) 495-3549
http://www.huri.harvard.edu

 

WEATHERHEAD CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER TRAVEL GRANTS (undergraduate)

The Weatherhead Center runs an annual competition for approximately 20 travel grants to support the summer field research of Harvard undergraduates. These grants, ranging from $500 to $5,000, are designed to help finance travel in connection with senior thesis research on international affairs. All grant recipients become Undergraduate Associates of the Weatherhead Center for the year following their summer research and present their research findings at a seminar organized by the Center in the spring of their senior year.

The Center will judge each p roposal on the strength of its research design and methodology, the applicant's preparation for the project, the demonstrated academic talent of the applicant, the feasibility of the project and the need for field research to fulfill its goals, and the relevance of the research to the interests of the Center.

The Weatherhead Center will hold a workshop open to all undergraduates on writing the grant proposal in early February.

For further information and application materials, contact the OCS Fellowships Office or:

Clare Putnam (cputnam@wcfia.harvard.edu)
Weatherhead Center Student Programs
CGIS North, Room 221
1737 Cambridge Street
(617) 495-9899
http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/funding/student/summer_travel

 

 

 



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