Duke University Libraries Summer Research Grant Eligibility

Deadline:

  • March 20, 2025

Purpose:

  • Expenses relating to mentored summer research projects on or off campus

Eligibility:

  • First generation or low-income undergraduates

Time Frame:

  • Summer

Funding:

  • Up to $4500

Contact:

Application Information

Eligibility

  • With the exception of graduating seniors, all undergraduates participating in the LIFE campus community and LIFE-related programs are eligible to apply. Eligibility related to LIFE status is determined in consultation with Sachelle Ford, Director, David M. Rubenstein Scholars Program and Duke LIFE.
  • Research projects must focus significantly on the use of library materials at Duke. These materials may include special collections, archives, rare books and manuscripts, maps/GIS, government publications, foreign language collections, rich databases of primary source materials, and more.
  • Applicants must have a faculty mentor with whom they will be in contact during the project and who submits a letter of recommendation.
  • Recipients must seek IRB approval if their project concerns human subjects.
  • Recipients must conduct their research over a period of no less than three weeks during the summer.
  • The grant may be used to support expenses associated with a summer project. Reasonable expenses include room and board in Durham; fees associated with archives; associated fees such as photocopy fees at another institution, etc.
  • The maximum award is $4,500.
  • Students may not use these funds as stipends or salary.
  • The Library Research Award funds may be combined with other Duke fellowship awards and grants, but the sum total of the awards may not exceed the project expenses.

Expectations for Recipients

  • Recipients will also be matched with a librarian mentor who will ensure that the recipient is supported in understanding the range of library collections that would be useful to his or her research project and provide guidance in using the collections when necessary (e.g. information about handling rare or special materials, use of specialized online databases, etc.).
  • Grant recipients are expected to be in frequent contact with both their faculty and librarian mentors over the summer.
  • Recipients may be featured in Libraries publications and may be asked to provide a short presentation about his or her research and grant experience.