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Undergraduate Fellowships

The Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR) is seeking proposals for 2023 undergraduate student fellowships. As the university’s and Chicago’s intellectual hub for Indigenous centered and Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) research, CNAIR supports undergraduate, graduate, and faculty fellows.

The Center’s undergraduate student fellowship program seeks to generate and support research
that is responsive to and engaged with Native communities and organizations and NAIS
research. Fellowships support undergraduate students working with a faculty mentor on a
collaborative project or their own work. Fellows will present their work at the annual CNAIR
research symposium; and join a community of scholars dedicated to research by and for
Indigenous people. We welcome fellowship applications from Northwestern undergraduate
students in all majors and schools.

Fellowships for each quarter are $1000; you may request up to 4 quarters of funding.

In addition, please apply to the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) for a Summer URAP. Our partners at OUR are commmited to funding at least one project each summer with a Native and Indigenous focus. Academic year URAPs are also available through OUR. 

CNAIR Undergraduate Fellowship Application: Apply Here! 
Applications due January 9th 2023 
Awards are $1000 per quarter (up to 4 quarters or $4000) 
For undergraduates, please note that this fellowship can be used to support a research project, independent study, senior thesis, capstone project, immersive experience, and collaborating with others on a project. Collaboration with others on a project includes working as a research assistant or volunteering on a current project (ex. faculty, graduate student, post-docs). Students must be an enrolled student at the time of the award & not have yet graduated during their fellowship year.

 

Application Info Here 

Please submit the following documents through the application form

  1. Name, Email, Year, School, Major/Minors
  2. Quarters you are seeking funding for ($1000 per quarter, 1 quarter/$1000  up to 4 quarters/$4000). 
  3. Research proposal: Proposals should include a short description (500-word minimum)  of your proposed project idea or proposed work as a research assistant/collaborator. Your proposal should clearly state how the work is relevant to CNAIR's mission.  Describe how you will engage with and center Native and Indigenous communities and/or knowledge in your research project during your fellowship year.
    1. Please specify if you will be working with a faculty member, graduate student, or post-doc on a project as a research assistant or conducting independent research for an honors thesis, independent study, internship, etc.  
    2. If relevant, Include a brief description of the locations and/or communities you will be working with on this project. Please also include locations you will be traveling to, whether that is to a community or to a specific archive/library/university for research work. 
  4. Budget proposal: Please provide a detailed budget of research expenses for all the quarters you are applying for (travel, lodging, research payments, foods, conference fees, etc.).  
  5. Resume/CV
Applications must contain all of the above elements to be complete.