2026-27 Undergraduate Research Grants

Expanded Eligibility & Unified Access

The Office of the Dean at Fordham Arts & Sciences has strengthened academic inquiry across both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses.

Unified Cross-Campus Access	Faculty Mentorship Model	Multi-Disciplinary Scope
Students from FCLC and FCRH share equal eligibility across all grant categories.	Every project requires active guidance, iterative narrative review, and formal endorsement from a faculty mentor.	Fully open to original academic research, external conference presentations, and capstone projects.

2026-2027 Grant Categories

$2,500 — Research	$800 — Conference Travel	$500 — Capstone
Comprehensive academic research under faculty mentorship throughout the academic year. DEADLINE: OCT 16, 2026 Apply here	Funds travel and accommodation for presenting accepted research at external academic conferences. DEADLINE: OCT 16, 2026 Apply here	Funds travel and accommodation for presenting accepted research at external academic conferences. DEADLINE: DEC 11, 2026 Apply here

$2,500 — Research

$800 — Conference Travel

$500 — Capstone

Comprehensive academic research under faculty mentorship throughout the academic year.

DEADLINE: OCT 16, 2026

Apply here

Funds travel and accommodation for presenting accepted research at external academic conferences.

DEADLINE: OCT 16, 2026

Apply here

Funds travel and accommodation for presenting accepted research at external academic conferences.

DEADLINE: DEC 11, 2026

Apply here

Grant Criteria

Grant Type	Submission Requirements
Research	250-word abstract, 3–4 page proposal narrative, itemized budget, project schedule, and formal faculty recommendation.
Conference Travel	Official conference acceptance letter, 250-word abstract, itemized travel and lodging budget.
Capstone	1-page project proposal, itemized budget for: e.g., thesis printing & binding, display boards, gallery exhibition media, etc.

Four-Step Grant Pathway

1. Form Research Question

Expand prior coursework or explore independent original ideas across any academic discipline.

2. Connect with Mentor

Engage faculty advisors to guide proposal framing, literature review, methodology, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements (if necessary).

3. Draft Narrative

Outline thesis, context, methods, outcomes, timeline, and an itemized budget.

4. Submit

Complete application submission via the official portal prior to posted cycle deadlines.

Faculty Mentorship & Framing

Faculty Role

Refining Scope: Assist in transforming broad student curiosity into concrete, actionable research questions.
Sourcing Literature: Guides the identification of foundational scholarly texts, primary archival sources, and theoretical frameworks.
Iterative Revisions: Advises through at least two narrative drafts before final application submission, during the research process, and presentation phases.

Compelling Examples of Student Research

Validating Novel Targets of Alzheimer's disease in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
1, 2, 3, 4-Tetrahydroisoquinoline Synthesis for Application in Pancratistatin Synthesis
With Great Power: A Study on The Importance of STEM in Spider-Man Stories
Studying the Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, Stress and Burnout Amongst Undergraduate Pre-medical Students
Why Does Japan Have So Few Women in Tech? Closing the Gender Gap Using Technology
Exploring manifestations of colonial mentality in the dating attitudes, behaviors, and experiences of college-aged Filipino American women
Non-belongingness: The Experience of Queer Arab International Students in the United States
Struggles of Resettlement: a Case Study of North Korean defectors in Seoul, South Korea
A Tale of Two Stations: Comparative Analysis of the Factors Behind the Construction of the Roosevelt Island and 34th Street-Hudson Yards Subway Stations
The Oresteia through Klytaimestra: Theater and Representations in Art
Country and Concrete Cowboy: The History and Continued Legacy of Black Cowboys in the South
Romance and the Divine: a Theology Cabaret
Exploring Visual History of Redlining in Baltimore City
The Healing Potential of Unifying Communities in the Face of Trauma
Digital Inequalities in the Bronx: High School Students' Experiences with Internet Use and Access
Algerian Expression of Reparations through Raï Music

Structuring Your Narrative

Recommended target length and content focus per proposal section.

Section	Target Length	Core Objective & Content
Part I: Thesis	1 paragraph	Define project scope, timeframe, research question, and concrete deliverables.
Part II: Context	2-3 paragraphs	Situate research within existing academic literature and theoretical frameworks.
Part III: Methods	2-3 paragraphs	Detail action steps (research, archival work, data collection, interviews) & project timeline.
Part IV: Outcomes	1-2 paragraphs	Dissemination plans (symposia, academic journals) and long-term career goals.
Part V: Conclusion	1 short paragraph	Concise restatement of research question and overall scholarly impact.

Emphasize Clarity and Simplicity

The old pond—

A frog jumps in,

Sound of water.

— Matsuo Bashō, The Old Pond, 1686

Evaluation Criteria

Key elements required for committee evaluation and administrative sign-off.

Criteria	Requirements
Priority 1: Application Checklist	250-Word Abstract: Brief overview 4-Page Narrative: Core research plan Bibliography: Scholarly sources Itemized Budget: Justification
Priority 2: Faculty Criteria	Writing Clarity: Accessible style Academic Grounding: Depth Mentor Endorsement: Strong letter Feasibility: Realistic timeline
Priority 3: Special Approvals	IRB Approval: Institutional Review Board (IRB) is an ethical and regulatory evaluation process designed to protect the rights, safety, and welfare of human subjects participating in research studies. Human subjects research requires scheduled IRB review and IRB training for both students and mentors. A/V Media Considerations

Selected Topics Across Disciplines

Empowering original inquiry across humanities, sciences, social sciences, and creative arts.

- Validating Novel Targets of Alzheimer's disease in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
- 1, 2, 3, 4-Tetrahydroisoquinoline Synthesis for Application in Pancratistatin Synthesis
- Public Transit Fare Evasion
- Bronx Digital Equity Initiatives
- Struggles of Resettlement: a Case Study of North Korean Defectors in Seoul, South Korea
- Country & Concrete Cowboy: The History and Continued Legacy of Black Cowboys in the South
- Functions of the U.S. State Department's Rhythm Road program
- The facilitation of intercultural dialogue through musical performance
- Trans-Siberian Railway Documentary
- Exploring the Visual History of Redlining in Baltimore City
- A Photo Essay on Female Powerlifters

Featured Student Case Studies

Dopamine (DA) is a neurotransmitter that drives essential brain functions such as motor control, motivation, and learning. While DA is released throughout the brain, these diverse functions have classically been attributed to DA’s modulation of neuronal function in a brain region known as the striatum, where DA release is highest (1). The striatum is typically divided into functionally distinct dorsal and ventral subregions (2). DA exerts its effects on striatal neurons by binding to a particular set of receptors on their plasma membrane, inducing intracellular signaling pathways that influence neuronal activity (3).

Dysfunction of DA signaling in the striatum is critically implicated in mechanisms behind neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), schizophrenia, and drug addiction (4). These disorders are massive global health concerns, with PD and schizophrenia being the leading causes of disability worldwide, and 400 million people being affected by alcohol and drug use disorders (5, 6, 7). Although treatments target striatal DA receptors to manage symptoms, their lack of cellular and regional specificity often results in adverse effects (8). Therefore, the development of improved treatments will require a clearer understanding of how DA shapes the function of neurons across the striatum.
Inner Visions is a research and music performance project that examines the relationship between blind pianists in the 20th century and the shaping of Black musical styles in America through the study of four musicians: Art Tatum, Ray Charles, Marcus Roberts, and Stevie Wonder. Each musician pioneered a musical movement in their respective career.

The paper argues that their visual impairments allowed them a special gift to create unique, genre-bending music to drive Black musical styles and further asks what connection can be made between their visual impairment and their unique musical creativity. When analyzing the pianists via their discography, playing styles, and specialized music pedagogies, an overlap occurs between ethnomusicology and disability studies. Because research at the intersection of these fields is rare and vastly incomplete, the topic is of great importance in understanding how visual impairments can be helpful to musicians in their musical endeavors rather than inhibiting. The results will be brought to life via a lecture-recital presentation in which an arranged discography of works by the four musicians will be played live, along with an explanation of the findings from the research process.