Summer Research Funding

Source: https://histlit.fas.harvard.edu/summer-funding Parent: https://histlit.fas.harvard.edu/hl90s

History & Literature concentrators spend their summers in a number of ways--doing research, studying abroad, interning at a number of different organizations, and more. To the right, you'll see resources for identifying internships, as well as places where History & Literature students have recently interned. Below, you'll find a number of funding opportunities that have supported History & Literature concentrators in the past.

While History & Literature does not require concentrators to do any thesis research before the senior year, many students choose to do summer research as a way of enriching their college experiences. In particular, many juniors win funding to support senior thesis research conducted in the summer between the junior and senior years. Listed below are general resources for identifying funding opportunities as well as particular funds, grouped thematically and geographically. Note that most of the application deadlines are early in the spring semester, clustered around the middle of February. Some grants also provide funding for term-time research or the winter session. Deadlines for 2024-25 grants, if available, are listed below.

If you have questions, please contact History & Literature’s Associate Directors of Studies.

General Resources\ Thematic Funds\ North America\ Europe\ Latin America\ Africa and the Middle East\ Asia, South Asia, and Oceania

General Resources

• The Office of Career Services (OCS). The OCS administers funding that supports students enrolled in Harvard and Non-Harvard Summer Study Abroad Programs. Funding is also available for Harvard-Run International Programs, including a variety of summer internships offered by Harvard centers in places like Latin America, Europe, China, etc. Take advantage of drop-in hours and information sessions, or make an appointment with an adviser.
• The Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (URAF). URAF promotes and supports research opportunities for Harvard undergraduates, from helping students to identify research opportunities to administering research programs like SHARP and MMUF (see below). URAF also hosts office hours and offers one-on-one advising appointments.
• CARAT. The Central Application for Research and Travel (CARAT) is used by many campus programs and research units as the starting point for application submission. Click the button labeled "Undergraduate Opportunities" for information about individual funds, including deadlines.

Thematic Funds

• Harvard College Research Program. HCRP is the flagship research, scholarly, and artistic support program for Harvard College students. It provides fall term, spring term, and summer funding in support of student-initiated, independent scholarly research or creative endeavors undertaken with guidance of a Harvard-affiliated faculty mentor. Deadline: September 7, 2025, for fall semester funding; January 12, 2026, for spring semester funding; March 16, 2026 for summer funding.
• Asian American Studies Thesis Research Grant. For research for a senior honors thesis related to Asian American Studies, with a relationship to Asian American life, history, culture, theory, or politics. Projects may deal with persons or groups with ancestry that is Pacific Islander, South Asian, Southeast Asian, East Asian, or Middle Eastern. Likewise, ‘American’ need not be limited to U.S. contexts. Deadline: February 2026.
• Carol K. Pforzheimer Student Fellowships. For research at Radcliffe’s Schlesinger Library. Deadline: February 22, 2026.
• Center for the Environment Summer Undergraduate Research Fund. For research projects related to the environment; priority is given to rising seniors conducting honors thesis research. Deadline: March 2, 2026.
• Center for Jewish Studies Summer Study and Research Fellowships. To support summer research or study opportunities in Jewish Studies. Deadline: March 7, 2026.
• Ethnicity, Migration, Rights Summer Thesis Research Grants. Summer travel grants to assist Harvard juniors with senior honors thesis research related to ethnicity, human rights, indigeneity, and migration. Deadline: February 2026.
• Harvard College Summer Humanities and Arts Research Program (SHARP). A 10-week immersive summer program in which fellows work on research projects with Harvard-affiliated faculty and researchers and library and museum administrators. Deadline: February 1, 2026.
• Houghton Library/SHARP Undergraduate Fellowships. To support a summer of research at the Houghton Library. Deadline: mid February.
• Kenneth I. Juster Fellowships for Undergraduate Research and Travel. Grants to support undergraduate field research or field experience in the areas of international relations, international trade and economic affairs, international development, international negotiation and dispute resolution, and global governance and affairs. Funds may be used for internationally focused field experiences or field research, including—but not necessarily tied to—research in support of senior theses. Projects may be carried out during the winter break, between semesters, or a term-time leave of absence. Deadline: October 23, 2025.
• Latinx Studies Thesis Research Grants. Summer travel grants to assist Harvard juniors with senior honors thesis research in areas related to Latinx Studies. Deadline: February 2026.
• Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF). Selects ten students in their sophomore year to join a tightly-knit research community during junior and senior years to conduct independent research in close collaboration with a faculty mentor. Deadline: February 12, 2026.
• Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Thesis Research Grants. Travel grants to support summer field research for theses on international affairs and global history. Deadline: February 13, 2026.

North America

• Canada Program Undergraduate Thesis Research Grants. For thesis projects on Canadian issues. Deadline: February 13, 2026.
• Center for American Political Studies Undergraduate Student Summer Grants. Summer research fellowships for juniors who are writing a senior thesis on any aspect of contemporary American politics.  Deadline: February 13, 2026.
• Charles Warren Center Senior Thesis Grants. For thesis projects on any topic in American history. Deadline: February 14, 2025.

Europe

• Dressler Family Traveling Grant for Summer Travel or Study for Sophomores and Juniors. For travel and study in a country where a Romance language is spoken (e.g. France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Romania, and Latin America). The purpose of the grant is to afford students who have completed at least one course in Romance Languages and Literatures at Harvard the opportunity to travel and study in these countries in order to further their understanding of language, literature, politics, history, culture, etc. Deadline: TBA.
• Harvard-Cambridge Summer Fellowship. Offers fellowships to rising juniors and seniors to pursue meaningful opportunities in the United Kingdom, including sponsored research or study experiences at Cambridge or in affiliation with Cambridge-sponsored or affiliated arts or service projects. Deadline: TBA.
• Goldman Undergraduate Research Travel Grants. For independent research on topics in Russian and Eurasian studies. Preference is given to juniors doing research for the senior thesis. A limited amount of funding may be available for research abroad in January. Deadline: February 10, 2026.
• HURI Summer Research Travel Grants to Ukraine. For support to conduct summer research on a topic directly related to Ukrainian studies in Ukraine and the surrounding region. Deadline: TBA.
• Center for European Studies Summer Senior Thesis Research Grants. Travel grants to fund summer research in Europe for juniors preparing senior theses focusing on modern or contemporary Europe. Deadline: January 19, 2026.
• Patterson Traveling Fellowship to Italy. One fellowship is awarded each year to fund summer or holiday travel to Italy. Deadline: TBA.
• Real Colegio Complutense (RCC) Grant for Undergraduate Internships and Research in Spain. Funds for summer research or internships in Spain. Deadline: TBA.
• Robert Bacon Fund Grant. Funds for summer study, research, or internships in France, including support for students attending Harvard’s summer program in Paris. Deadline: TBA.
• Teodore Raffaele Diaco Memorial Grant for Study in Italy. To support Harvard College undergraduates who wish to conduct summer study in Italy, in Italian. Deadline: TBA.

Latin America

• David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) Summer Research Travel Grants. For research related to Latin America and the Caribbean. Preference is given to students conducting thesis research. Deadline: February 9, 2026.

Africa and the Middle East

• A. J. Meyer Summer Fellowship. A scholarship in the amount of $3,000 for a Harvard student who will enroll in a full-time intensive summer program in Arabic. Deadline: March 1, 2026.
• Center for African Studies Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship. To support intensive for-credit study of an African language, either in the United States or abroad. Deadline: TBA.
• Center for African Studies J-Term Grants. For research to be conducted during the January term, between fall and spring semesters. Deadline: TBA.
• Center for African Studies Summer Grants. For students traveling to Africa for thesis research, internships, volunteer work, or study abroad. Deadline: TBA.
• Henry Rosovsky Summer Fellowship for Undergraduate Research in Israel. Deadline: March 1, 2026.

Asia, South Asia, and Oceania

• Asia Center Undergraduate Summer Research Grants. For students conducting research or language study over the summer. Research must look at the countries of East, South, and Southeast Asia comparatively or explore the relations among Asian countries. Deadline: February 9, 2026.
• Asia Center Winter Research Grants. For students conducting research that looks at the countries of East, South, and Southeast Asia comparatively or explore the relations among Asian countries. Deadline: TBA.
• Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies Summer Research Grants. For undergraduates who plan to conduct academic research in or on Greater China (including Taiwan) during the summer. Priority given to thesis research projects. Deadline: February 2, 2026.
• Harold Bolitho Undergraduate Research Scholarships in Australian Studies. To support research and/or fieldwork relating directly to a senior honors thesis in an area of Australian studies. Awards made on a rolling basis.
• Korea Institute Summer Research Travel Grants. For research for a senior thesis in an area of Korean studies. Deadline: February 9, 2026.
• Korea Institute Undergraduate Summer Language Study Grants at Ewha. Awards summer language study grants for Harvard undergraduates in any concentration to attend the co-ed Ewha International Summer College-Session I to learn the Korean language. Courses may only on Korean language or on language and content. Deadline: February 9, 2026.
• Reischauer Insititute Harvard College Japan Summer Internship Program. Coordinates a wide array of summer internship opportunities in Japan for undergraduates in any concentration. Deadline: January 10, 2026.
• Reischauer Institute Henry Rosovky Undergraduate Summer Research Travel Grant in Japan. For research in Japan, relating directly to a senior thesis in an area of Japanese studies. Deadline: February 14, 2026.
• Reischauer Institute Undergraduate Summer Japanese Language Grants.Awards grants to undergraduates in any concentration who plan to enroll in a summer Japanese language study program in Japan. Deadline: February 14, 2026.
• South Asia Institute Undergraduate Research Grants. For students conduction thesis research in South Asia. Deadline: TBA.