Deans’ Summer Research Fellowship (DSRF) Story: Grace Davis

Grace was awarded the Deans' Summer Research Fellowship for summer 2024. Learn more about her time below.

Author: Grace Davis 

What challenges did you encounter during your research and how did you work through these difficulties?

I was coding in R all summer, which I did not have much experience in. There was a significant learning curve. I am the kind of person that likes to ask a lot of questions and seek a lot of support, but given that there were not many lab members working in person with me, I was pushed to really struggle with the material on my own before asking questions. Asking questions is important, no question, but I think there was a lot of value in working at something myself and problem solving on my own.

What sparked your interest in this field?  

My interest in Neuroscience was ignited by my experience in the Cog Neuro and Law  focus cluster freshman year. It exposed me to how neuroscience can be used to address social inequalities and policy problems. The Dunedin study that I contributed to this summer took on a more pure scientific approach but it evoked the question of how that neuroscientific understanding can be used to protect and support trauma survivors.

Curious about DSRF?

This project was made possible through the Deans’ Summer Research Fellowship (DSRF)—a unique opportunity for rising juniors and seniors in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences to pursue funded summer research full-time!  

Effective this 2025-2026 Academic year, we are rebranding DSRF to be the Trinity Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research Fellowship (T-SUMR)! If you're pursuing graduation with distinction and are passionate about research, consider applying to T-SUMR in December of your Sophomore or Junior year.