Research Opportunities

At Washington College, your personal interests and efforts to conduct research are not only encouraged, but actively supported. Below you will find an array of funding options available at the College—mostly awarded through competitive application processes—and other opportunities for research. There are additional programs that provide funding for majors- or subject-based research, which are listed by the Office of Student Achievement and Success.

a student looks through a microscope Each year, Washington College invests $350,000+ in  supporting students' research projects, paying for supplies, travel, and other expenses. Independent research opportunities—during the semester or over the summer—are available across campus, and there are clubs and organizations dedicated to students conducting and sharing their own research. Funding is available to enhance research opportunities and experiences.

We also support undergraduate students and alumni applying for nationally competitive, merit-based fellowships and scholarships, such as the Fulbright, Rhodes, Mitchell, and other major awards. Many of these fund research or study at institutions abroad, some before graduation and some after.

Student Research Mentoring Programs

a student and faculty member look at a bound musical score

The Libby & Douglass Cater Society of Junior Fellows is the College’s flagship academic enrichment program. Junior Fellows propose independent research projects and, upon completion, present their findings and experiences to other society members and the campus community.

The John S. Toll Research Program funds collaborative research opportunities between Washington College students and faculty in the natural sciences. Faculty apply for funding and choose students, who become fellows in the program, to work with them.

The Hodson Collaborative Research Program funds faculty-driven research in collaboration with students in the humanities and social sciences.

Find ways to contribute to ongoing research projects or funding to pursue your own unique idea!

The Roy Ans Fellowship in Jewish-American Studies offers a stipend to a sophomore or junior who completes a research project related to the Jewish-American experience in any area of study.

The Chesapeake Heartland Black Studies Archival Research Award will fund student-led research projects that aim to engage with or expand the Chesapeake Heartland’s Digital Archive.

The Friends of Miller Library Fellowship, open to all majors, funds research in your discipline that utilizes the Miller Library.

The Gerda Blumenthal Phi Beta Kappa Grant is awarded annually to a first- or second-year student to support special scholarly work in the humanities.

The Jacob Marberger Fellowship affords the award winner the opportunity to conduct research on any aspect of conflict resolution, broadly defined.

The Clarence Hodson Prize aims to reward creativity, initiative, and intellectual curiosity to support an internship, undergraduate research/creative project, or other form of study anywhere in the world. The prize is offered to a sophomore, junior, or senior majoring in the fine or performing arts.

The Louis L. Goldstein Program in Public Affairs supports student participation in models and conferences, and other projects that bring students and faculty together with leaders experienced in developing public policy. Experiential Learning Grants are available to offset the costs of summer activities for political science and international studies majors pursuing opportunities directly related to public affairs.

The Robin Albright Himmelberger Study Abroad Award provides support to students each academic year who participate in a study aboard program.

The Crouse-Enokido Fellowship for Study in Asia and Beyond can be used for airfare, visa fees, special program fees, and lost wages while studying abroad.

The CES Student Scholarship & Travel Award is intended to fund independent learning experiences that foster innovative approaches to understanding human-environment interactions and seek to find sustainable solutions to environmental problems.

Research assistant, internship, lab assistant, and other positions are available to students on campus. Some students work with faculty to co-author papers, attend professional conferences to present research, and more.

The Washington College Archaeology Lab has opportunities for students every year to support ongoing excavation, cataloging, and investigation of Eastern Shore sites and their artifacts. Research primarily focuses on precontact indigenous cultures and colonial-era sites.

Washington College is a member of the international ATLAS Collaboration, joining 180 institutions worldwide to conduct global, cutting-edge research in particle physics.

The Brown Advisory Student-Management Investment Fund Program oversees a student-management fund exceeding $1 million in equities. Students participating in the program have front-line responsibility for researching, recommending, and executing equity trades.

Faculty and students from Washington College are leading the charge on the Busload of Books Research Project, which studies the impact of The Busload of Books Tour, a yearlong project led by author Matthew Swanson and illustrator Robbi Behr to promote literacy and raise awareness of the challenges facing our nation’s public schools.

Chesapeake Heartland Internships & Fellowships support Chesapeake Heartland’s mission to preserve, digitize, interpret, and make accessible materials related to African American history and culture in the region.

Students participating in the Compleat Angler Fellowship Program work with an anthropology faculty member to research past and present cultures of the Chesapeake Bay, connecting the classroom to the community and the region. Fellows can receive grants of up to $1,000.

The Cuba Experience is a short-term faculty-led study abroad program that offers students the unparalleled opportunity to learn first-hand about Cuba through an academic lens. In collaboration with their professors, students design and conduct authentic field research into the intersection of music, religion, dance, food, and culture in Havana.

The Digital Scholarship in Museum Partnerships Program provides opportunities for students to work with local museums’ collections, create digital exhibits of existing museum spaces, collect oral histories of locals in the community, investigate individual artifacts in the collection, and more.

The Geospatial Information Program provides experiential learning through professional internships, academic courses, and research support. In partnership with external organizations, students work on projects that solve real-world problems.