Radcliffe Engaged Student Grant Program
The Radcliffe Engaged Student Grant Program provides $1,500 stipends per project to support the research, creative, and service work of Harvard undergraduate and graduate students on topics related to the Radcliffe Engaged focus areas.
This year’s focus areas include
- Law, Education, and Justice (how historically high rates of incarceration in the United States constitute a crisis with broad social, educational, and family impacts); and
- Climate Change, with a particular interest in climate justice.
Proposed projects can explore academic research, creative pursuits (such as those using art, writing, or multimedia), or the design of an original service project. Service projects must be grounded in research and include a critical analysis of the work to be undertaken. Students may submit applications as individuals or groups; however, we can accept only one application per project.
Grant recipients will join a student cohort and receive mentoring and support from Radcliffe staff and from each other. Cohort meetings will occur on a monthly basis during the academic year (excluding January) from mid-November 2023 through mid-April 2024.
How to Apply
We are no longer accepting applications for the 2023–2024 academic year. The application cycle for summer 2024 projects will begin in April 2024.
Proposals must include a concept note of no more than 750 words outlining the full rationale behind your project proposal, including:
- the project’s purpose (the work it entails with a detailed plan of action, and anticipated outcome(s));
- a clear description of how your project relates to one of the Radcliffe Engaged focus areas: 1) Law, Education, and Justice or 2) Climate Change; and
- how the grant of $1,500 would support your project.
Requests for funds to be used for travel or travel-related expenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with University guidelines.
Program Details
Any currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student at Harvard is eligible to apply. Students on leaves of absence are not eligible.
All projects must be completed by the end of May 2024.
Proposals can be part of larger, ongoing projects or build on previous work, but should have discrete anticipated outcome(s) and action plans for academic year 2023–2024.
Grant recipients will be required to submit a brief final report on their project. They will also be asked whether they would be willing to present their project (at a public event, to the selection committee, or in another setting, as appropriate).
Requests for funds to be used for travel or travel-related expenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with University guidelines.
Funds will be awarded directly to students and may not be transferred to other departments or organizations.
Yes, you may apply to multiple funding programs at the same time. However, a single project can only be funded by one grant program at a time.
Requests for funds to be used for travel or travel-related expenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with University guidelines. Approval for travel is subject to change, should public health and University guidelines change.
Students whose projects involve travel must submit their Attestation of Full Vaccination Against COVID-19 Prior to Harvard-Related Travel with their project proposal. Students will also be expected to have completed all COVID-19 travel requirements in accordance with University policies.
We encourage interested students to visit Harvard’s Committee on the Use of Human Subjects website for detailed information. Undergraduates may also refer to the Undergraduate Research Training Program (URTP), a comprehensive platform to assist and create better prepared undergraduate researchers.
Students are responsible for obtaining appropriate approval for Human Subjects Research, if applicable. Students whose projects involve Human Subjects Research must submit proof of either IRB submission for approval or full IRB approval with their project proposal. Aspects of the proposal that involve Human Subjects may not proceed until IRB approval has been granted and submitted to Radcliffe.
Students are welcome to apply for funding to support a new project, regardless of prior funding decisions. Students may also apply for funding to support the same project more than once. However, approval is not guaranteed.