Undergraduate Opportunities

Kellogg/Kroc Undergraduate Research Grants

Conduct RESEARCH in Africa, Asia, and Latin America

Gain RESOURCES to prepare you and fund your research

Build RELATIONSHIPS with faculty and peers


The Kellogg and Kroc Institutes offer research grants for undergraduate students at Notre Dame during the summer. The grants are intended for juniors whose interests include a clear international dimension related to the Kellogg Institute's themes or the themes of the Kroc Institute.

 

Reports from the Field  

 

The Kellogg and Kroc Institutes offer research grants for undergraduate students at Notre Dame during the summer. The grants are intended for juniors whose interests include a clear international dimension related to the Kellogg Institute's themes or the themes of the Kroc Institute. Grants up to $6,000 each (in exceptional, justifiable cases, the Kellogg Institute may increase this amount) will be awarded for research abroad or, if demonstrably appropriate, in the United States. 

Applicants are required to notify the Kellogg Institute of any funding received from another source. If duplicate funding is received, the Institute may adjust award. 

Students selected for the program will begin preparing for their summer experience through a series of orientations (see tab) with the Institute. Failure to attend orientations in full will result in the cancellation of the award.

Why should I apply?

For many grantees, their field research is the culmination of their academic experience at the University of Notre Dame. Many find that their project becomes the basis for a senior thesis or other research. Grant recipients often apply for Fulbright Fellowships and other post-grad fellowships to continue their projects after graduation. 

Acknowledgments

Any publication of the student's work resulting from this grant must include an appropriate acknowledgment of the Undergraduate Research Grants Program. Although no one form is required, we recommend the following:

This [research, et al.] is made possible in part by support from the Undergraduate Research Grants Program of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies and the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame.

It is strongly recommended that students attend a grant writing workshop offered by the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE). See http://cuse.nd.edu/ to learn the details.

All applicants should meet with Associate Director Holly Rivers at least a month in advance of the deadline to ensure their proposal can be funded. It is in your very best interest to have this meeting before applying.

2025 Deadline: Monday, March 3, 2025

 

 

 

Eligibility

Students must be in their junior year of studies at Notre Dame and be in good academic standing. They must have the endorsement and pledge of supervision from a faculty member. Freshmen and sophomores seeking to do research in Africa, Asia or Latin America should see Experiencing the World Fellowships

Students selected for the program will begin preparing for their summer experience through a series of orientations with the Institute. Failure to attend orientations in full will result in the cancellation of the award.

 

Application

All applicants should meet with Associate Director Holly Rivers several weeks before the deadline in order to verify that their proposed project and country site could be supported by the Kellogg Institute. It is in your very best interest to have this meeting before applying.

To apply for a Kellogg/Kroc Research Grant, please go to the online application page. You can login to the application system using your Notre Dame credentials. Before sending questions to the program administrators, please open the application and review.

2025 Deadline: Monday, March 3, 2025

 

The application consists of the following:
  • A project proposal. A description of the research topic and methodology, not to exceed six double-spaced pages, not including the bibliography. The project description should include six main elements: an introduction, background information, the methods to be used, a schedule, a description of how you and your adviser will work together on the problem and how often you will meet, and a description of the final product (Senior Honor's Thesis, essay, article).
  • budget for anticipated expenses incurred during the grant period, including travel, food and lodging, and other expenses.
  • budget justification sheet explaining budget items in detail, including flight itineraries (if you have them), materials, etc.
  • letter of recommendation from the faculty member who is committed to overseeing the research project and has thoroughly read your proposal. The system will ask for the name and email address of the person whom you have asked to write a letter of recommendation. Please request the letter from your faculty recommender several weeks ahead of the deadline, and please inform him/her that the email will come from Submittable.
  • An e-transcript (see information regarding how to request an e-transcript.) Applicants must request their e-transcript by 4:00pm at least two business days before the deadline in order to upload it into the application system on time.
Levels of Support

Funding is available for a variety of project costs, including research materials and assistance as well as travel. Individual grants will not normally exceed $6,000, and proposals will be considered for any amount below this figure. Applicants are required to notify the Kellogg Institute of any funding received from another source; in some cases the Institute may adjust the amount of its award. Undergraduates are eligible for only one Kellogg/Kroc Undergraduate Research Grant.

Questions about the program should be submitted to Associate Director Holly Rivers at hrivers@nd.edu or 631-6023.
Questions about the status of an application should be submitted to Program Coordinator Rachel Thiel at rthiel@nd.edu or 631-4846.

The Kellogg Institute supports undergraduate students each summer to gain research, language and internship experience in the developing world. Kellogg's international programs seek to deepen students' understanding of their academic programs by giving them real world experience in the field. Students selected for Kellogg programs participate in several mandatory pre-departure orientations to help fully prepare them for their time abroad. Host organizations provide pre-departure materials and in-country orientations upon students' arrival at host sites.

While training is a significant pre-departure aspect of Kellogg's international programs, reentry programming is equally important. Kellogg faculty and staff seek to support students' reentry by helping them integrate their field experience into their academic program as well as their personal and professional development. The Institute hosts a Reentry Retreat each September. Kellogg also works with faculty to find classes where students may process and conduct research related to their international experience. 

Dates for spring 2025 mandatory orientations for the Research Grant program are as follows:
  • Requirements Orientation
    Wednesday, April 9, 6:30-8:30pm
  • Culture and Safety Orientation Part 1
    Tuesday, April 15, 6:30-9:30pm
  • Culture and Safety Orientation Part 2 
    Wednesday, April 30, 6:30-9pm

Attendance of these orientations in full is required for all students who choose to accept Kellogg Institute funding.
Failure to attend orientations in full will result in the cancellation of the award.

Note: Students who are abroad in the spring will be expected to complete a series of written orientations in order to participate in the program.

Forms and Information

Several forms required for your international program are provided below. For detailed information about all program requirements, please consult your program packet.

Pre-Departure

Mandatory Orientations
Program Checklist - international sites
Explanation of Required Documents - international sites
International Workbook

Travel Insurance
The University of Notre Dame requires that you have insurance through GeoBlue. More information is available at www.geobluestudents.com.
Internship Work Agreement (domestic sites only)

For Students Currently Abroad

Online Orientation
Orientation Worksheet
Country Specific Questionnaire
 

Reentry

Forms should be submitted to Kellogg through Submittable.
(Log in to submittable and you will see the "Additional Forms" with your submission.)

Tips for Returning Home
Explanation of Follow-up Reports
Expense Report

Human Subjects Research 

Any project that involves the use of human subjects must be approved by the Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB). For details of the procedures, please go to https://research.nd.edu/our-services/compliance/human-research/

Committee approval must be completed and submitted to the Kellogg Institute before funding can be received.

Students are strongly encouraged to attend Research Workshops provided by the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) to strengthen their proposals. See CUSE Workshops to learn the details.

For questions about the program, please contact Associate Director Holly Rivers (hrivers@nd.edu) at 631-6023.

 

For all paperwork related to pre-departure, please go to the Forms tab.
 
Pre-Departure

Your International Handbook includes several sections to valuable online resources. In order to allow for easy access to these web resources, we have provided some of those sections on this web page.

Suggested Readings (page 17)

The following articles, books and materials are suggested readings that you might do before, during, and/or after you are abroad to reflect on your summer experience. The Kellogg Institute has provided you with a journal that you might use to reflect on these readings.

Donahue, Bill.  2001.  “My Virtuous Vacation.” From Mother Jones.

Feinberg, Ben.  2002.  “What Students Don’t Learn Abroad.”  From Chronicle of Higher Education.

Iyer, Pico. (March 18, 2000). “Why We Travel.” Published at Salon.com

Illich, Ivan.  (April 20, 1968).  “To Hell with Good Intentions” Speech.

What’s Up With Culture.” University of  The Pacific

Reasons for Success: Learning from Instructive Experiences in Rural Development
By Norman Uphoff, Milton J. Esman, Anirudh Krishna (Kumarian Press, 1999)
 

Resources for Women Traveling Abroad (page 22)

Her Own Way: Advice for the Woman Traveler: The Canadian Consular Affairs Bureau provides information about security, packing, culture shock and more in this article for women travelers.

JourneyWoman: An on-line travel resource for women.

"Sexual Harassment And Prevention In College Students Studying Abroad" (SAFETI On- Line Newsletter) The SAFETI On-Line Newsletter addresses issues of safety in study abroad.
This article explores how women can minimize their risk of being sexually harassed while traveling abroad.

U.S. Department of State's Tips for Women Traveling Abroad Alone: Advice from the branch of the U.S. government responsible for the welfare of U.S. citizens abroad.

Transitions Abroad: Women Travel Abroad: A great collection of first-hand articles, web sites and agencies by this award-winning, respected travel magazine.
 

Mental Health Resources for Notre Dame Students Abroad (page 23)

TAO (Therapy Assistance Online) Self-Help: A platform of tools and information to help you learn about struggles common to college students and to develop helpful strategies for navigating these challenges. In order to access these resources, you will be asked to create an account.

Web Resources for Survivors of Sexual Assault (page 26)

Web resources:
Title IX/Sexual Assault Resources
Support Options
How to help a friend
Reporting an incident online

Welcome Back to Campus! (page 28-31)

If you are looking to return overseas for study, but want someone else to pay for it, you should apply for one of the many scholarship programs available for recent university graduates: Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, etc.  Visit the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement in Bond Hall, for more information or see their website at cuse.nd.edu.

There are also many programs and organizations with resources online. Here is a sampling of some of them:   

Tips for Returning Home (page 30)

Read about Reentry & Reverse Culture Shock-The more you know, the better prepared you will be to deal with it!

 

If you would like your family to better understand what you are going through when you return home, you might also share the following resource from World Learning with them:
https://studyabroad.sit.edu/documents/studyabroad/Readjustment-Manual-for-Parents.pdf

Counseling Center  - If you find that you are in need of a little extra help processing your summer experience, counselors are readily available to help you at the University Counseling Center.  The center staff can be reached at 574-631-7336 or ucc.nd.edu/  

If you would prefer to talk to a counselor outside of the counseling center, you can have a confidential and free consultation with a professional counselor through the UCC talkline. No appointment or paperwork is required. 

 

For all paperwork related to reentry, please go to the Forms tab.
 
Returning From Abroad

For students returning from study abroad as well as international internships, language study and research experiences

A large number of Notre Dame students travel abroad each year through internships, research and language grants, and study abroad programs.  The Institute seeks to connect ND students to academic opportunities that will allow them to further explore their experiences abroad.  Classes, grants, and conferences are all available to offer students the chance to deepen their understanding of the world and open avenues to graduate school and careers beyond Notre Dame.

All recipients of Research Grants are required to attend a Reentry Retreat on Saturday, September 14, 2024 | 9am-3pm.

ND Academic Opportunities
Funding

(See websites for eligibility and application requirements.)

Grants and Fellowships

Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement
Kellogg/Kroc Research Grants
Gender Studies Research Grants
Honors Program Research Grants
European Research and Travel Grants

Language Grants

Summer Language Abroad Grants
Asian Summer Language Grants
German Language and Literature Summer Language Study Abroad Stipend

Conferences

Human Development Conference
Student Peace Conference
 

Personal Development
Writing and Photography Opportunities


BootsnAll Travel

Marketing Your International Experience

Center for Career Development

International Resources in South Bend


Better World Books
Just Goods
Ten Thousand Villages

Post-graduate Opportunities and Fellowships
Fellowships

Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement

Careers

Center for Career Development

Service Opportunities

Center for Social Concerns

Recipients

Kellogg/Kroc Undergraduate Research Grants

 

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