Introducing the New 2018 SSIRF Awards!

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships is pleased to announce that the application process for the 2018 Summer Scholars Independent Research Fellowship (SSIRF) is now open.

The SSIRF joins the Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor (UGRCE) Awards as an additional option for Northeastern students who wish to pursue research or creative projects during the summer months. SSIRF awards will support original, student-initiated independent research, creative performance, and project-making in close collaboration with a faculty mentor. The SSIRF differs in tone from the UGRCE Awards, with enhanced expectations for rigor, sophistication, novelty, and independence in the conception and execution of the projects. As Northeastern’s most generous undergraduate research awards, providing up to $5,000 in funding, SSIRFs require students — as individuals or in groups — to demonstrate a high degree of independence in project development and execution and to commit at least ten weeks of full-time work to the project. The following table compares the parameters of the UGRCE and SSIRF Awards and may be useful in determining which award is most appropriate for a particular undergraduate project.

This year, in addition to awards offered within the University Scholars Program (where the SSIRF Program originated), we will award 5-10 SSIRFs to students regardless of their affiliation within the university. Provided they meet the other requirements, all Northeastern students are eligible to apply for this SSIRF award. This is a competitive fellowship and funding is not guaranteed.  As part of the application process, students receive training in how to craft and carry out research proposals.

Continue to our awards pages to view full details, application requirements, and deadlines for the Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor (UGRCE) Awards and the Summer Scholars Independent Research Fellowship (SSIRF).