Students are encouraged to seek opportunities outside the university, in order to develop and exercise their research and creative inquiry skills. There are a number of good reasons to seek opportunities off-campus, in addition to seeking on-campus opportunities. Primarily, other campuses and awards may allow students to experience different institutional settings as well as other regional and national settings. Taking part in off-campus opportunities can help students learn to adapt to settings that are new, and possible, outside of their comfort zones, including the skills needed to build new professional and collaborative relationships. Experiencing research and creative work in other settings may also allow students to experience new approaches to conducting work. Finally, conducting work off-campus may allow students to gain specialized training that complements their Roosevelt education.
Fellowships and Awards typically allow students to take part in a specialized training, independent research, or creative inquiry activity. Fellowships and awards typically offer students a stipend to conduct the work and may also provide travel, presentation, and publication opportunities. Typically, students receive mentorship while taking part in these opportunities.
Fellowships and
Off-Campus research assistantships come in many forms. Students may be hired by an individual or group of professors from another university to conduct work on a project. However, many universities offer summer or semester-long research opportunities that may include participation in an ongoing project or mentoring students in completing their own projects. Most of these opportunities are paid and some will offer credit. Opportunities are often advertised 7-10 months ahead of the deadline (for Summer Opportunities, programs may be advertised in September or October) and application deadlines typically fall at the beginning of the prior term, approximately 4-6 months in advance (Summer Opportunity deadlines are often in January or early February).
For more information, explore the guidelines and posted opportunities in the drop-down menus, below.
Getting Started with External Awards and Assistantships
Undergraduate students are eligible for awards while they are students as well as after graduation. Many of these awards require that students apply up to a year in advance. In addition, they may have prerequisites, such as language proficiency beyond English and prior research experience. Students are encouraged to explore options as early as possible in their career, so that they can fulfill these requirements in the years prior to their application. Students should explore the options below, but are also strongly recommended to attend OSR workshops and create individualized plans with OSR staff.
Most awards open to graduate students are primarily available to support thesis and/or dissertation research. Most external awards are highly competitive and students should begin planning their project and application several months or more than a year in advance of the deadline. Students should work with OSR staff and graduate program advisors to identify appropriate awards and develop applications.
In the drop-down menu below, you will find a table allowing you to explore a wealth of external opportunities available for students to explore. They all include identifiers that allow students to easily filter their options by:
- Class level
- Category (major/topic of interest)
- Deadline
- Citizenship
- Study abroad
Students can find an expanded description of each opportunity by clicking on the descriptor tile. Every fellowship/scholarship includes the link to their site where most of their online applications are located. If you need additional help in exploring or applying for any of these opportunities, please set up an appointment with the Office of Student Research.
Please also note that some opportunities require that students participate in an on-campus application and nomination process for opportunities including the U.S. Student Fulbright Awards, the Goldwater Scholarship and others. See the opportunity description for instructions.
External Award & Fellowship Opportunities
There are currently a multitude of scholarships and fellowships in which both undergraduate and graduate students can apply for. Explore the table below to see which best fit your interests, level, and category. If you need additional guidance in exploring the various opportunities, please make an appointment with OSR staff. If you are a member of the Roosevelt University community and you know of an award that is not included on this list, please use the appropriate form in the About page, to suggest for posting.
RU Student Recipients of External Awards
Content will be updated regularly. Please check back soon!
Off-Campus Research Assistantships
Roosevelt students have also found paid research opportunities for the summer months or during the academic year. Many universities offer Summer Research Opportunity Programs (SROPs) that accept students from around the United States to work on a wide range of projects. Other universities host Research Opportunities for Undergraduates (REUs) where students receive training and payment to work on a specific project. Individual professors may have funding to hire students from other schools. Finally, there are a number of programs that are not affiliated with universities that offer scholarships/stipends to participate in specific pre-professional training programs or research activities.
Applications for summer programs are often due in January or February, so students are encouraged to begin planning during the Fall semester.
This table will contain SOME opportunities but it is not exhaustive. Students are welcomed to consult with OSR staff or faculty members to learn about additional opportunities. If you know about an opportunity that is not listed here, we welcome you to use the form for Advertising Off-Campus Awards & Research Assistantships to share it with us.