NIU supports undergraduate research in many ways, including financial support. By getting funding for a project, you can broaden its impact. Two funding opportunities NIU offers are the Student Engagement Fund (SEF) and the Research, Engagement and Academic Diversity (READ) Grant. You can apply for either SEF or READ once per semester.
The application deadline for summer/fall 2023 is March 24, 2023.
The Student Engagement Fund (SEF) is an Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning (OSEEL) funding program that provides student compensation and/or project supply funds for faculty-mentored research/artistry and community-based projects. Projects in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) are funded in partnership with the college.
Faculty members and students can apply for SEF funding for mentored research projects, which may be community-based. Funds can be used to cover a student's compensation (a paid assistantship) and/or to cover expenses such as equipment, software or travel.
If you're a CLAS student, you can also apply for funds to cover expenses for:
SEF applications are reviewed by a committee of NIU faculty and alumni.
The Research, Engagement and Academic Diversity (READ) Grant is the result of a collaboration between OSEEL, the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships and the Office of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ADEI). READ Grant funds can be used for research, scholarship and artistry projects on social justice and diversity, as well as projects related to social entrepreneurship or social innovation focused on social and cultural issues.
Faculty and students can apply. Faculty members must have a plan for selecting undergraduates to work on the project. Students must have a faculty/staff mentor and will present their project at the Conference on Undergraduate Research and Engagement. A final report must be submitted.
Students from historically excluded groups are encouraged to apply. Faculty are encouraged to recruit students from these groups (defined here as African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and Alaskan Native/American Indian).
READ applications are reviewed by the committee on Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Funds can be used to cover a student's compensation and/or project supply expenses. Eligible project supply expenses include, but are not limited to:
You can receive support for more than one project. The following limits apply:
We recognize that the sum of the limits for compensation and project supply expenses exceeds the total limit.
*new recipients only.