UCLA Humanities offers or provides access to funding opportunities for current undergraduates to partake in travel study and individualized research.
The URC-HASS RAP Lab Fellowship is a pilot program that supports undergraduate students doing multi-quarter research and creative projects at UCLA. The program is a collaboration between the Undergraduate Research Center for the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences and Professor Adam Bradley, director of the Laboratory for Race & Popular Culture (the RAP Lab) and professor of English and African American Studies. RAP Lab Fellows will work on one or more of the RAP Lab’s ongoing projects and/or propose a new project for the Lab to consider.
About the RAP Lab
The RAP Lab brings cutting-edge arts and humanities research to communities that historically have not benefitted from it: incarcerated populations, K-12 classrooms, and other groups for whom the college campus often seems far away. The Lab believes that race matters to all Americans and that experiences with pop culture — music and literature, film and television, games and sports — are often the best ways to begin difficult conversations.
Modeled on a natural sciences laboratory, the RAP Lab is project-driven, bringing together academics, graduate students, undergraduate students, and community partners in collaborative research, publications, and events.
About the fellowship
RAP Lab Fellows:
- Receive a $3,000 scholarship ($1,500 in winter quarter and $1,500 in spring quarter)
- Enroll in a Student Research Program (SRP) 99 course with Dr. Adam Bradley for winter and spring quarters
- Enroll in a minimum of 12 units in winter and spring quarters before the SRP 99 course
- Commit to spending ten hours/week on the program
- Meet weekly with Dr. Bradley and the RAP Lab team in person on Wednesdays at 2pm throughout winter and spring quarters. To participate in the RAP Lab, you must be available at this time on a weekly basis
- Participate in research workshops three times per quarter
- Present their research at Undergraduate Research Week
Deadline
November 1, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.
More information and application instructions
Visit the RAP Lab Fellowship page on the UCLA Undergraduate Education website.
The Undergraduate Research Fellows Program (URFP) is directed through the Office of the Dean for Undergraduate Education and administered by the Undergraduate Research Center–Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. The URFP scholarship supports students doing a multi-quarter research or creative project under the mentorship of a UCLA faculty member during winter and spring quarters.
URFP recipients:
- Enroll in a minimum of 12 units in winter and spring quarters (note: students completing their URFP research requirements through SRP 99 courses must enroll in a minimum of 12 units before enrolling in the SRP 99 courses).
- Receive a $3,000 scholarship
- Enroll in a Student Research Program (SRP) 99 course or an upper-division departmental research contract course for both winter and spring quarters
- Enroll in Research Practice 103: Student Research Forum from 4-5:50 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays in winter quarter
- Present their research at Undergraduate Research Week or submit a summary of their research at the end of spring quarter
Eligibility
- 2.5 GPA or higher
- Has not already participated in URFP
- Commitment to completing a research or creative project with a faculty mentor for winter and spring quarters
- While financial need is not required, some awards are for students with established financial need
- US citizens, permanent residents, undocumented, DACA, AB540, and international students are eligible to apply
- Cannot be a concurrent recipient of a research program scholarship while participating, including those through the Undergraduate Research Centers, AAP, College Honors, the Center for Community Learning, Education Abroad Programs, or academic departments
Deadline
November 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.
How to apply
Click here for detailed instructions on how to approach each aspect of the application: URFP Application Instructions.
Submit an Undergraduate Research Fellows Program (URFP), Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF), and McNair Research Scholars Program application (available early to mid-October). Visit MyUCLA, click on “Campus Life,” and select “Survey” to access the application.
The application consists of 3 components:
- Research proposal
- Personal statement
- Confirmation of mentorship from your faculty mentor. Be sure to ask your faculty mentor early and provide them with the URFP Mentor Confirmation Form.
If you are also applying to MMUF or McNair, your mentor may submit the letter of recommendation for either program to urhass@college.ucla.edu instead of completing the URFP Mentor Confirmation Form.
If you are conducting a creative project, you may submit supporting documents such as a portfolio of your work to urhass@college.ucla.edu.
If you are conducting an interdisciplinary project, visit our FAQ to determine which URFP (URC-HASS or URC-Sciences) you should apply to.
If you would like feedback on your application materials, you can schedule an advising appointment with a Graduate Research Mentor to discuss your project. The Undergraduate Research Center also hosts URFP info sessions and workshops on how to write a research or creative proposal. Click here for a list of current workshops and info sessions.
Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) is a two-year program designed for outstanding students in Mellon-designated humanities, arts, and social science fields who intend to pursue a PhD and a career in academia. Mellon Mays Fellows work closely with faculty advisers and graduate mentors to design and carry out an independent research project. They are encouraged to complete an honors thesis in their home departments, where available.
Established in 1988 to address the barriers that result in the problem of underrepresentation in the faculty ranks of higher education, the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship is committed to supporting a diverse professoriate and to promoting the value of multivocality in the humanities and related disciplines, elevating accounts, interpretations, and narratives that expand present understandings. Its name honors Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, the noted African American educator, statesman, minister, and former president of Morehouse College.
For more information about the MMUF program, go to http://www.mmuf.org.
The UCLA MMUF Program
Fellows enroll in the Research Practice 194A: Mellon Mays Research Seminar and independent research courses each quarter, and they conduct summer research their junior and senior years (junior year in an MMUF program at another campus and senior year at UCLA). In winter quarter of their junior years, Fellows enroll in Research Practice 120: Research Today. Fellows must apply to and participate in a Departmental Honors Program if it is offered by their department. Fellows receive Graduate Record Exam (GRE) preparation, assistance in completing graduate school applications, and professional development.
Fellows receive quarterly research stipends totaling $4,000 junior year and $4,000 senior year, as well as $4,500 each summer (please see the Program Details tab for more information on summer enrollment requirements). Fellows must maintain full-time status during fall, winter, and spring quarters to remain eligible for funding and the program. Fellows enrolling in PhD programs in Mellon-designated fields within a defined time period after graduation are eligible for repayment of up to $10,000 of their undergraduate loans.
Additionally, Mellon Mays faculty mentors receive a $500 Faculty Mentor Service Award each academic year.
Click here to download a copy of the MMUF program overview.
Deadline
November 15, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.
More information and application instructions
Visit the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship page on the UCLA Undergraduate Education website.
The Richard and Gerrie Leeds Study Abroad Scholarship is made possible by the generosity of Richard and Gerrie Leeds. This scholarship is available to UCLA undergraduate students in the Humanities. Priority will be given to students with high financial need and who have not studied abroad. See Eligibility Criteria.
Lists of Humanities majors and Humanities minors can be found on the division website.
Note: The International Education Office strives to provide scholarship funds broadly to assist the maximum number of applicants. As such, multiple awards per applicant are unlikely.
Award
$2,500
Deadline
November 15, 2024 is the deadline for Winter and Spring Quarters 2025
March 1, 2025 is the deadline for Summer and Fall Quarters 2025
Supplemental questions
- Please state your study abroad program/term.
- Are you pursuing a major or a minor in the humanities?
- Have you had prior study abroad experience during the course of your degree program?
- Please describe how (or if) your field of study relates to your study abroad program. Give two specific examples, explaining how your study abroad program will help you achieve your academic and career goals. (300 words)
- Please share an example(s) of a time in which you demonstrated open-mindedness, resilience or resourcefulness. How has that prepared you to be successful while studying abroad? (300 words)
The UCLA/Keck Humanistic Inquiry Undergraduate Research Awards program is directed through the Office of the Dean for Undergraduate Education and administered by the Undergraduate Research Center–Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
The UCLA/Keck Humanistic Inquiry Undergraduate Research Awards are awarded to juniors and seniors who have a strong commitment to research and who are completing a comprehensive independent research or creative project, capstone project, or a departmental honors thesis under the mentorship of a UCLA faculty member. Program participants are referred to as Keck Fellows.
The UCLA/Keck Humanistic Inquiry Undergraduate Research Awards program supports research and creative activity by undergraduates at UCLA in the humanities, arts, and social sciences. Keck Fellows receive an $8,000 scholarship, are eligible for up to $2,000 in additional research funds, and participate in regular workshops on research and professional skills.
Through doing research in the humanities, arts and social sciences, students learn to articulate their thoughts with clarity and imagination, and to interpret the world of ideas with informed sensitivity in preparation for a culturally rich life as informed and humane citizens.
This opportunity is thanks to the W.M. Keck Foundation. Established in 1954 in Los Angeles, the Keck Foundation is one of the nation’s largest philanthropic organizations. Each of its grant programs invests in people and programs that are making a difference in the quality of life, now and for the future.
Keck recipients:
- Receive an $8,000 scholarship spread evenly across fall, winter and spring quarters
- Are eligible to receive up to $2,000 in additional research funds pending approval (budget to be submitted as part of application; funds to be disbursed in fall quarter)
- Conduct a research or creative project for 3 quarters (fall, winter, and spring) and enroll in an upper-division research contract course for at least 2 of the 3 quarters
- Complete and submit a departmental honors thesis, capstone project, or comprehensive independent research or creative project
- Present their project at a winter colloquium and at Undergraduate Research Week
- Attend three workshops/events on research skills and professionalization per quarter
- Meet regularly with Graduate Mentors
- Submit a summary of their project and a photo for an online profile
In addition, faculty mentors of Keck Fellows will receive $1,500 for their research fund.
Eligibility
- Junior level standing or higher
- 3.25 GPA or higher
- Enrolled full-time in fall, winter, and spring quarters
- Committed to completing a departmental honors thesis, research-based capstone project, or comprehensive research or creative project for 3 quarters (fall, winter, and spring)
- Permanent residents, international, undocumented, DACA, and AB540 students are eligible to apply
- Students who have received previous scholarships (including Research Revealed, URFP, and URSP) from the Undergraduate Research Center are eligible to apply
- Students cannot be a previous recipient of the UCLA/Keck Humanistic Inquiry Undergraduate Research Awards
- Cannot be a concurrent recipient of a research program scholarship while participating, including those through the Undergraduate Research Centers, AAP, College Honors, the Center for Community Learning, Education Abroad Programs or academic departments
Deadline
Application deadline for the 2025-26 cohort will be announced soon.
How to apply
Click here for detailed instructions on how to approach each aspect of the application: URSP/Keck application instructions
The UCLA/Keck Humanistic Inquiry Undergraduate Research Awards and the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program share an application. Students can choose to apply to one or both programs.
The application opens in early to mid-May. To apply, submit an application online. Visit MyUCLA, click on “Campus Life,” and select “Survey” to access the application titled “Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences and the UCLA/Keck Humanistic Inquiry Undergraduate Research Awards.”
The application consists of the following components:
- Statement of previous undergraduate research experience (if applicable)
- Academic plan (study list)
- Project title
- Research or creative project proposal
- Personal statement
- Optional budget with itemized expenses for up to $2,000 in research funds. View a sample budget in the URSP/Keck application instructions.
- Letter of recommendation from your faculty mentor. Be sure to ask your faculty mentor early and provide them with the URSP/Keck letter of recommendation form.
Students conducting creative projects can email us at urhass@college.ucla.edu to inquire about submitting supporting documents such as a portfolio of their work.
If you have any questions, please email the Undergraduate Research Center or schedule a virtual advising appointment with a Graduate Student Mentor to discuss your project. The Undergraduate Research Center also hosts URSP info sessions and workshops on how to write a research or creative proposal. Click here for a list of upcoming workshops and info sessions.
All materials must be submitted by the deadline.
For more information, contact the Undergraduate Research Center – Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. A334 Murphy Hall, 310-825-2935. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.