Political Science Student Research Fund
Funded by the Department of Political Science's Ducey Funds, the Political Science Student Research Fund aims to enhance opportunities for political science majors to extend their studies by providing modest support for political science-research expenses.
The funds may be used to support:
- Thesis-related research;
- Course-related projects;
- Conference travel: to work as volunteer, for paper or poster presentations; to attend conferences explicitly related to thesis research
Eligibility & Deadlines
Students must be declared political science majors. Priority is given to students undertaking thesis-related research.
There are five deadlines for department funding consideration. These deadlines are aligned with other funding sources (Note that the department will also accept rolling applications for time-sensitive opportunities such as conferences.)
- Wednesday, September 24, 2025 at 12:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, November 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m.
- *Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.
- *Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.
*These deadlines are mainly for Spring/Fall students.
How to Apply: Research Projects
Students should work with their advisers to prepare a brief proposal (4 pages single-spaced, max.) that contains:
- The rationale for the project and its relevance to a thesis or coursework;
- Overall project design (if applicable);
- Methodology of research (if applicable);
- Discussion of whether or not the project will require IRB approval (if applicable);
- Anticipated outcomes;
- A brief itemized budget.
Please submit your proposal to Darcy Tanner, tdarcy@reed.edu, who will circulate it and the adviser's recommendation email to the Political Science faculty for approval.
Reporting Obligations
All recipients of Department of Political Science student research and travel funds should write a brief (two paragraph) report of their experience and findings. All recipients of these funds are required to present briefly on their funded experience. Those reports will be posted to the Department website with the recipient's permission.
Other Funds
Students applying for these funds must apply for matching funds to college-wide sources, including Opportunity Grants and the Initiative Grants in Undergraduate Research for their projects so that we may maximize the number of student projects that we support.
Resources
Sample Application: Attending a Conference
Sample Application: Thesis Research
Requesting Letters of Recommendation
Reports by Previous Awardees