Summer Undergraduate Research Fund

The Harvard University Center for the Environment's Summer Undergraduate Research Fund provides financial support for student research projects related to the environment. In the context of this program, ‘environment’ refers to understanding the relationships and balances of the natural and constructed worlds around us, with a particular emphasis on understanding how anthropogenic activities and policies affect the environment. This includes the close relationships between energy use and demand, environmental integrity and quality, human health, and climate change.

Student Programs

Aug 28, 2023

The Harvard University Center for the Environment, a Center of the Salata Institute, gratefully acknowledges Bertram Cohn for his generous support of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fund. Please also acknowledge the support of the Thomas B. AB 1943 and Joan Herzfeld HUCE Undergraduate Summer Research Fund.

The application window for the 2023 HUCE Summer Undergraduate Research Fund is now closed.

Notes for Potential applicants

This program is open to Harvard undergraduate students only
Graduating seniors are not eligible for funding
Individuals who are on leave should seek guidance from their resident dean as soon as possible so there is no problem for them to gain access to application materials
Payments may be subject to tax withholding depending on citizenship
Outside internships are not eligible for funding—all projects must be research mentored by a Harvard faculty member
Awards will be based on financial need and the amount of time that students are able to work on the project (20 hours/week at minimum), and awards typically range from $2500 to $4500
We strongly encourage applicants to apply for other sources of funding at other departments/centers and the College (e.g., HCRP)

I. HUCE-Offered Research Assistantships

The research assistantship program allows students to participate in summer research experiences under the guidance of a Harvard faculty member. HUCE has solicited a variety of research assistantship opportunities from its faculty associates, all of which are listed here on the program website. Students interested in a research assistantship position should:

identify assistantship opportunities of interest and list their top two choices on the application form
tell us their academic goals for the summer
let us know how long they would ideally like to spend on the project and any special financial circumstances that we should know about
send their resume and a copy of their transcript (unofficial from my.harvard is acceptable) to Jillian Murphy at jillianmurphy@fas.harvard.edu

We will take student preferences into account—in addition to input from the project supervisors—to match students with research projects. Students will have an opportunity to accept or reject the project to which they are assigned, but please do not list any protects for which you do not have a genuine interest.

II. Faculty-Directed Research Assistantship Arranged Independently

Students are also welcome to contact an individual faculty member about advising a project that is not on our list of opportunities. The project will be reviewed, and we will contact you and your faculty supervisor if there are aspects of the project that do not meet our requirements. Students in this category should:

fill out the application form
provide us with a description of the project and its duration
tell us how the project fits with their academic goals
ask their faculty member to confirm their approval and commitment to weekly meetings by emailing Jillian Murphy at jillianmurphy@fas.harvard.edu
send their resume and a copy of their transcript (unofficial from my.harvard is acceptable) to Jillian Murphy

III. Self-Directed Project with a Faculty Advisor

HUCE is accepting applications from students who are seeking support for independent research projects. Students in this category should:

fill out the application form
provide us with a description of the project (up to 500 words) and its duration
tell us how the project fits with their academic goals
ask their faculty advisor to confirm their approval by emailing Jillian Murphy at jillianmurphy@fas.harvard.edu
send their resume and a copy of their transcript (unofficial from my.harvard is acceptable) to Jillian Murphy

Questions?
Jillian Murphy, Program Coordinator: jillianmurphy@fas.harvard.edu