Honors College Accepting Student Applications for Research Grants

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Pre-med English major Madison Whaley has won Honors College grant support for a project that looks to Shakespeare's play King Lear to study how attitudes toward mental illness have changed over time.

Honors students needing help with research expenses are encouraged to apply for the Honors College Research Grant, which is designed to support a broad range of topics. Current students who have won grant funding include Madison Whaley, a pre-med English major who is marrying medicine and literature in an interdisciplinary project that spans centuries. Her research focuses on gleaning a better understanding of the common attitudes toward mental illness in Shakespeare's time, using King Lear's iconic madness as both source text and object of analysis. Other students who have received funding will explore issues ranging from the sideline diagnosis of concussion in high school athletes to the impact of digital technology on linguistic development in young children. 

The Honors College Research Grant awards selected students with $1,250 for a one-semester research project, and $2,500 for a multi-semester project, intended to support research begun and completed during the grant period. In addition, a student's faculty mentor will receive $1,000 to purchase any necessary materials and to help guide the student through the research process.

"These grants provide practical support for honors students and their faculty mentors; they also add a valuable professional endorsement to a student's resume," said Honors College Associate Dean Jennie Popp. "Last year, we awarded more than $524,000 in research grant funding to students, and an additional $180,500 to mentors. All it takes is a little bit of time to put together a competitive application."

To be eligible for an Honors College Research Grant, students must be in the Honors College and must hold a 3.50 cumulative GPA (3.330 minimum for architecture students after their fifth semester). Eligible students must have completed a minimum of six honors credit hours at the University of Arkansas. For more requirements and instructions on how to apply, visit the research grants page on the Honors College website.

The next deadline to be considered for funding in summer 2019, fall 2019 and/or spring 2020, is 4 p.m. Friday, March 15. 

Any questions about the Honors College Research Grant should be directed to Chelsea Hodge, associate director of grants management, at cew003@uark.edu or (479) 575-3127.