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For Faculty – Funding for Student Researchers

Mechanisms for faculty to fund student researchers

  • A variety of external organizations offer competitive funding opportunities for faculty scholarly work that engages undergraduate students. Please visit Foundation, Government and Corporate Relations (FGCR) for support in this area.
  • Some Academic Departments have access to endowed or restricted funds provided by gracious donors intending to support student researchers. The Chair of each Department has information about these funds and how they are distributed.
  • The endowed Collaborative Summer Research (CSR) program supports faculty-student teams working full-time on cutting edge scholarly work in any discipline. Faculty submit applications requesting funding for their research project, and they must include support for at least one student researcher in their request. The applications are reviewed and priority ranked by the Strategic Planning and Analysis committee for funding. Stay tuned: links to previous CSR awards, CSR guidelines, and an application form are being developed now!
  • The Wallace Scholarly Activities (WSA) fund supports faculty research projects, and applications are reviewed and ranked by the Strategic Planning and Analysis committee. The WSA program does not support collaborative student-faculty projects in which the student’s intellectual insights or contributions are a primary consideration. The WSA program does support faculty intending to hire students to complete specific tasks that further a faculty member’s research agenda (e.g. transcription of interviews, routine preparation of samples, digitization of documents, etc.). For more information, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the student stipend/pay rate for the upcoming summer?

    For Summer 2025, the standard rate set by the college is $643.75 per week + 10% benefits. A student hired for a 10-week period will receive $6,437.50 in pay (before taxes) and, in most cases, cost $7,081.25 to the funding source.
  • How and when are students paid?

    It depends on a variety of factors, including citizenship status and the nature of the supervisor/location of the work. Some students will be paid every 2 weeks, while others will receive their stipend in the form of 2 or 3 lump sum payments. The student employment office determines which mechanism of payment is more appropriate for keeping us in line with legal considerations.
  • How does a faculty go about hiring a student for the summer?

    In the Spring, a hiring form will be shared with the faculty. This form will ask you for the research dates, source of funds, and other information about the student being hired.
  • What students are eligible for free summer housing in the dorms?

    The college has a budget that covers on-campus housing costs for on-campus student researchers during the summer for the duration of their research period + 4 extra days to allow for move-in and move-out. If the student wants to stay longer in the dorms, they will be charged a daily rate, set by Residential Life.
  • What are the dates for summer housing?

    TBD. Check here for latest info.
  • How does the meal plan work in the summer?

    The meal plan is required for anyone living in the dorms, with rare exceptions, and is NOT covered by the free summer housing budget. Exact dates and pricing TBD.
  • Will the college compensate faculty for working over the summer with students?

    Yes, but details for Summer 2025 are TBD. Historically, faculty mentoring with full-time student researchers working for at least 8 weeks have received an honorarium, but only if they are not already receiving other summer compensation.