Research & Independent Study
The Susan B. Anthony Institute (SBAI) supports undergraduate research and independent study in the fields of gender, sexuality, and women's studies. Our opportunities include:
Undergraduate Research Grants
We offer grants to University of Rochester undergraduate students to support research in gender, sexuality, and women's studies. Proposals may include such items as:
- Expenses connected with research
- Travel for research purposes
- Travel to professional conferences
Research grant funding may not be used to pay for participant incentives. Preference will be given to gender, sexuality, and women's studies majors, minors, and cluster students. Research grants may be either for research undertaken this academic year or for research planned for summer.
Students are encouraged to contact the Susan B. Anthony Institute with any questions about undergraduate research grants.
Applying
Apply online using our Research Grant Application form.
Applications are due in December and April each year. Exact dates are listed on the form page.
When completing your grant application, we encourage you to keep the following in mind:
- People from a variety of disciplines are on the Research Grants Committee. Please make clear how your subject matter is centrally related to gender, sexuality, and/or women's studies in a way that is comprehensible to people outside your field.
- You should create a case for relevance and convey precisely how your research contributes to the field. We will only support work that advances an understanding of gender and/or women’s studies.
- Research on female subjects does not automatically qualify.
- Receipts and expenses must be presented for reimbursement within 45 days of travel or purchase. Expenses presented after 60 days will not be reimbursable as per the University’s policy in accordance with IRS reporting guidelines.
Annual Undergraduate Research Conference
Each year the Susan B. Anthony Institute hosts an undergraduate research conference featuring presentations by students nominated for their remarkable work in gender, sexuality, and/or women's studies.
Research Awards
Independent Research in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies
Beginning in 1999, this annual award recognizes excellence in undergraduate research. It is presented at year's end to the student who has completed the best undergraduate research project in gender, sexuality and women's studies during the academic year.
Students will generally have completed this work as an independent research, independent study, or honors project. All undergraduate students who have taken courses listed with GSW are eligible. The award is not restricted to graduating seniors. Students are nominated by institute faculty associates.
Community Connections
Created in 1999, this annual award is presented at year's end to the student whose work in gender, sexuality, and women's studies has contributed most significantly to the local campus or Rochester community during the academic year.
Many students will have completed this work during a women's studies internship in the Rochester community, but there are many other possibilities. For example:
- Noncredit-bearing work in the Rochester community
- Work with student groups on campus that focus on gender, sexuality, and women's studies
- Organizing co-curricular events on campus that focus on gender, sexuality, and women's studies
All undergraduate students who have taken courses listed with GSW are eligible. The award is not restricted to graduating seniors. Students are nominated by institute faculty associates.
Independent Study
If there is a project you'd like to work on that is not a part of a gender, sexuality, and women's studies (GSW) course, you can arrange to complete an independent study. Before moving forward, you'll need to get approval from your GSW advisor and identify a faculty person to supervise the independent study. It's best to start this process early in the preceding semester.
Before you submit the independent study form, you will need to meet with your faculty supervisor to determine your goals, and how your progress and work will be evaluated. Your faculty supervisor will then give you a permission code so that you can submit the independent study form.
Review the independent study form to get an idea of the information you'll need to discuss during your meetings with your GSW advisor and faculty supervisor.