Summer Rubles

The Harvard Russian Research Center will award to $500 grants to undergraduates who plan of investigate an area of Russian or Soviet studies this summer.

Marshall I. Goldman, associate director of the Center, said yesterday that the purpose of the competition is to generate greater interest in the Soviet Union. He added that he hopes the competition will attract support from foundation and alumni, enabling the center to sponsor more than two awards in the future.

Goldman added that the awards are unique because they "allow students to study what they want whatever they want." Fourteen similar grants given to social science students by the Center for International Affairs require the recipients to study outside the country, according to officials at the Center.

More than 20 Harvard students have expressed interest in the Research Center grants, Marshall said.

Applicants, who need not be able to speak Russian, must submit a statement by May 1 describing how they would use the grant money. Goldman said that originality and feasibility will be the strongest criteria in selecting the winning proposals.

"Students should be able to accomplish what they set out to do" in their projects, he added.

The grant recipients will also be required to submit a short paper recounting their experience.