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Research Opportunities

Research Awards, Grants, and Fellowships

There are 19 opportunities available for Graduate students.

Boren Graduate Fellowship (NSEP)

The National Security Education Program (NSEP) David L. Boren Graduate Fellowships enable U.S. graduate students to add an important international and language component to their education through specialization in area study, language study, or increased language proficiency. Boren Fellowships support students pursuing the study of languages, cultures, and world regions that are critical to U.S. national security but are less frequently studied by U.S. graduate students (i.e., areas of the world other than Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), and who are highly motivated by the opportunity to work in the federal government.

Center for Global Health University Scholar Awards

The University of Virginia's Center for Global Health has established the CGH -University Scholar Awards to encourage UVa students to design and carry out cross-disciplinary service learning projects in global health. Health issues can be approached from a broad range of disciplines including politics, biology, economics or foreign affairs.

Community Based Undergraduate Research Grants - U.Va.

Community-based research seeks to foster collaborative partnerships between university researchers and the community, share knowledge among key stakeholders, and address social inequities. Community Based Research Awards for Undergraduates will provide opportunities for students to develop research projects that apply their academic skills, experiences, and ideas to real world problems. Student researchers, under the guidance of a faculty advisor and in collaboration with a community organization, will identify a project that addresses a documented public need or issue. Student researchers will design a research project adopt and deploy a research methodology embedded in an academic field(s), and create a research product (paper, presentation, etc.) that benefits the community organization and meets expectations of academic rigor as agreed on by the faculty advisor and student researcher(s).

DAAD - Graduate Opportunities

Graduate students in social sciences, hard sciences, or in professional areas such as law, business, and medicine have particular needs for their research and study in Germany. DAAD can help you master the German language, complete a research project in Germany, or expand your education with a stay at a German university.

DAAD Study Scholarship

Study Scholarships are awarded to highly-qualified graduating seniors or recent graduates of all disciplines to provide the opportunity to study in Germany, or complete a Master’s degree course and obtain a degree from a German higher education institution. Applicants are requested to have a well-defined study project that makes a stay in Germany essential. Preference will be given to applicants who have been invited by a faculty member at a German university to study at a particular university department.

DAAD Study Scholarship for Fine Arts, Architecture, Music, Dance

Study Scholarships for Fine Arts, Architecture, Music, Dance are awarded to highly qualified graduate students in these fields to provide the opportunity to study in Germany, or complete a postgraduate degree course and obtain a degree from a German higher education institution. The guidelines on this page are relevant for applicants in artistic fields.

Dee Family Global Scholarship

The Dee Family Global Scholarship was created to support UVA student participation in innovative study or research projects/activities abroad which demonstrate well-constructed plans, partnership with the local community, and the potential for continued inquiry. Preference will be given to Global Development Studies (GDS) majors. Preference will also be given to non-GDS majors whose projects take place in a developing country, especially those with "Low Human Development" scores on the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI).

Double Hoo Research Grant : Applications are not being accepted in 2013

The Double Hoo Research Grant supports pairs of undergraduate and graduate scholars seeking to pursue joint research projects. The award is intended to encourage collaborative interaction between the undergraduate and graduate communities at the University. Proposals from all schools at the University will be considered.

Fulbright Grants

Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. Awards are available in all fields of study.

Jefferson Public Citizens Program

The Jefferson Public Citizen (JPC) program is a comprehensive academic public service program that integrates students’ academic, service and research experiences throughout their time at the University. It seeks to inspire students to act as engaged citizens through active community partnerships, research service projects, and scholarly reflection. JPC projects require students to address a documented community need or social problem. JPC groups establish a hypothesis, study best practices, collect data, propose solutions, and, when appropriate, implement them. A JPC project is conducted in collaboration with a community partner(s) and can be done locally, nationally, or internationally. JPC students present their project findings in the new student journal Public, published in collaboration with the Virginia Policy Review, and at the annual U.Va. Public Service conference.

Kenan Academical Village Endowment Award - Not being offered in 2013

The William R. Kenan Endowment Fund of the Academical Village has established an endowment to fund educational outreach programs that further the educational mission of Jefferson’s Academical Village. In accord with the stated purposes of the endowment, the 2012 summer grants will support educational opportunities for students to conduct research projects that increase public understanding of the Academical Village. These research projects may include architectural or field internships; development of exhibitions and other educational opportunities to inform and engage the public (of all ages) in the history, evolution, and restoration of this World Heritage site; preparation of materials on historic preservation for publication and public distribution; and other educational outreach initiatives. At the conclusion of the research (no later than October 17, 2012), award recipients must submit a final product (e.g., a creative project, a curriculum design, etc.) to document the results of the research project in publishable form along with a letter from the faculty sponsor assessing the outcome of the project.

NASA Academies

The Academies at Ames, Glenn, Marshall, and Langley are intensive educational programs emphasizing group activities, teamwork, research, and creativity. The curriculum balances direct contact with science and engineering R & D with an awareness of the managerial, political, financial, social and human issues faced by aerospace professionals. Included are seminars, informal discussions, evening lectures, supervised research, visits to other NASA Centers and facilities, group project/s, tours, posters/presentations, and assessment. Additionally, most weekends are filled with group activities, team building and off-site trips. One free weekend is scheduled. The Academy is not a 9-5 summer research internship program. It is a rigorous, immersive experience that will challenge you. The academy is a space-themed program of high learning about NASA, its projects and collaborations with aerospace industry and academia, with very little down time, but a busy, exciting summer that you will not forget. The Academies have separate focus areas of leadership: Space/Aerospace, Robotics, Aeronautics, Lunar and Planetary Science, and Propulsion.

National Institutes of Health Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Summer Internship Program (SIP) provides an opportunity to work with some of the leading scientists in the world in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research.

National Institutes of Health-Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program

The National Institutes of Health-Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program is an accelerated, individualized doctoral training program for outstanding science students committed to biomedical research. It enables students to undertake a collaborative project in any area of biomedical investigation involving two mentors--one at the NIH intramural campus in Bethesda, Maryland, and one at either Oxford or Cambridge University. Students pursue either the PhD or the MD/PhD.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce in the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in fields within NSF's mission. The GRFP provides three years of support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant achievements in science and engineering research. The ranks of NSF Fellows include individuals who have made transformative breakthroughs in science and engineering research and have become leaders in their chosen careers and Nobel laureates. The NSF expects to award 2,000 graduate research fellowships in this cycle.

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE)

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) manages educational programs, including research placements for undergraduates, for many federal agencies. The ORISE website contains an extensive database of research opportunities at agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Rare Book School Fellowship Program at the University of Virginia

Thanks to a generous grant made possible by The Jefferson Trust, an initiative of the UVA Alumni Association, Rare Book School (RBS) invites students at the University of Virginia to apply for a fellowship designed to enhance UVA student research employing special collections, including written, printed, and born-digital materials. The RBS-UVA Fellowship Program provides UVA undergraduate and graduate students with scholarships to attend RBS’s celebrated courses on the history of books and printing—classes that are not available through UVA course offerings. The program introduces Fellows and their faculty sponsors to visiting peers and professionals in a dynamic environment that fosters hands-on collaborative research and interdisciplinary learning. The RBS-UVA Program not only provides Fellows with new tools and methods for engaging with primary source materials, it also publishes the scholarship of its participants (via its highly visited website), thereby providing other students with aspirational models of scholarly work and intellectual achievement. Undergraduate and graduate students attend seminars at RBS that directly inform year-long projects (viz., a Distinguished Major’s thesis, a scholarly article, a dissertation chapter, a conference paper, a public exhibit) that they are undertaking. Once accepted to the program, Fellows: • prepare readings for the RBS course to which they have been accepted; • attend an RBS course offered during 2012 (most RBS courses are offered at UVA in June and July). During their year in the program, Fellows and their UVA faculty sponsors will continue to participate in the program through: • visits to RBS and consultation with RBS faculty and staff during the conduct of their research; • the submission of final projects (due by 12 April 2013) for the Fellows’ interactive module on the RBS website; • the program’s annual forum and awards luncheon; • the completion of a year-end evaluation of the program.

Raven Fellowship - U.Va.

The University of Virginia's Raven Society established the Raven Fellowships in 1984 to encourage undergraduate and graduate students to undertake scholarly, intellectual, and creative projects. The Raven Society endeavors to bring together outstanding students, faculty, administrators, and alumni of the various schools of the University that they may derive the benefits of mutual acquaintance in pursuit of diligent scholarship and intellectual activity beyond the limits of systematic work in the classroom. As such, the Raven Fellowships will be targeted towards innovative research projects that cross disciplines in novel ways. While all applications will be reviewed, special consideration will be given to those projects with a distinctly interdisciplinary focus. The Raven Society will award research fellowships in support of 2012 summer or fall independent research projects. Research may be related to a dissertation or thesis, however, it is strongly encouraged that the projects go above and beyond what is for academic credit. Each fellowship will award up to $2500, and each Fellowship recipient will receive the award at the Raven Society's annual banquet on April 19, 2012. Applications from undergraduate and graduate students will be given equal consideration. You need not be a member of the Raven Society to apply.

Wallerstein Scholarship

The Wallerstein Scholarship was established in 1973 at the University of Virginia by a gift from Ruth C. and Morton L. Wallerstein to foster interest and research in Virginia local government. It provides support to an exceptional individual for a period of one year for the purpose of undertaking research as a graduate student or fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Virginia. Several previous scholarship recipients hold policy-making and management positions in state and local government in Virginia. The annual Scholarship is administered by the Virginia Municipal League (VML) and the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.