Cisneros Undergraduate Research Fellowship

 

Female Camino student looking through a microscope in a lab

 

The Cisneros Undergraduate Research Fellowship was created to financially support outstanding undergraduate students interested conducting research on an issue facing Latinos/Hispanics or the Latino/Hispanic Community. This fellowship is a competitive program that provides undergraduate students with stipends to effectively carry out an individual research project under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Students are offered the opportunity to employ the skills learned in their field of study to bring to fruition a well-defined research project that addresses a particular issue of relevance to Hispanics/Latinos. Basic research, research-driven community action, evaluation, and intervention projects will be considered for this fellowship.

Research experiences of this nature expose students to some of the challenges of conducting research and provide insight on the depth of students' education. These experiences also strengthen students’ applications for nationally competitive fellowships to graduate and professional school. Engaging in first-hand research also helps students develop the necessary skills to succeed in a professional career.

All research projects must be undertaken with regular input and direction from the faculty mentor. It is expected that the student and mentor will discuss their expectations regarding the time commitments of both parties, scope of research, and anticipated results (e.g., papers, presentations, performances, etc.) and arrive at a mutually agreeable understanding.

Student applicants must be full-time undergraduate students at GW.

Please note: Recipients must be enrolled at GW throughout the tenure of the award. Only full-time faculty can serve as faculty mentors. Faculty mentors must be associated with GW during the tenure of the award.

The Cisneros Undergraduate Research Fellowship provides an award of $5,000 meant to support the student’s research-related expenditures, which may include living expenses, travel, materials, and equipment.

Faculty mentors receive a stipend of $1,000. Faculty can opt to take this money as supplemental salary or ask that the funds be transferred to a departmental account (e.g., supporting travel, equipment, supplies, etc.).

Funding applications must be made through the GW Center for Undergraduate Fellowships & Research website. You can also find a list of all currently available opportunities on CUFR's InfoReady portal.

By submitting their applications, students thereby allow selection committees to review their academic transcripts.

Typically, there are two deadlines for submission during the school year:

  • Fall: Last Friday of November
  • Spring: First Friday of March

To see the specific deadlines, check the full funding opportunities timeline on CUFR's InfoReady calendar.

For questions on the scope and suitability of the project email [email protected]

Note: Students who apply in November and are not selected for funding may revise and resubmit their proposals in March.

All award recipients are required to submit timely progress reports on their research, including a final report. Recipients must also present the results of their project at Research Days and at one of the events organized by the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute. Awardees are expected to provide a summary of their research finding to publicize their undergraduate research activity through the Institute’s website and social media.

Please note that students may not receive more than one research fellowship award for the same project, nor may they receive awards for different projects during the same award year.

For questions on the scope and suitability of the project email [email protected].