Skip to main content

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Undergraduate Research is a vital component of an art history major or minor, and an increasing number of our students are taking advantage of the opportunity to study abroad or to conduct individual research projects. Students interested in study-abroad programs should consult the Northwestern Study Abroad website.

Undergraduate Funding Opportunities

Interested students should see the Director of Undergraduate Studies as well as consult the Office of Undergraduate Research.

In particular, our majors have an excellent record of receiving Undergraduate Research Grants, which are awarded for amounts of up to $1,000 to assist undergraduates in pursuing original research or creative work under the close supervision of a faculty member during the academic year.

Our majors are also very successful at winning Summer Undergraduate Research Grants, which offer up to $4,000 to cover research and living expense for an eight-week summer period. Normally these are offered to sophomores and juniors.

Other important resources include:

In addition, the Office of the Provost runs the Undergraduate Research Symposium in which many of our students participate regularly.

For more information or for any specific questions, feel free to contact the Coordinator/Advisors for the various grant programs.

Peter Civetta
Director Undergrad Research Office
847-467-0499
undergradresearch@northwestern.edu

KaPLAN Funding OpportunitY

The Kaplan Institute for the Humanities is an interdisciplinary institute that promotes scholarly dialogue and investigation across the humanities. Kaplan offers the Franke Undergraduate Fellowship for Innovative Humanities Scholarship. For this highly selective capstone experience, Franke Undergraduate Fellows have the opportunity to enhance their projects by playing a significant role in the interdisciplinary community of the Humanities Institute. The Fellowship also includes the Senior Humanities Seminar (HUM 398) in fall and winter quarters (.5 credit per quarter) with faculty mentoring on research design, critical analysis, and constructive critique as well as training in how to create a public talk for audiences outside their discipline. Franke Undergraduate Fellows receive $3,000 in funding. Art history majors have historically been successful in receiving this Fellowship.

Buffett Funding Opportunities

The Buffett Institute for Global Affairs has several funding opportunities for students at varying stages of research. 

The International Senior Thesis Research Grant offers awards of up to $6,000 for eight weeks of summer independent research on a senior thesis, covering travel and living expenses in locations outside the contiguous U.S. as well as research with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities, locally and globally. Students who seek support for a shorter period than eight weeks of concentrated research may be considered for a prorated grant. Prorated grants are usually for six or seven weeks of research, as approved by a faculty supervisor. 

The Buffett Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program is designed to provide students with a significant global or international learning experience through faculty-led research through summer research assistantships. Each Buffett Undergraduate Research Fellow will be eligible to earn up to $4,000 total through a paid research assistantship ($16 per hour for up to 250 hours, carried out over the summer and/or any subsequent quarters during the 2024–25 academic year). If international travel is required for Research Fellows to fulfill the duties of their assistantships, some projects may be eligible for travel support of up to an additional $2,000.

 

Designated Funds and Special Grants

There are also a number of Weinberg College Designated Funds and Special Grants of interest to art history majors whose home school is WCAS. The following list is not comprehensive but may be helpful as you begin to explore opportunities.

Katherine L. Kreighbaum Scholarships support independent research projects of rising seniors in preparation for writing a senior thesis. For further information, contact Associate Dean Liz Trubey.

Herskovits Undergraduate Fellowship Program provides funding for research involving the use of Northwestern's renowned Africana collection. The fellowships are administered by Weinberg College's undergraduate program, the Program of African Studies, and the Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies. Contact the Program of African Studies at 847-491-7323 for additional information.

Posner Summer Fellowship Program provides summer research funds for students from underrepresented groups who are at earlier stages than students eligible for most other funding sources – typically fist-years and sophomores. For more information, contact Associate Dean Liz Trubey.

Lane Environmental Studies Grants provide funding for research on environmental issues. Applications for research during the academic year should be submitted on the Weinberg Academic Research Grant form. Applications for research during the summer should be submitted on the Weinberg Summer Research Grant form. Prior application to the URG committee is not required. 

Sion Asia-Related Research Grants provide funding for research on Asia-related topics. Applications for research during the academic year should be submitted on the Weinberg Academic Research Grant form. Applications for research during the summer should be submitted on the Weinberg Summer Research Grant form. Prior application to the URG committee is not required.

Header Image: Students in ART_HIST 255 participate in the 1937 Paris Expo Historical Game, February 22, 2024.