Judith Herb College of Arts, Social Sciences and Education

Undergraduate Research Fellowships

This funding is available to economic majors working on research projects with faculty members in the Department of Economics.

Research Awards

This funding supports research endeavors including, but not limited to, conference fees and related travel expenses.

 Requirements for both:

• Full-time student status
• Completion of at least one course in economics per semester (unless waived by the chair of the Shapiro Endowment Committee).

Reed Reynolds Undergraduate Student Prize 2025

Type of prize

A competitive cash award (at least $800 per award)

Purpose

To reward undergraduate student research in Economics in order to promote experiential learning that builds important career skills for economists (applied economic research).

Eligibility

Undergraduate students who major in Economics OR Undergraduate students who major in Data Analytics and are enrolled in Economics Minor or one of Economics Certificates and Have taken ECON 2810 and passed it with a grade of C or better and Obtained a consent from the economics faculty member who will be supervising the research project if the student (or team) wins the prize; and Registered or will be registering for a 4000+ ECON elective during Spring 2025 and/or Fall 2025 (might include Honors Thesis). The proposal can be submitted individually or by a small (up to three students) team. All team members must satisfy eligibility conditions. If a team wins a prize, the amount of prize will be divided equally between team members. A student can submit or be a participant of only one application this year.

Procedure

Students (or teams) prepare a one-page research proposal. Obtain consent from a faculty member who will be supervising the research project. Submit the proposal to Dr. Sapci before February 15, 2025. If an award is issued, the student needs to register for ECON 4000+ course during Spring 2025 or Fall 2025. Students will be expected to attend Economics department research seminar (register for ECON 4910 to take place every other Friday during Fall 2025) where they will present their findings and participate in discussion of other students’ projects. The winners will receive the prize during Spring 2025. The next round of Reed Reynolds Undergraduate Student Completion will take place next year. Students who are interested in participating in next year’s competition should expect the terms of the competition (eligibility and prizes) to be about the same.

Bonus Eligibility for Shapiro Research Program

Economics majors participating in the Reed Reynolds Undergraduate Research program 2025 will become eligible for participation in the Shapiro undergraduate research program. Under this program, students will be eligible for up to an additional $2,000 in awards. The student needs to show progress in the Reed Reynolds Project, show commitments toward continued research, and obtain consent from the economics faculty to serve as a mentor (supervisor) on the project. 

This year's deadline has passed and prizes have been awarded. Next year's award is expected to be announced in November 2025.