Funding for Your Research: Honors Research Assistant Fellowships and Grants

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Undergraduate research is a big part of your experience at Commonwealth Honors College, especially when it's time for your Honors Thesis. Research can be fun and exciting, as there’s a variety of options available at UMass and so many different areas to explore. While the opportunities are endless, it can be hard to commit time to it — especially from a financial standpoint. 

That’s where Research Assistant Fellowships (RAFs) and Honors Research Grants (HRGs) come in. Offered twice a year by CHC, these two sources of funding are a great way to make your research experience easier and affordable.

During my time at CHC, I was fortunate enough to apply and get funding from both options! Here’s some more information about each of them, and some tips I have for your application.

Research Assistant Fellowships (RAFs)

RAFs are a type of funding that go directly to you. You can receive a fellowship for work you’re doing in an independent study, and honors or departmental research. Funding can go up to $500 for each semester, and applications are usually due in April/November preceding the semester you want to conduct your research.

First-year and sophomore Honors students are eligible for the April deadline (for the following Fall), while sophomores and juniors can apply for the October application (for the following Spring). The application (on CHC PATHS) requires a 300-700 word essay, after which it's sent to your faculty sponsor who has to submit a CV, a letter of endorsement, and a 300-500 word project description.

Before you apply for an RAF, it's important to have a faculty sponsor identified who can guide your research — whether as a member of their lab, or if you're doing your own research.

CHC will provide you with the funding, but the faculty sponsor plays a big role in ensuring you’re able to complete your research and help you with your application.

Honors Research Grants 

HRGs go directly towards your research. They’re up to $1000 awards that can be used for any materials or costs related to your research.

HRGs are a bit more work, it’s a six to ten page, single-spaced grant proposal you submit describing your research, and explaining what costs the funding goes to. So definitely start early if you’re applying for one!

The application is open to juniors and seniors and follows the same deadlines as the RAFs (it can be submitted on CHC PATHS as well). There’s five different sections: Background, Objective, Methodology, Budget, and References, and each of them has their own word counts. Your advisor has to submit a letter of endorsement and CV for HRGs as well.

If awarded, recipients have to present their work at the annual Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference.

My Tips

Find what interests you: It can be hard trying to find a research area to work in. Reach out to the Office of Undergraduate Research and Studies (OURS), or any professors in a department you want to do research in and see where it takes you!

Start early: Especially with the HRGs. There’s a lot of work that goes into these and you need to revise it with your faculty sponsor since they can’t edit it on CHC PATHS, so get the process started early.

Use your writing resources: The CHC Writing Coach is available via appointment, and the Learning Resource Center (LRC) has a Writing Center — both are  great resources for getting advice on your writing and making your essays/proposals clear and concise.

Communicate with your advisor: It's important that you and your advisor are on the same page. Let them know in advance when you’re sending your essays over for their input and tell them about the materials they need to submit so they aren’t caught off guard. 

The HRGs and RAFs are two really great ways to take advantage of the financial opportunities available to you, so try your best to make use of them! Have you applied for one of these before? What advice do you have? We’d love to communications [at] honors [dot] umass [dot] edu (hear) from you!