Undergraduate Summer Grant
To encourage innovative research by undergraduate students, the Center for American Political Studies awards summer research fellowships up to $2,500 each to Harvard College juniors who are writing a senior thesis on any aspect of contemporary American politics. Undergraduates in any concentration in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences are welcome to apply. The purpose of the fellowship is to enable students to spend time in the summer and in the fall of their senior year on thesis research. It is acceptable to apply for funding to support archival research efforts locally and domestically, in addition to other methods to gather relevant materials and data (surveys, literature searches, etc.). CAPS is one of the few resources for undergraduates in the social sciences to obtain funding to support qualitative thesis research.
Interested in the Undergraduate Summer Grant guidelines? Click here to learn more.
Undergraduate Seed Grant
CAPS undergraduate research seed grants are available to juniors and seniors who are conducting research on modern (post-Civil War) American politics. The maximum amount of the grant is $250. To apply for a CAPS undergraduate seed grant, send an e-mail to caps@gov.harvard.edu. The email should include:
- Your full name
- Your concentration/year
- A brief description of your project
- A budget detailing the research-related expenses for which you need support
- The name and email contact of one reference (faculty or graduate student) who is your advisor or can speak to your project
If your request is related to a thesis project the reference should be your thesis advisor.
Your email application will be reviewed by CAPS, and a decision will usually be made within one to two weeks. There is no application deadline, students may apply anytime, but please note that review times can vary throughout the year. You are strongly encouraged to apply as far in advance as possible of needing the funding.