Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Undergraduate travel grants support research for undergraduate senior theses on any topic requiring archival research in the British Isles or Ireland. The awards are designed principally to support travel, but other research expenses will also be considered.

University of Chicago undergraduate students from the Humanities and Social Sciences Divisions and the New Collegiate Division are eligible. Students should be within a year of graduation and will normally complete their degree between December 2026 and June 2027.

• Letter of recommendation from a University of Chicago faculty member, lecturer or academic advisor who is familiar with the student’s project addressed to the Director of the Nicholson Center (sent to nicholsoncenter@uchicago.edu). 
• A PDF document that contains the following:
  • 2-page statement of purpose, which includes a description of the unique materials to be examined in the British Isles.
  • An estimate of the funds needed to complete the project. Consult with a faculty member/lecturer/preceptor from the University of Chicago who is your advisor and also the archive/archivist at the institution in the British Isles (including Ireland), where the materials are located, to determine this estimate. 
  • Unofficial Transcript

• Please submit all materials as a single PDF via email to Interim Administrator Dr. Charlotte Cary-Beckett (nicholsoncenter@uchicago.edu). 

The result of the competition will be announced by the end of April 2026. Awardees should begin their travel within three academic quarters (including summer) after the award has been made, and have spent the funds before graduating. Nicholson Fellowship (Travel) funds will only be released in accordance with university policies.

The Nicholson Undergraduate Archive Digitization Grant is designed to allow students who need research materials located at an archive in the British Isles and Ireland to obtain them in a digital format, without need to travel. It supports research for undergraduate senior theses on any topic requiring archival research in the British Isles or Ireland.

Students are invited to apply for sums up to and including $2,500 to support digital copying of essential archival material from an archive in the British Isles or Ireland. Applicants are encouraged to work closely with a member of faculty or preceptor in determining access to archives, availability of materials and budgeting. Please contact the archive from which you seek documents to find out about their copying procedures and requirements before you apply. Many archives have lists of people who do digital copying for them.Some archives charge for making digital copies, and applicants may include this fee as part of their budget.

University of Chicago undergraduate students from the Humanities and Social Sciences Divisions and the New Collegiate Division are eligible. Students should be within a year of graduation and will normally complete their degree between December 2026 and June 2027.

• Letter of recommendation from a University of Chicago faculty member, lecturer, preceptor or academic advisor who is familiar with your project addressed to the Director of the Nicholson Center (sent to nicholsoncenter@uchicago.edu). 
• A PDF document that contains the following:
  • 2-page statement of purpose, which includes a description of the unique materials to be examined in the British Isles
  • An estimate of the funds needed to complete the project. Consult with a faculty member/lecturer/preceptor who is your advisor and also the archivist at the institution where the materials are held to determine this estimate
  • Unofficial Transcript
• Please submit all documents (except for the letter of recommendation) as a single PDF via email to Interim Administrator Dr. Charlotte Cary-Beckett (nicholsoncenter@uchicago.edu).