Research Fellowships – $1500

Research Fellowship applications are open until October 4!

If you have any questions, please contact us at curl@uwo.ca!

Do you have a community problem you’d like to help solve? An ethical dilemma you’d like to explore? An intriguing research idea you simply don’t have the means to pursue?

CURL’s Student Research Fellowships support students’ research learning endeavours by providing $1500 and 1-on-1 mentorship with a faculty member at Huron. The funding may be used for project resources or to reduce the need for a part-time job while students complete this important work.

CURL views research as a process, not a product, and we value research that is widely accessible. Your Fellowship could culminate in a research paper, a community event, a proposal for a larger project (such as an app or local organization), or even a comic book!

Obtaining a Faculty Mentor

least 3 weeks before applying, but ideally earlier, obtain a CURL Faculty Mentor whose expertise and interests are relevant to your project idea. Here are some potential steps to keep in mind:

Whether you’re just starting to form an idea or feel pretty set on one, we encourage you to meet with professors you already know, discuss potential ideas, and receive advice. Most professors will be happy to help, even if they don’t become your mentor!
If you have a specific project in mind but aren’t sure who to talk to about it, please email us at curl@uwo.ca and we can direct you to individual faculty with similar research interests or other research resources at Huron to help you. However, we don’t formally match students to mentors: you and your mentor will create that partnership yourselves.
When choosing which professors to officially ask about mentorship, consider more than just their area of expertise: comfort, ease of communication, and compatible teaching/learning styles are extremely important to a successful mentorship experience.

The student applicant AND the CURL Faculty Mentor must submit separate applications. These applications will have the same due date.

Eligibility

All students currently enrolled in a Major or Minor program at Huron University College are eligible. There are no grade or course load requirements. This means part-time students, Western/Huron dual degree students, and students with various GPAs are welcome to apply.

Research projects from all disciplines will be considered, but priority will be given to interdisciplinary projects and/or projects that describe innovative methodology or learning outcomes. For examples of possible projects, please see the “Example Project Ideas” section.

Necessary coursework is not eligible for this award, but substantial extension and mobilization of past coursework is. For example, you could not receive a Fellowship to complete an essay assigned to you in class; however, if that essay inspires you to explore the topic further, you could receive a Fellowship to create an expanded research paper, to prepare an early proposal for a Master’s thesis, or to create an online archive on that topic.

CURL typically awards 8 Fellowships per calendar year; however, thanks to a generous donation from CURL Fellow and Huron alumnus Taylor Boyd, one extra Fellowship may be awarded yearly in support of a project in the fields of Psychology and/or Education.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the research period, winners are asked to submit two items:

A completed project (scholarly paper, infographic series, podcast episode, etc.). If the project is not in the form of a scholarly paper, we ask that students also provide a brief written report that describes their research question, methodology, and outcomes.
A written reflection outlining their Fellowship experience.

Please see the Rules and Instructions document below for more information and the reflection template.

For school year Fellowships, the due date is April 30; for summer Fellowships, the due date is August 30.

CURL is committed to making our programming individualized and accessible, and we recognize that submitting your project by these dates may not be possible or even ideal for your unique project. Please keep us and your Faculty Mentor informed if you need a more flexible timeline!

Example Project Ideas

CURL views research as a process, not a product. We envision our Fellowships as opportunities for immersive learning and growth that serve our students long after they leave Huron and in whichever careers they wish to pursue. We therefore welcome a variety of project ideas, including those which are intended to become proposals or building blocks for larger projects you might develop in the future.

Your research could culminate in:

A community event, such as a workshop or poetry reading at a local library
Publicly-available educational materials, such as a website, info booklet, or webinar
An informative podcast that does a “deep dive” analysis of your favourite television show
A pitch deck for a non-profit organization or app you want to form in the future
An introduction or proposal to the Master’s thesis you hope to write one day
A petition to a local government about a particular policy
A scholarly research paper for publication in a journal
Video interviews with persons affected by a contemporary ethical issue
A helpful “how-to” guide
And more!

If you’re unsure whether your project would be eligible, please send a brief summary to CURL@uwo.ca!