Description & Criteria for Participation
- An ICS Research and Travel Grant will help support a period of independent research during the summer before your senior year, or presenting research at a conference or workshop.
- Travel is only one possible use of the funds: they are also available to help support your living costs while staying in Durham over the summer and accessing archives, for local transportation around your home, to purchase materials you cannot access through Duke libraries, and other needs related to interviewing, oral history, or other research methods.
- Priority will be given to students who are admitted to the Distinction Program and enrolled in ICS 495, the first part of the year-long honors seminar.
- These awards may not be used to subsidize participation in a summer study-abroad program. However, a rising senior studying abroad or participating in DukeEngage may use the grant to help fund an extended stay for independent research.
- ICS research funds are limited and awarded on a competitive basis. Awards are typically capped at $1000. We strongly encourage you to apply to other sources of research funding at Duke. The Undergraduate Research Support Office can help prospective honors students locate other funding sources. Most have deadlines in late February or early March.
Applying for a Research Travel Grant
If you are applying to the Distinction Program, and your project would benefit from an ICS Research and Travel Grant, you may complete and turn in both applications at the same time and they will be evaluated together. Any ICS major can apply throughout the year to present their research in a public forum.
An ICS Travel Grant application must include the following:
Name:
Project Title:
Adviser:
Brief description of method, research plan requiring funding support:
In a short (3-4 sentence) paragraph, tell us about your research project, the sites or communities you focus on, and the most important questions you are hoping to address in your research. Then focus on the specific methods that require financial support. Be clear about why travel is necessary or whether you need funds for a visa, or describe the ways translation services or a particular software will allow you to make the most of digital primary sources. We will work with you as best as possible to be sure you get the support you need.
Funds requested for: Summer, Fall, or Winter Break (Circle 1)
Other funds received or applied for:
Detailed Budget (fill in all that might apply):
Be as specific as possible. Do you want funds to pay for rideshares to events you are observing? Do you need to rent accommodations over the summer? Does your archive or oral history repository charge for access or for sending you copies or downloads? Will you need to buy books or media and pay for postage Students have used funds for getting around Durham or for helping interlocutors abroad buy a data plan that makes virtual interviews possible.
Regardless of your proposed uses for the funds, do your research. Make sure your budget is grounded in an up-to-date cost estimate, and that you have thought of potential hidden costs, from shipping to data storage.
Total Amount requested:
An ICS Conference Grant application must include the following:
Name:
Project Title:
Adviser:
Name and dates of the conference or workshop:
Acceptance letter to the conference. (If pending, submit to ICS as soon as possible, in order to get funding):
Abstract of the presentation
Other funds received or applied for:
Detailed Budget (fill in all that might apply):
Include the following categories:
Registration fees:
Travel:
Accommodation:
Total Amount requested:
Applications should not exceed two pages and should be submitted to the DUS
Deadlines*
All three parts of the application (Proposal, Bibliography, and Recommendation) should be emailed directly to the 2026-27 Distinction Program Director, Professor Jessica Namakkal (jn101@duke.edu). Research supervisors can email the director directly to express their support of your thesis proposal (they do not need to write a formal letter).
We encourage you to get your application in by Friday, March 20th, to receive full consideration for the program. If you cannot meet this deadline, but intend to submit a proposal, please contact Prof. Namakkal as soon as possible.
The Scott Lee Stephenson Memorial Fund allows the ICS Program to offer research travel grants related to honors/distinction projects. These generally do not exceed $800, and we recommend supplementing them with other sources. If you are planning summer research and need funding, submit the research funding application (see Tab for details under Academic) with your proposal. If you need funding later in the year, you can submit an application anytime.