A Dry Summer For Grant Seekers

Competition for summer research travel grants rose to an all-time high this year as a record number of students applied for limited funding.

Several of Harvard’s international research centers said that the increased competitiveness for grants this year complicates the efforts of juniors who plan to write theses next year.

The rise in applications follows a period of greater support for international experiences by University President Lawrence H. Summers and the Office of International Programs.

“We believe application numbers are up this year because more and more students are recognizing the importance of having an international experience—and the Office of International Programs is doing a great job at facilitating this interest,” wrote Melissa H. Wojciechowski, the student engagement coordinator for the Center for International Development (CID), in an e-mail.

In an e-mail sent to rejected applicants, the CID said that they received six times more proposals than they were able to fund, making the selection process highly competitive. The CID funded nine research grants.

The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs (WCFIA) reported a 20 percent increase in the number of juniors seeking funding, rising to 90 applicants from 75 last year.

“There are more internationally focused theses [this year],” said Clare Putnam, the student programs coordinator for the WCFIA, which awarded 24 grants this year, sending most of its applicants to look for funding from other sources. Last year, the center also awarded 24 grants.

The Asia Center also reported a 22 percent increase in the number of applicants for thesis research and language study grants.

Another major source of funding, the Harvard College Research Program (HCRP), has delayed its decision for three weeks, frustrating students’ attempts to plan their summers.

Corey M. Rennell ’07, who is a Crimson editor, said that three grant rejections and his pending application with HCRP influenced his decision to take next year off and accept a spot on an upcoming BBC and Discovery Channel documentary, “Last Man Standing.” “By not getting funding, the time sensitivity of my project changed,” he said.

New this year was an online database of all potential sources of funding which publicized some of the traditionally overlooked grants. Also, 14 centers agreed to use a common application this year, reducing the burden for students who wished to apply for multiple grants. Applicants had to submit proposals as early as February in hopes of securing funding.

Some centers fund not only senior thesis research but summer internships as well, which are available to all students, not just juniors.

The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS), in addition to awarding grants for students who organize independent internships, also runs its own internship program, placing students with organizations in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Mexico. DRCLAS Student Services Coordinator Sebastian J. Sanchez ’04 said that the Office of Career Services has provided additional funds to DRCLAS so that awards that cover airfare could be given to students eligible for financial aid.

Sanchez said that DRCLAS did not receive more applicants for thesis research grants this year but saw the number of applicants to its internship program double.