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Undergraduate / Research Opportunities Summer Research Programs

All of the summer research programs on this page are well established and typically include a stipend.

Application due dates are early (from November to February) and enrollment is fairly competitive. Be sure to start your applications early.

Although some program names may imply a required specialization, many programs are interdisciplinary and accept students from a wide range of backgrounds.

Program details change frequently so be sure to double check each program's website for more information.

For more information and general advice, consider participating in our Peer Advising in Research program, where you can talk to experienced undergraduate researchers in various fields.

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Northwestern Summer Research Programs

Non-northwestern summer research programs, study abroad summer research programs.

These programs are open to any eligible college undergraduate. Some Northwestern students have enrolled in these programs, but most Northwestern students doing summer research at NU go through a more informal process of approaching individual professors .

Paid Research Opportunities at NU Physical Sciences-Oncology Center

The NU Physical Sciences-Oncology Center is funded by the National Cancer Institute and uses physical sciences-based approaches to understand the molecular changes leading to cancer. The 8-week program includes hands-on laboratory research, weekly seminars in tumor biology, and two two-day workshops.

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)

Applicants work under a Center faculty on an available project that best matches the student’s research interests. Research topics include polymers and polymer nanocomposites, multifunctional metal oxides, nanowires and molecular electronics, biologically relevant materials, art conservation, device fabrication, and computational modeling. This is an REU program.

Summer Research Opportunity (SROP)

The mission of SROP has been to increase diversity among students pursuing graduate education and to provide a valuable academic research experience for many students who might not otherwise have access to such opportunities. Each student selected to participate in the program will work with a faculty member in the student's area of interest. An Early Admission Decision Program exists, and course credit is available.

Continuing Umbrella of Research Experience (CURE)

CURE gives underserved college students the opportunity to work alongside top cancer researchers at the Lurie Comprehensive Research Center in downtown Chicago.

McCormick Summer Research Awards

McCormick recognizes and encourages excellence in undergraduate research by holding a competition for awards of up to $5,000 each for qualifying undergraduate summer research.

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The details and application requirements for summer research programs change frequently. Please contact the McCormick Office of Undergraduate Engineering to learn about current opportunities for summer research outside of Northwestern.

You can also take advantage of McCormick's Peer Advising in Research program to get more information about recent student experiences doing summer research.

DAAD (Germany) - Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE)

RISE is a summer internship program for undergraduate students from the United States, Canada, and the UK, in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences and engineering to do research in top universities/institutions across Germany. DAAD provides various kinds of scholarships to intern and do research in Germany. Most of the scholarships are for summer period, but some allow three-month or year-long internships. Check eligibility requirements carefully.

The ThinkSwiss Research Scholarships

A scholarship offered through a program facilitated by the Swiss Embassy. Undergraduates and graduate applicants across the US compete for 15 research scholarships, to help support their research at a Swiss university. Applicants need to be accepted to a laboratory/research center in Switzerland prior to their application.

Contact Info

Wesley Burghardt Associate Dean for Undergraduate Engineering

McCormick Office of Undergraduate Engineering Phone: 847-491-7379 Fax: 847-491-5341 Email Undergraduate Engineering

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Eligibility, application, application process, summer undergraduate research grants (surg).

SURGs provide a $4,000 stipend to cover living expenses for eight weeks of full-time research on an independent academic or creative project, in all fields of study, under faculty supervision. Independent research grants center around a research question you seek to answer through the proposed methodology; you should be involved in multiple aspects of the research process including data collection, analysis, and synthesis of results (regardless of what methodology is used to answer the proposed question). Your project can be completed during any eight weeks of the summer term.

Applications center on a two-page, single-spaced research grant proposal (1″ margins, Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11), and proposals that do not meet these formatting expectations will not be considered by the review committee. We realize that writing a grant proposal is a new experience, and we have many resources (details below) to help teach you this new skill . You can meet with an advisor to get started.

The $4,000 is disbursed as a lump sum at the beginning of the summer, to be used at the student’s discretion. The Office of Undergraduate Research does not provide summer housing. If staying in Evanston, many students leverage resources from Off-Campus Living to identify summer sublets. If you travel internationally, you can request up to 50% of your airfare in addition to the base stipend.

SURGs may not be used for language study, established institutional research programs, or study-abroad programs. SURGs cannot be used to pay for internships or participation in volunteer activities.

Check out the 2024 Summer URG Winners!

2024 Summer URG Final Reports are due by Monday, September 2, 2024. Learn more about Final Reports.

If you already received a SURG from the Office of Undergraduate Research, you may be eligible for a second grant through the Summer URG Advanced program.

The deadline for Summer 2025 is Friday, March 14 (11:59 PM CST). We hope to make decision announcements in mid-to-late April.

Before you submit, please review the Summer URG Application Checklist !

Student Eligibility

Eligible Applicants:

All current Northwestern University undergraduates (including SPS students working towards completion of an undergraduate degree and NUQ students)
Students who have not previously been awarded a SURG through the Office of Undergraduate Research

If you already received a SURG from the Office of Undergraduate Research, you may be eligible for a second grant through the Summer URG Advanced program.

Ineligible Applicants:

Undergraduates at other institutions
Northwestern students in advanced degree programs (including students who are in BS/MS programs who have completed the undergraduate degree requirements)
Seniors applying to conduct projects after graduation (must be returning to undergraduate coursework in the fall)

Eight Week Requirement

Students can satisfy the eight week grant requirement any time during the summer term, which is defined as after the end of the spring quarter exam period and the start of fall quarter.   Weeks do not necessarily need to be consecutive.   During these eight weeks, students cannot have additional time commitments, such as internships or classes . You CANNOT take classes (or do an internship) during the 8 weeks that you establish for your project, even asynchronous classes. However, if you can schedule classes (or an internship) outside of the project weeks, you may do so. However, there can be no overlap between the class and the project weeks. We will be checking summer enrollment status with the Registrar. If we find that you are taking classes during the weeks you established for your project, you will be asked to return the grant funding, and your grant will be revoked. Summer URG project weeks cannot begin until after the spring quarter exam period for the University is over; in other words, even if you are done early, you can’t start counting weeks until after exams. You MUST have 8 weeks clear of all other obligations during which you will focus on your project to be eligible for a Summer URG.

If you have significant financial need, you may hold a part time job during the grant period as long as it doesn’t interfere with your progress on your project or the full-time nature of the grant obligation .  It is not that we do not think you are capable of taking on additional work; rather, we know students engage with research differently when it is an immersive experience.

Students must notify the Office of Undergraduate Research before they accept any additional funding for their projects.

Program Requirements

After you accept your grant reward, you can begin to fulfill two grant expectations: Peer Mentor Groups & Summer Skills Workshops

Summer Peer Mentors (PMs) are undergraduate leaders who have successfully completed their own independent researchers and want to help facilitate your SURG journey. Upon accepting your SURG reward, you will be placed into a small PM group along with fellow SURG awardees from a similar discipline. Your PM will introduce you to your group in spring quarter wherein you maintain contact throughout your 8 week-project through regular check-ins. As a part of accepting your SURG award, you agree to abide by the following expectations:

Attend the first PM group meeting in Spring Quarter (as scheduled by your PM)
Complete & submit a Mentor/Mentee Expectation Agreement with your PM
Schedule and attend 1on1 formal check-in meetings with your PM during weeks 1, 4, and 8 of your research project (3 in total)

The Summer Skills Workshops are meant to prepare you for the most successful independent research experience possible. Upon accepting your SURG award, you will be expected to sign up for one session of Summer Skills occurring during the last two weeks of the quarter. In Summer Skills, we will work on identifying common research issues and learning how to approach them confidently. With a cohort of like-minded research peers and mentors, we will discuss 1) what resources build our confidence and 2) how we can apply that to problem-solving research challenges. As a part of accepting your SURG award, you are to abide by the following expectations:

Developing Your Application Package

Independent research projects.

This program is for new, original research only. The development of new, original research ideas occur differently across fields. In some fields, the student is the sole intellectual driver of the project idea, whereas in other fields the development of the research question is more collaborative and the student may be working on a smaller, independent research question within a larger research effort towards a common goal.

Two or three person group projects are allowed. Each additional member of a group provides you with an additional page to your proposal. For example, a two person group is allowed a three page proposal, and a three person group is allowed four pages. However, you will need to explain why this project needs to be done with multiple people. Group members collaborate to create a single grant proposal that clearly articulates the different roles, responsibilities, and qualifications of each member. Each group member submits the same proposal, and each person is eligible for a $4,000 grant. The group application will be considered as a single entity, i.e. if awarded, all group members must accept/complete the grant, or the funding will be rescinded. We recommend that all groups work with an Office of Undergraduate Research advisor. We do not allow groups larger than three people.

Choosing a Faculty Sponsor

Identify your research interests and explore the existing research that has been done on the topic by talking with lots of faculty members . Many faculty have wide-ranging interests and skills, and you may find the ‘perfect’ advisor in an unexpected place. If you have a non-Northwestern faculty sponsor, you will need to request access to the application system on behalf of your sponsor. You can request access by emailing the sponsor’s name, email address, relation to you, and the name of the grant program to which you are applying to the Office of Undergraduate Research at least 10 days in advance of the deadline .

Faculty members can help you explore your research interests and develop a good project. You will identify a faculty sponsor/advisor, and this person will help you develop your application materials and oversee your project if you are awarded the grant. It is expected that the faculty will serve as an expert in the field to help you develop project methodology and to help you determine the correct literature to review for the proposal/project development.

If you find that a number of faculty members might be appropriate advisors for your project, carefully consider the specific contours and timeline of your project:

Can they help you with the aspects of the research that you believe will be especially difficult or problematic?
Will this faculty member be available to assist you throughout the duration of your project?

Drafting Your Proposal

The Office of Undergraduate Research does not expect any student to know how to write a grant proposal! We meet with students in one-on-one advising appointments , where we regularly guide students through the process of writing a grant. We also have a lot of resources to help you get started.

Proposal Basics

The writing required for a research proposal is not like other, more familiar, forms of writing. In particular, it does not work like an essay where you weave your ideas in and out of the different sections. Grant proposals are very segmented; each section is its own little pod. In general, you complete the section and never revisit the content in it – you simply move on to the next argument you have to make.

For this particular grant, there are four main sections that should be included within the two page limit. Our Proposal Writing page explains these sections in depth.

Proposals now require the following subheadings: Introduction, Background/Lit Review, Methodology, and Qualifications. Your research question/hypothesis should be in bold.

Two pages, 1″ margins, single spaced (*Google Docs defaults to 1.15 spacing! You must change it manually!)

Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11 font

No headers, footers, or cover pages

The committee prefers that your name is a part of the title of the proposal that you upload.

Additional Resources

ANNOTATED SAMPLE GRANT PROPOSALS: This resource includes a description of common types of research methodologies, COVID considerations as they apply to specific methodologies, and a database of 25+ annotated sample grant proposals. We recommend you read annotated sample grants based on which methodology is most applicable to your project, not based on which sample grant is closest to your field of study.

SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH GRANT SUBMISSION CHECKLIST: Be sure to review this checklist before you submit to ensure that your final proposal meets the minimum requirements!

THE ADVENTURES OF GRANT MAN WEBSERIES: This web series follows three students as they struggle through the process of creating a project connected to what they want to research— plus, you’ll get to meet the mysterious Grant Man, who seems to have all the answers (and a cowboy hat to boot).

LIBRARY RESOURCES: This page introduces you to helpful library resources for developing your project and your application. It includes a video overview on how to make the most of the library, links to subject librarian contact information, and books to help you get started

Human Subjects Research

HUMAN SUBJECT RESEARCH REQUIRING IRB APPROVAL

If your project involves you interacting with living people in any way, you may need IRB approval before you begin. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Northwestern University is a 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 and social/behavioral research involving human subjects must receive IRB approval prior to the start of the research.

If your proposed research involves human subjects (including interviews, surveys, clinical research on living people, etc.), you need to obtain approval from the Institutional Review Board before you may begin your project. You will need to complete an IRB application and include a protocol, recruitment material, consents and any data collection instruments (see the IRB web site for the IRB Protocols, Templates and Forms that you may need.).
All Northwestern researchers, including undergraduates, who are involved in the conduct of human subjects research are required to complete CITI initial human subjects protection training and to recertify every 3 years. This training is separate from the application process to receive IRB approval for your research project.
While students will prepare the IRB application (as the Primary Contact), only faculty can serve as PI (Principal Investigator) and submit the application.
IRB applications are submitted electronically through the eIRB+ system .

Summer URG applicants must complete CITI training and add the completion certificate to their application. The formal IRB application process does not need to begin until you have been awarded the grant. However, if you have a complex project (such as research being conducted internally) or with what IRB considers high risk communities, then it is best to get started on your application before you get your award decision, as it can take some time to receive complete review and approval. If you don’t have IRB approval by the payroll deadlines, your grant could be rescinded.

RESEARCH INVOLVING PEOPLE THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE IRB APPROVAL

If you are not certain whether your activity is Human Research or you would like for the IRB Office to make that determination for you and provide you with documentation of that determination, complete the Human Research Determination Form (HRP-503).

Human Research Determination Form (HRP-503) : This document is intended for use for those studies that do not meet the definition of human subjects research. Upload this document in the protocol section of the eIRB+ study application.

Examples of when the research is not human subjects research:

Journalism/Documentary/Artistic Activities: Investigations and interviews that focus on specific events, views, etc., and that lead to publication in any medium (including electronic), documentary production, or are part of training that is explicitly linked to journalism; Writing a stage or screen play, poetry, musical, photo display, etc. based on the collected data.
Oral History or Case Study: The project is limited to oral history activities or investigations into some event. Data collect can come from open ended or one-on one interviews, but the interviews only document that specific historical event or the experiences of individuals related to an event, without the intent to draw conclusions or generalize findings. These interviews can be with more than one person.
Existing Data: Gathering or analyzing data that have been already collected by someone else, such as educational data, census data. The data are publicly available and have no identifiers (names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, etc.; any information that could specifically identify a person) included.

IRB review of research projects that are not human subjects research is required if you want the IRB to document that the IRB has agreed that no IRB review is necessary. If the IRB does not agree with you that your project is not human subject research, you will be asked to submit a regular protocol. DO NOT assume that your project is not human subjects research. You need to ask the IRB!

The staff at the Institutional Review Board is happy to answer your questions and assist you in preparing your application. Visit the IRB website for more information, including drop-in hours and locations.

Drafting Appendices

All applications require a Works Cited list. It is recommended by the committee that you name on your Works Cited list what citation style you are using. The inclusion of appendices listed below will depend on your particular project. Works cited and appendices do not count towards the two page grant limit. However, all components of your grant application will ultimately be uploaded to the application portal as a single PDF.

Human Subjects (CITI training and IRB application)

Research involving any kind of interaction with living people (human subject research) requires a separate application for IRB approval. If you are unsure whether your project requires IRB approval or not, please reach out to the IRB office for a consultation. Only the IRB office can determine if you need their review (in other words, your faculty sponsor does not have the authority to determine whether IRB approval is needed). You will also want to consider the ethical implications of your project, so please review these Principles of Ethical Research . Please see our Human Subject Research page for in depth information on this process.

You do NOT need to submit an IRB application at the time of your SURG application, but you DO need to complete CITI training (Social and Behavioral Basic Course) and include the certificate in your application appendix . If approved for funding, your award is conditional upon your forwarding to the Office of Undergraduate Research documentation from IRB showing their full approval.

Research can be conducted wherever you’d like: on campus or almost anywhere around the country or the world. When you apply, you can request extra money (half your airfare) for international projects (not in your home country); please read up on travel restrictions and approval process for students who are interested in conducting research internationally. If you request funding for international travel, include screenshots of the average cost of roundtrip flights to your destination in an appendix .

If your project includes travel to specific places to collect data, i ncluding a specific travel itinerary and research agenda in an appendix is important to demonstrate the feasibility of your plan to the faculty review committee.

Project-Affiliated Appendices

FIGURES: Figures are NOT required. Should you choose to include a figure or preliminary data, it should:

Be referenced in the two page proposal itself . You need to signal to the audience that there is supplemental information that follows.
Be complementary, but non-essential . First and foremost, you are evaluated based on the content within the require two pages. Figures should enhance your textual explanation, but not be critical to the audience’s understanding of your proposed work.
Include a figure title and figure legend to provide context for the audience. Be sure that other aspects of the figure are clearly labeled, like graph axes, scales, or key to symbols.
Contain only information relevant to your proposal. Figures should not raise more questions than they answer. You may need to adapt figures to narrow the context of what you are trying to demonstrate to the audience, which will prevent you from needing to explain additional information not relevant to your particular project.
Be cited if it is taken or adapted from another source.

PROOF OF SUPPORT : You need to demonstrate to the audience that your project is feasible. If you are relying on a collaboration, a partner organization, a key contact person, or specific subjects who have already agreed to interviews, you should include screenshots of your conversation as proof. If your project will not happen without SURG funding (and you are worried about asking people to agree to a project that is not yet certain), you may indicate in your email that you are applying for funding to support your work, but proof of support is required for the application.

INTERVIEW/SURVEY QUESTIONS : If your methodology uses interview or survey questions, the questions MUST be included in an appendix. This demonstrates to the committee that the data you plan to collect will sufficiently allow you to answer your research question (and there is alignment between these two components). For example, if your research question is about X, it should follow that the questions you pose to your subjects are ALSO about X (and not about some unrelated topic Y).

READING LISTS: If your methodology requires lots of reading (e.g. literary/composition analysis and some creative art projects), you should include a reading list to convince the committee that you have narrowed your focus to a specific starting place. However, you must do enough preliminary reading of material prior to grant submission to sufficiently argue the scholarly relevance of your proposed work in your background section.

ARCHIVAL COLLECTION PLAN: If your methodology requires collection of archival materials, you should include a list of what sort of content you plan to collect. This step is particularly important for proof of project feasibility when you are asking for funding to travel to the archive itself and only have a brief window of time for data collection.

Citing Scholarly Sources

Works cited formatting varies across disciplines, so you should use a citation format that is common in your field of study. Remember that one of the review questions is “Has the student justified the need/value of the project through a review of relevant and appropriately cited sources?”

If you are not certain what citation format is most common for your field, please leverage the Library’s Citation Style Guides and contact your Subject Librarian for additional guidance.

We strongly recommend you use citation management software to help you with this process. Check out the Northwestern Libraries instructions and tips for each of the following tools on their website. Or, attend a Library Citation Management workshop to teach you how to best use these tools:

Zotero is a free bibliographic manager that is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari allow you to easily save citations you find online. Zotero is compatible with Google Docs.
EndNote is a software program designed to store and manipulate bibliographic information. It is free to all Northwestern students, faculty and staff and can be downloaded from NUIT .
Mendeley is a free reference manager and academic social network.

Not sure which one to use? Check out the comparison guide for How to Choose: EndNote, Mendeley, or Zotero

Application Submission & Review Process

Faculty endorsement and faculty role.

Your faculty sponsor/advisor must submit an online endorsement of your research grant proposal within 72 hours after the application deadline. Unendorsed projects will not be considered. Make sure you give your faculty sponsor enough warning of the deadline. You should discuss your project with them ahead of time, and they should have a copy of your final proposal draft. Do not leave it to the day before to ask someone to give you an endorsement! For specific guidance tailored to faculty sponsors, including the endorsement questions, please visit the Faculty System Help webpage .

You will need your faculty sponsor’s netID or email at time of application. If you have a non-Northwestern faculty sponsor, you will need to request access to the application system on behalf of your sponsor. You can request access by emailing the sponsor’s name, email address, relation to you, and the name of the grant program to which you are applying to the Office of Undergraduate Research at least 10 days in advance of the deadline . .

Faculty will not receive an email notification to submit the endorsement until you formally submit the application. Please provide your sponsors the list of endorsement questions in advance of the deadline so they can begin drafting their responses. This way, they can simply copy/paste in their responses once they receive the notification email.

URG sponsors agree to serve the following roles:

A URG sponsor should meet with you during the development of the project to help ensure you are reading the relevant literature and potentially meeting with other faculty with connections to the idea. The sponsor will also help you develop a methodology that is both disciplinarily sound and feasible given the student’s skills and time frame.
A URG sponsor will enter an endorsement for the application within the online submission system. The endorsement is not a formal letter of recommendation; instead, the sponsor will be asked to answer four questions related to their thoughts on 1) the project, 2) the student’s independent contribution and the faculty’s mentoring plans, 3) the student themselves, and 4) other potential funding sources.
A URG sponsor should be available as a resource to you during the grant period. Research rarely works out according to plan, and we want you to have expert advice when you are grappling with the inevitable problems that will come up. Specific arrangements should be decided by the student and faculty.
A URG sponsor will approve your two-page summary report, submitted after the completion of the project. The grant cannot be closed with this endorsement. The URG sponsor will receive an automatic email once you submit your report. Students are enrolled in a 0-credit GEN-LA course with the grant, and without a final endorsement of their summary report from the faculty sponsor, they will review a U grade.

Application Evaluation

During the application process, you will indicate one of the following proposal categories: (1) Arts, Humanities, & Journalism, (2) Social and Behavioral Sciences, or (3) Natural Sciences & Engineering. Selecting a proposal category impacts which faculty review subcommittee will most likely read your proposal. If your proposal is at the interface of several fields (e.g. music composition relying strongly on computer science methods, or developing an app but evaluating user needs through social science methods), select the proposal category that best aligns with the methodology at the heart of the project such that faculty review committee experts can evaluate the approach and not just the output.

When the project is evaluated, it will be read by at least three faculty members (typically from the fields indicated by your proposal category) who serve on our faculty review committee. The committee looks for quality projects, and they can award as many grants as they want. We call it a merit-based, non-competitive process.

Ranked from Not Clear, Somewhat Clear, or Clear your application will be evaluated by the following measures:

Is there a clear, achievable research question/hypothesis?
Has the student justified the need/value of the project through a review of relevant and appropriately cited sources?”
Has the student articulated a viable methodology that will allow them to potentially answer their research question/hypothesis?
Does the student demonstrate adequate skills and contacts in order to successfully complete this project (or do you believe they can get them before the project begins)?
Do you feel there will be adequate mentoring and support for the student during this project?

Proposals now require the following subheadings: Introduction, Background/Lit Review, Methodology, and Qualifications. The research question/hypothesis should be in bold.

Review Committee Expectations

Proposal Threshold:

All URG proposals should be understandable to an educated, but not specialized, audience.
To be eligible for funding, all proposals, regardless of discipline, need to demonstrate a potentially answerable question.
This question needs to match a plan/methodology that can be reasonably expected to succeed in providing answers.
The questions can take many different types of forms, depending on the types of research done in diverse fields, but there must be, at its core, something the project seeks to answer and a means of answering it.
The end product of the project can range significantly from a lab report or paper to a performance piece. We do not show preferences among outcomes as long as they are suitable within the field.

Independence:

The URG project must have a significant component where the student will be expected to perform independent problem-solving. This grant is not an opportunity to hire technical help for a faculty project.
Definitions of independence vary across disciplines and research groups.
We expect lab students to be working within the research trajectory of the lab, but they need to demonstrate ownership of their particular project.
We want you to receive meaningful input and advice from advisors on how best to approach your project, so we discourage disengaged sponsors who do not seem invested in the project.

CREATIVE ARTS/JOURNALISM REVIEW:

All artists need to be able to justify their work, to make an argument for why this art is needed and/or will add to important conversations. In this way, creative projects do not work fundamentally differently than traditional research.
The need for the question should be justified through the literature review. While you will likely source different types of material compared to traditional research, you still need to show that there is a hole in the appropriate current discourse and that this hole deserves to be filled. It is proper to also justify the form of art you are proposing.
The methods section should highlight specifically how this question will be answered. If you will be doing creative writing, for example, you should outline your writing process to give a sense of how the project will work. Still, the creative work itself may not answer the question, especially if the project focuses on a particular type of audience reaction. In those cases, how you will further use the creative work to answer your questions should be addressed.
You should demonstrate that you have enough background and/or training in the art form to make the project realistic. You do not necessarily need to be a major, but you need some experience/expertise if you hope to succeed in what you propose.
Like traditional research projects, you should be able to demonstrate the feasibility of the project in the proposal. If the project requires support from outside partners (performance space, resources, equipment, partner organization, etc.), you should include documentation in the appendix validating this support when applicable.

Decision Notification Process

For SURGs, students receive notification of award approximately one month after the deadline. If you are not selected for funding, you will get explicit feedback from the faculty review committee about what your proposal was missing.

You are welcome to apply to multiple funding opportunities on campus to maximize your chances of getting summer funding, but you cannot accept multiple awards. The Office of Undergraduate Research cannot provide advising for other grant programs not run through our office.

Lindsay Chase-Lansdale Summer URG in Social Policy for Children and Families

Each year up to one Northwestern undergraduate will be awarded the “Lindsay Chase-Lansdale Summer URG in Social Policy for Children and Families.” The grant supports research in any discipline that examines societal issues that affect families and the development of children and youth, especially those who are economically disadvantaged. The grant provides a $4,000 stipend to cover living expenses for eight weeks of full-time independent research under the supervision of a faculty advisor.

The awardee will be selected by the Director of the Office for Undergraduate Research and Faculty Undergraduate Research Committee Chair from applications to the Summer Undergraduate Research Grant (SURG) program.

Lindsay Chase-Lansdale is the Frances Willard Professor of Human Development and Social Policy in the School of Education and Social Policy and served in the Office of the Provost from 2013-2020, most recently as Vice Provost for Academics and before that Associate Provost for Faculty. Chase-Lansdale is an expert on the interface between research and social policy for children and families. Her work addresses family and program strengths that lead to children’s positive social and educational outcomes in the context of economic hardship.

Northwestern Libraries Summer URG on Native American and Indigenous Studies

Each year, Northwestern Libraries will award a Summer URG to one Northwestern undergraduate student. The grant will support an independent academic or creative project that utilizes library collections and expertise in the field of study of Native American and Indigenous research. The grant provides $4000 to cover living expenses for eight weeks of full-time independent research under the supervision of a faculty advisor and the guidance of a librarian mentor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i do a group project.

Two or three person group projects are allowed. Each additional member of a group provides you with an additional page to your proposal. For example, a two person group is allowed a three page proposal, and a three person group is allowed four pages. However, you will need to explain why this project needs to be done with multiple people. Group members collaborate to create a single grant proposal that clearly articulates the different roles, responsibilities, and qualifications of each member. Each group member submits the same proposal, and each person is eligible for a $4,000 grant. The group application will be considered as a single entity, i.e. if awarded, all group members must accept/complete the grant, or the funding will be rescinded. All group members must be eligible for the grant. We recommend that all groups work with an Office of Undergraduate Research advisor. We do not allow groups larger than three people.

Can a post-doc or graduate student serve as my URG sponsor?

No, a post-doc or graduate student may not serve as a faculty sponsor to endorse the grant. However, you may find it useful to seek advice and assistance from post-docs or graduate students, or you may work with a post-doc or graduate student on a day-to-day basis once the research begins.

Can my faculty sponsor be from another university?

Yes, your faculty sponsor can be from another academic institution. You will need to request access to the application system on behalf of your sponsor. You can request access by emailing the sponsor’s name, email address, relation to you, and the name of the grant program to which you are applying to the Office of Undergraduate Research at least 10 days in advance of the deadline .

Can I complete SURG requirements during a non-summer quarter?

Yes. Called an “off-cycle summer grant,” you can apply via the Academic Year URG program at one of the deadlines offered during the year.

Rules for Off-cycle Summer URGs

You can apply if you have planned a quarter with no classes, but you’ve chosen not to graduate early. You must return to classes after the completion of the project.
You must dedicate eight weeks to a full time project (no employment, internship, or volunteer responsibilities are allowed).
Off-cycle summer grant proposals are not eligible for revision and resubmission. The committee will offer a straight yes-or-no decision, as is consistent with the Summer URG program.

Application for an off-cycle summer grant is not to be used for an early-decision for projects that will occur over summer break.

I got a grant. How do I get paid?

Please see Info for Grant Winners .

What happens after I accept my grant award?

Can i have a part time job during my grant period.

Classes and internships are prohibited. It is not that we do not think you are capable of taking on additional work; rather, we know students engage with research differently when it is an immersive experience.

Can I take summer classes?

Potentially. You MUST have 8 weeks clear of all other obligations during which you will focus on your project. You CANNOT take classes during the 8 weeks that you establish for your project, even asynchronous classes. However, if you can schedule classes outside of the project weeks, you may do so. However, there can be no overlap between the class and the project weeks. We will be checking summer enrollment status with the Registrar. If we find that you are taking classes during the weeks you established for your project, you will be asked to return the grant funding, and your grant will be revoked. Summer URG project weeks cannot begin until after the spring quarter exam period for the University is over; in other words, even if you are done early, you can’t start counting weeks until after exams.

Can I change my project once I've started?

Change is a naturally occurring part of the research process; objectives and the means of obtaining them can shift. If you need to significantly change your project, you should seek prior approval from the Office of Undergraduate Research and your faculty sponsor/advisor . Unapproved changes may result in a breech of the terms of the grant, including repayment of grant funds. Check with the Office of Undergraduate Research with any questions.

I'm confused by the final report. What do I need to do?

To close out your grant, you will need to answer five questions within the SOAP system . There will be separate boxes for each answer. Each answer should be between 250-500 words.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Please briefly describe your project.
PROJECT PROGRESS: If your actual project differed from what you initially proposed, please describe how.
PROJECT RESULTS: Please describe any key findings/results and what you expect to happen next with your project.
ACADEMIC/ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT: Please describe any skills or experiences gained that you feel have been important in your academic or artistic development.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Please describe any personal growth that you have experienced during the grant period.

Your faculty sponsor will have to review and offer an endorsement of your final report responses to officially close out the grant. Once you submit your responses through our online system, your faculty will get an automatic email notifying them along with their deadline (which is one week after yours). Please note that your faculty may also request an additional final report more particular to your field; however, that request will be separate from this one and should be submitted to them (not OUR). All URG students are required to respond to the five areas above.

Remember that your grant is not completed until this report is submitted and endorsed. Failure to comply with terms of your grant may result in having to return the money. Please submit your answers via the SOAP SYSTEM .

In addition, for Summer URGs, you will need to include the dates of the 8 weeks that you worked on the grant (full time with no other commitments, as indicated grant acceptance that you signed). Summer URG students also are automatically enrolled in a 0-credit fall quarter GEN_LA course. As long as you submit your final report and it gets endorsed, you will receive an “S” grade (satisfactory). If you fail to submit your report or your faculty refuse to endorse it, you will receive a “U” grade (unsatisfactory).

If you have any questions, contact the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research .

What is that GEN-LA class on my fall transcript?

Summer URG recipients are automatically registered in GEN-LA 290 for the fall quarter. It is a zero credit course, with the Office of Undergraduate Research coordinator listed as the instructor. At the end of the summer, you will submit a two-page final report. As long as your sponsor/advisor endorses your final report, you will receive an “S” for the course.

If you fail to submit the final report or your faculty member refuses to endorse it, you will receive a “U” and may be required to return the grant funds.

I've finished my research project. What are my options for publishing, presenting, or building on my findings?

The best person to answer this question is your faculty sponsor/advisor. Fields can run very differently, so you want to talk to see what is best in your area. However, here are some definite options:

Undergraduate Research and Arts Exposition

Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium

Conference Travel Grants

Northwestern Undergraduate Research Journal

Office of Fellowships

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