Eligibility:
All Hampden-Sydney students are eligible to apply for summer research funds. Each student must be sponsored by a supervising faculty member.All applicants for participation in summer research projects must be full-time students. Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors may apply. Selection will be made primarily on the basis on the quality and feasibility of the proposed research, as represented by the proposal. Other factors that will be taken into consideration may include: status in the Honors Program, class year, and number of previous applications/grants.

Applications for Summer 2024 grants are due Friday March 1.

Click here to submit your application.

Applications for both Full and Preparatory summer research fellowships must include the information described in the following sections. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. They may be returned to the student/supervisor for completion.Full applications include two parts: one written by the student and one by his supervisor.

1. Student application (written in this format):

  1. Cover Sheet 
    [Title] 
    A Summer Research Project 
    Proposed by 
    [Your name]
  2. Research Proposal:
    The Office of Undergraduate Research encourages applicants to work closely with their faculty supervisors on their proposals. Members of the Research Committee will evaluate proposals according to the following criteria: 1. The project is clearly defined in terms understandable to a reader not well-versed in the discipline.2. The scope of the project is sufficiently narrow to be completed in the time frame allowed.3. This proposal clearly delineates the activities in which the student will engage in to complete the research. (e.g. lab work, field work, library research, data collection, etc.)4. The significance of the proposed work is made clear, so that the reader can understand why the work is being proposed, and how it contributes to the field.5. The proposal includes a good preliminary bibliography, suggesting that the student has done enough advance research to situate his work in his field.6. This proposal indicates how the project will contribute to the student's own intellectual development.7. The proposal indicates, using adequate detail, the student's preparation for undertaking the project; it provides a convincing case that the student has the required background and will bring the work to completion.
  3. Applicant's Qualification: You must describe, in detail, what preparation you have had for undertaking the project and why you will be able to bring the project to successful completion. Include here your current overall grade point average as well as your average in your major.
  4. Proposed Duration: How many weeks of stipend are you applying for? How many weeks of on-campus housing do you need? 
  5. Application for other funding: Please indicate if you are seeking funding for this project through other sources on or off campus.
  6. Miscellaneous: You should present here any additional information which will help the Honors Council to understand and evaluate your proposal.

2. The Faculty Supervisor's Endorsement:

You must submit your application to the faculty member who has agreed to supervise your project for his or her endorsement. In the endorsement, your supervisor should judge the value of your project with regard to the following factors:

  • the feasibility of your project (i.e., can it be done at H-SC, by you, in the time allotted?);
  • the presumed scholarly significance of the results;
  • your potential for development as a scholar;
  • the quality of your preparation for undertaking the project, as well as information about outside funding being sought and/or having been obtained to underwrite the project.

In the endorsement, the supervisor should also:

  • state his or her willingness to assume responsibility for supervising the proposed project;
  • explain why the project is both viable and valuable;
  • explain how long the project is intended to take;
  • detail the nature and frequency of anticipated meetings with the student during the period of the project;
  • indicate the way the project's results will be evaluated.