Summer Research Fellowships

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Application Deadline: 1 March by 11:59 PM

Summer Research Fellowships are overseen by the Student Research Committee.

Summer Research Fellowships are funded through a variety of sources, including  an endowment established by the Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation; the Dorothy Dole Johnson ’41 Endowment for science research; the Phillips Endowment; the Ruggles Endowment (supporting pre-thesis research in the humanities, social sciences, and non-science interdisciplinary programs; the Stangle Endowment (supporting research or internships in economics and law); and the Tanaka Foundation (supporting research in Asia).

Summer Research Fellows are expected to devote at least 8 weeks of the summer to full-time research (approximately 40 hours per week). Research projects are undertaken under the direction of a Bates faculty advisor or a  specialist from another institution. Research is broadly defined, and also includes projects focused on artistic practice.

The fellowship includes a grant of $5,000.

Actively enrolled and full-time first-year, sophomore, and junior students may apply. Graduating seniors are not eligible. Approximately 25-30 Summer Research Fellowships are awarded annually.

Application Procedures

Students applying for a Summer Research Fellowship need to:

Fill out the Summer Research Fellowship Application form here. The following documents must be attached as a SINGLE combined PDF within the application form:

  •  on a separate sheet, provide a one-paragraph (NO MORE THAN 100 words) abstract of the research project describing the research questions and project goals.
  • provide a project description of NOT MORE THAN 2 DOUBLE-SPACED pages outlining methodology and timetable, relevance to the student’s academic program, and the student’s qualifications for the research.
  • on a separate sheet, provide short list of bibliographic resources (4-5 references).
  • Letters of Support. The proposal must be accompanied by a letter of support from the project advisor, usually a Bates faculty member. If the summer project advisor is NOT a Bates faculty member, a letter of support is required from the off-campus advisor in addition to a letter of recommendation from a Bates faculty member. Letters of support are due on the same day as the application deadline. If letters of support are sent separately, they can be sent via email to Alison Keegan (akeegan@bates.edu).

More Important Information:

  • Because the goal of summer grant programs is to contribute to a student’s academic success and persistence at Bates, all summer funding is contingent upon a student maintaining a G.P.A. of at least 2.0.
  • You can not use research grant funding to participate in a credit-earning summer academic program or receive academic credit for summer research.
  • This is a research project that involves a full-time (up to 40 hours per week) commitment for eight to ten weeks; therefore you cannot hold any other job at the college during the weeks you conduct your research, and you are not expected to be working in any other job during this time.
  • Summer Research Fellows are expected to submit an electronic abstract and a brief final report to Alison Keegan (akeegan@bates.edu) in the Dean of the Faculty’s Office within two weeks of finishing their project and present their research during the Parents Weekend Poster Session unless they are studying off campus in the fall. Any future grants from this office are contingent upon receiving the final reports.