Tufts undergraduates interested in pursuing research or education abroad have many options available to them.
Currently, undergraduates can utilize funding opportunities through the Undergraduate Research Fund (URF), the International Relations (IR) department, the Institute for Global Leadership (IGL) or the University College of Citizenship and Public Service.
Dean of Undergraduate Education James Glaser is in charge of the URF, which is funded by the University Provost. The URF has $20,000 to give out to students, capped at $400 per student. Fifty-four students utilized this funding last year.
Glaser said that the main goal of the URF is to provide students with funding for worthy research projects.
"We want to tie scholarship and research together and to encourage students to do any and all kinds of valuable scholarly research," he said.
The URF does not treat studying abroad any differently than on-campus research in determining funding, since all funding is based on merit.
"It would be well-advised for a student to get faculty guidance on a research project of any kind. I'm not an expert in all fields, so I need input from a faculty member, as well as the student's goals, clearly articulated," Glaser said.
The Summer Scholars program encourages further student research with faculty guidance. While most research is conducted on the Tufts campus, some can be done abroad as long as constant contact occurs between students and their faculty mentors.
Each Summer Scholar student receives a $3,500 living stipend and $1,000 research funding.
Of the 22 Scholars from this past summer, seven have turned their research into senior honors theses. The rest expect to present or publish their work with support from the URF.
Within the IR department, the Anne E. Borghesani Memorial Prize is meant to foster a student project or international research abroad, and all majors are encouraged to apply.
The Prize accepts roughly 12 applications a year and awards three to four winners with anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 per student.
Also within the IR department is the International Relations Research Scholars Program (IRRS), which pairs students with faculty for research projects. The research can be conducted on- or off-campus. In addition, students can use the program for help when writing a major senior year paper, including a senior thesis.
"Undergraduate research is critical to Tufts' success. IR is contributing by supporting globally focused research, theoretical and applied research alike, and providing an interdisciplinary approach to learning and research," Kirk Okano-Lange, associate director of the IR program, said.
Similar to the Borghesani Prize, three to four students are selected into the IRRS each year out of roughly 12 applicants. These students also receive anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000 and the mentor faculty member receives an additional $1,000.
Political Science Professor Jeff Taliaferro is the instructor for the course INTR 91 within the IR department. The course is designed to present students with the basics of how to apply for research grants and to effectively create research proposals.
Taliaferro is also involved with the IR Research Network (IRRN).
"The IRRN is designed for students conducting research abroad to have a link between faculty and other students and to also have a dialogue of opportunities out there," Taliaferro said.
The IR department is currently accepting applications for the pilot Luce Student Research Scholarship in Science and Humanitarianism. Like IRRS, the scholarship involves faculty-student collaboration, but with more of a focus on research in international humanitarianism and public health fields.
The University's IGL helps to facilitate research abroad as well.
IGL co-director Heather Barry said she estimated that about half of IGL students or alumni do research abroad at some point in their undergraduate careers. The IGL caps its grants at $500 and has a total fund of $30,000.
"The opportunities of the IGL are open to all students, not just to students in Institute programs," Barry said. "We expect them to contribute money themselves to show their own commitment. We help our students with contacts and offer guidance for their research."
Students can do their own fundraising with the IGL's help. The New Initiative for Middle East Peace (NIMEP), co-founded by senior Matan Chorev, is affiliated with the IGL.
NIMEP has sent students on research trips to Iran, Israel and the West Bank, and sent students to Egypt over winter break.
"About 90 percent of the time is spent fundraising. The funding for each trip is roughly $3,000 per student with about $500 out-of-pocket," Chorev said.
Along with the IGL, the University College has several opportunities for students for both research and projects like internships or mentoring. The most viable paths for students to receive funding for off-campus research are the Active Citizenship Summers (ACS) and the Civic Engagement Fund.
The University College has also added five spots to the Summer Scholars program.
"Research and the learning process joined together is critical," Nancy Wilson, director and associate dean of the University College, said. "There must be an interdisciplinary approach to learning and, faculty input is key."
Over winter break, sophomore Katherine Conway-Gaffney worked on a water sanitation project in Nicaragua. She received funding from the IGL for research in both Nicaragua and Honduras, and this summer she would like to apply her research to the same community in Nicaragua.
"[IGL was] able to cover the entire cost, which is great," she said. "It's clear they are happy to fund international projects if it's for a worthy cause."
Despite these efforts, many students and faculty believe that more research funding is possible.
"There are so many qualified students at Tufts and we encourage them all to apply," Okano-Lange said. "Despite the opportunities offered across campus, the funding opportunities at Tufts are not taken advantage of enough."
Chorev agreed. "There should be a database of funding opportunities on and off campus, and a logistical center for undergraduate research is needed. The University needs to direct students better to research opportunities," he said.
