First-Year Monroe Scholar Research

Take your first steps into research with a $1,500 summer grant

First-year Monroe Scholar research projects are a great way to gain valuable research skills and begin down the path towards a full-fledged research project. When first-years become Sophomore/Junior Monroe Scholars, they are guaranteed funding for an eligible seven-week research project.

First-year Monroe Scholars may apply for a $1,500 grant to fund 120 hours (three full weeks) of time over the summer. Many projects may take longer than this. Some Scholars break up the 3 or more weeks into smaller segments over the summer.

Deadline: The application is due March 3, 2025.

Apply Here

Things to Consider

Research does not have to be conducted in the student's major.
Students will be guided by a William & Mary faculty mentor from a discipline relevant to their chosen research topic.

Three Ways to Set Up a Research Project

All projects must be supervised by a William & Mary faculty member.

Collaborative

Work with a professor on their existing project, often in a lab or in one of W&M’s research centers.
Self-Directed

Come up with your own topic and work with your faculty advisor to refine your proposed project.
Course-Inspired

Conduct research on a topic covered in a COLL or other course, working with the instructor from that course.

Application Information

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Eligibility

You must be a current first-year Monroe Scholar in good academic standing enrolled in undergraduate W&M classes (or studying abroad) in the fall following your project.

Application & Funding Timeline

Late October - Application opens
March 3, 2025 - Application deadline
March 6, 2025 - Faculty mentor recommendation form deadline
March 2025 - Applications will be reviewed by Charles Center Faculty Fellows. Your proposal will be read by faculty both inside and outside of your research topic area, so make sure that it does not contain jargon and is understandable to an educated person outside of your field.
Late March/Early April - Students whose project proposals were recommended for revisions before funding are contacted.
First week of April 2025 - Funding notification emails begin to go out. Emails will go out in waves so not all students may be notified at the same exact time.
Mid-April 2025 - Signed award letters and expectations agreements (completed with faculty mentors) are due.
May 2025 - Stipends are disbursed to students as checks mailed to the address specified on the award letter or direct deposit (W&M student employees only)
June, July, & August 2025 - Students conduct research according to the schedules they set with their faculty mentors
September 2025 - Grant recipients present at the Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium

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Getting Started

The first step is to discuss your research project idea with your William & Mary faculty project advisor. Make sure they know that they will be completing a recommendation form for you, mentoring your research, and helping you with your presentation at the Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Access the online application and create an account. Note: if you use your W&M email, make sure to use a different password than the one you use for your school account for security purposes.

Project Proposal Prompts

The project proposal questions will be answered within the online application.

For a general audience, summarize your research question and the significance of its outcome. Please write in the third person (no "I" statements); for example, "This project will explore..." (<150 words)
Did a course or academic experience inspire your choice of research topic? Describe other coursework or independent experience that prepared you to conduct this research. (<100 words)
Discuss your methodology. What is your research plan? Where do you propose to conduct the research? Include a project timeline, making sure that the project lasts a minimum of seven full-time weeks. (Note: the project may be spread out over multiple segments of time, as long as it lasts at least 280 hours) (<350 words)
What new knowledge or interpretation will emerge from this proposed project? (<150 words)
The goal of this funding is to start you on a successful undergraduate research trajectory. How do you think this research project fits in with your intellectual development? Do you think this project might lead to further work (for example: continued research experience, an independent study during the next academic year, a portfolio, etc.)? (<200 words)
Please provide a list of references/citations for your project proposal. You may use your preferred citation format.
Please list any generative AI tools you have used while writing this proposal and describe how you have used them. Example: “I used Copilot to edit the abstract I had written and provide feedback on improving clarity of language.” See the policy on use of generative AI.

Note: This proposal must be written by the student. However, we do encourage project advisors to read it and make constructive comments.

View Example Responses Here

Transcript

Upload an unofficial (from Banner self-service), William & Mary transcript, including your spring registration.

Research Ethics Compliance

If applicable, you must obtain approval from the appropriate Research Ethics Compliance committee. Please carefully review the section below for full details.

International Travel

Please review the following information if you plan to travel internationally to conduct your summer research.

1. Review the W&M Travel Alerts website to check the status of your intended destination.

If your country is listed as a Restricted Destination, travel is prohibited and you must adjust your plans to do research in another destination.
If there is a W&M Travel Risk Warning, you must submit an application for approval to the Travel Warning Review Committee through the Reves Center in order for your proposal to be considered for funding.

2. If you are traveling abroad, once you are notified whether your grant is awarded, you will be prompted to provide your information so the Charles Center can purchase your CISI Comprehensive Medical and Evacuation insurance. You will also be required to attend a predeparture orientation session.

Recommendation Form

The William & Mary faculty member who has agreed to be your project mentor must complete a recommendation form on your behalf through the online portal. You must meet to discuss your proposal with the project mentor before registering them in the system. When you enter the faculty member's name and email into the application system, they will be sent a link to complete the form. Please do this before the application deadline, so they have enough time to complete the form. You may submit your application before your faculty mentor completes the form.

The recommendation form is due three days after the application deadline and must be received in order for your proposal to be considered for funding. You are responsible for checking online whether the form has been submitted by the recommendation deadline.

Research Ethics Compliance

If your research involves any of the following, you must submit a request for approval to the appropriate Research Compliance committee before submitting your application. Approval must be obtained before you begin research.

Work involving living human subjects (including surveys, interviews, focus groups, or questionnaires)

Review the information on the Charles Center's Research Involving Human Subjects webpage to determine which committee your research protocol should be submitted to.
You and your faculty mentor/PI must complete the CITI training modules.
Take one of the following steps depending on the nature of your research:
- Submit a proposal to the Student IRB (exempt research)
- Have your faculty mentor submit a proposal to W&M Human Ethics IRB (non-exempt research)
- List your faculty mentor's IRB or EDIRC (School of Education) approval information on the research grant application form if you are working on their research project.
If you have questions, please contact the appropriate person below:
- Undergraduates requesting approval for their own projects that meet exempt IRB requirements: Student IRB (contact Kate Patterson)
- Undergraduates working on a faculty mentor's project or whose research does not meet exempt IRB requirements: W&M Human Ethics IRB ( [[researchcompliance, Research Compliance]])

Work that uses or produces radioactive materials

Speak to your faculty mentor and/or contact committee chair Eric Bradley with questions

Work that involves the use and care of vertebrate animals

You and your faculty mentor/PI must complete the CITI training modules listed as required for the program's course entitled "Investigators, Staff and Students-Working with the IACUC" under the "Laboratory Animal Welfare" curriculum. All personnel whose work involves activities with fish must complete the CITI modules titled either "Working with Fish in Research Settings" or "I work with Zebrafish: Danio rerio".
Work with your faculty mentor to submit a proposal through the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

Work that involves recombinant DNA, or infectious agents, or direct or indirect contact with wild-caught animals that may harbor infectious agents, or any human fluid or tissue.

Please note: It has been determined by W&M that oversight of Select Agents falls under the purview of the Environmental Health and Safety Office. See a complete list of Select Agents and Toxins (pdf). Questions in regard to Select Agents should be directed to Teresa Belback, Director of EHS.

Follow the procedures and guidelines on the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) webpage to submit your proposal.

Charles Center Policy on the Use of Generative AI in Research Grant Proposals

While we expect your proposal to be your original work, we do recognize that some students utilize generative AI tools to edit or get feedback on their writing.
You are in no way required to use AI to help you edit your proposal. You may choose to avoid it entirely. If you choose to use it, you should do so ethically and honestly.
Using Copilot through W&M provides commercial data protection. However, many other tools such as ChatGPT will not keep data private. You should not input private, protected, or proprietary information into these tools. You must ask your faculty mentor for permission before inputting any writing or data from their research into a generative AI tool.
For writing-related questions and personalized assistance, we recommend you make an appointment at the Writing & Communication Center.

On the application, you will be asked the question:

Please list any tools you have used while writing this proposal and describe how you have used them. Example: “I used Copilot to edit the abstract I had written and provide feedback on improving clarity of language.”

Need Help or Inspiration?

Info Session Slides

Review slides from a past information session. Topics include writing an effective grant proposal and approaching the application for your specific discipline.
Past Projects

Interested in knowing more about the kinds of research projects that were funded in the past? Check out presentations from prior symposia.
Undergraduate Research Ambassadors

Meet with an Undergraduate Research Ambassador to help frame your proposal.
Writing and Communication Center

Get feedback and guidance from the Writing and Communication Center.
Charles Center News

Browse Charles Center news stories to see featured student research.

Past Project Examples

Arts & Humanities Projects

An Investigation of the Impacts of Machine Learning Algorithms on the Nature of Art and Creation
Elaine Pagels’ Gnostic-Christian Relationship Evaluated
The Power of Memory Institutions and Aristocratic Identity in Tacitus’ Works

Social Science Projects

A Literature Review on Adverse Childhood Experiences: Varied Long-Term Effects of Abuse and Neglect
Democracy in Distress: A Comparative Analysis of How Judicial Independence Impacts Democratic Backsliding
Structural Analysis of Skeletal Remains at the New York African American Burial Ground: Insights into Bone Adaptation, Health, and Lived Experiences

STEM Projects

The Role of Olfaction in Maternal Bonding
The Effect of a Small Regulatory RNA on Helicobacter pylori Vacuolating Cytotoxin Expression
A Diagnosis of Bias in Language Models (LMs) Using Prompt Engineering
Building an Environmental DNA Database to Understand and Conserve the Freshwater Sponges That Filter Our Lakes and Streams

Expectations for Funded Projects

Time

Spend 3 full-time weeks or equivalent number of hours on the project during the summer
Ethics

Comply with all federal and university regulations regarding research ethics compliance
Faculty Mentor

Be responsive to communication and deadlines agreed upon with faculty research advisor, including submission of your final research product
Check-Ins

Respond to Charles Center check-ins during the summer
Mini-Courses

Complete two of the virtual mini-courses offered by Research Librarians in SWEM
Thank You Notes

Complete donor thank you message if directed to by the Charles Center
Photos

Submit two captioned photos of your research in progress to the Charles Center upon request during the summer
Presentation

Present your research at the Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is research?

Student research funded through the Charles Center typically meets all of the criteria listed below.

The research:

Is mentored by a William & Mary faculty member
Has the potential for generating new knowledge or interpretation

Students participating in the research:

Are involved in the synthesis and analysis of the project
Understand the academic context of their research well enough to explain it to various audiences

What is the "deliverable" of my summer research?

Many students finish with a research paper, but that might not be the best product for everyone. For example, if you’re doing a creative project, you might end with a painting, sculpture or novella. Scholars working in labs might have their lab results as their final products. You will work with your faculty mentor to determine what is the most appropriate final result of your project.

Who do I contact if I have questions about the online application?

For questions concerning a technical issue with the online application system, email support@slideroom.com or visit the SlideRoom Application Help Center.

Who do I contact if I have questions about the grants and application process?

Please submit general questions about the scholarships and/or application requirements to Charles Center.

What if things don't go as planned and I need to switch projects after receiving funding?

Funding decisions are evaluated based on the project information you submit on your application. Changing your project after being approved for funding is significant and should be discussed with [[kmpatterson,Kate Patterson]] as soon as possible.

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Can I use the funding to study abroad?

You may not use the grant for a summer study abroad program.

I have secured a research position at an off-campus location this summer. Can I apply to use Monroe money to support this opportunity?

The goal of the Charles Center is to provide rigorous undergraduate research experiences for our students, so we are happy to fund students doing external research experiences. However, the definition and conduct of research vary widely across institutions. To ensure that the activity follows the university's guidelines, we require students to be sponsored by a W&M professor who understands the nature of the research experience that you are proposing. For example, if you propose to be a research assistant for a non-profit organization focused on conservation of whales, your mentor should be a professor who studies conservation, whales, biology or a related field.

Can I apply for both a First-Year Monroe Scholars Research Grant and a Charles Center Summer Research Grant during the same summer?

No. You may only apply to one of these opportunities. However, if you choose, you may apply for the Charles Center Summer Research Grant as a freshman. If you are not selected for CCSRG funding, you'll still automatically be in consideration for funding for a 3-week Monroe Scholars First-Year Project.

I'm a 1693 Scholar. Can I apply for the First-Year Monroe Scholar Research Grant?

Please note that William and Mary 1693 Scholars are not eligible to apply for the First-year Monroe grant, but can use 1693 funding in a similar way. Please contact Dr. Dan Cristol or Kim Van Deusen for more information.

Upcoming Research Events

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The Charles Center

Application Questions

Contact: Kate Patterson, Undergraduate Research Program Administrator
Email: [[kmpatterson]]
Office: Blow Hall 267

Address

262 Richmond Road Williamsburg, 23185

Things to Consider

Page Contents

Three Ways to Set Up a Research Project

Collaborative

Self-Directed

Course-Inspired

Application Information

General Information

Preparing Your Application

Research Ethics Compliance

Charles Center Policy on the Use of Generative AI in Research Grant Proposals

Charles Center Policy on the Use of Generative AI in Research Grant Proposals

Please list any tools you have used while writing this proposal and describe how you have used them. Example: “I used Copilot to edit the abstract I had written and provide feedback on improving clarity of language.”

Need Help or Inspiration?

Past Projects

Past Project Examples

Arts & Humanities Projects

Social Science Projects

STEM Projects

Expectations for Funded Projects

Time

Faculty Mentor

Check-Ins

Thank You Notes

Photos

Frequently Asked Questions

Application Questions

Funding Questions

Upcoming Research Events

Would you like to learn more?

The Charles Center

Social Media

Application Questions

Address