In this section, you can find Eligibility and Criteria Information, Application Information, Budget Information, FAQs and Mentor Recommendation Information

Eligibility and Criteria

In all cases, Deans' Summer Fellowship projects must be directed by a member of the Duke University faculty and conducted over a period of no less than three weeks during the summer months. Fellowship recipients are expected to be in frequent contact with their advisors over the summer. Students may not be enrolled in courses during the period they designate as their fellowship period. For 2021, projects must either take place on-campus at Duke or in a virtual, remote setting.

With the exception of graduating seniors, all undergraduates in Trinity College are eligible to apply for a Deans' Summer Research Fellowship. Pratt students pursuing a second major in Trinity may also apply in support of on-campus projects related to their second major with A&S faculty. Mentors for Trinity students may be faculty in any Duke school or department. In the case of limited awards, Trinity students will receive priority for funding.

Projects involving interactions with human subjects, either in-person or online, may need approval from the Duke Institutional Review Board. Initial applications should be submitted before applying for DSRF. Read more…

DSRF Applications

The Deans' Summer Research Fellowship application consists of the following sections, to be completed online:

You may preview the enture application at the "Application Preview" Tab above.

1. Student Information: Please use your student ID (usually starts with a 2)
2. Faculty Information: Name, email address, and department of your Duke faculty mentor. Your mentor will need to submit a letter of recommendation separately. See below for more information.
3. Project Information: Short project title, abstract (single paragraph of no more than 250 words), dates, location, special considerations
4. Project Proposal: A narrative of no more than 3 pages organized into: Background; General Aims and Long Term Objectives; Specific Aims, Short Term Objectives and Methods; References and Literature Review
5. Budget: Your budget should include the total amount of funds needed for your project and itemized anticipated expenses. Please also list any sources other than DSRF to which you are applying for funding or from whom you have received funds. You may combine funds from multiple sources to meet your total budget request. If you have further questions about budgetary expenses, read more below, and/or contact the ursoffice@duke.edu BEFORE submitting your application. Information about this costs of summer hosing on-campus can be found here.
6. Human Subjects: If your research includes human subjects, you will be asked to provide additional information for the IRB approval. You must have done an initial consult with IRB before submitting your application.
7. Transcripts will not be requested, but grades will be pulled from Duke Hub.

You may cut & paste text into the online application from another document.

Budget Information

Deans' Summer Research Fellowships will support expenses associated with a summer research project of at least three consecutive weeks in duration.

For summer 2021, please be mindful of this university-wide restriction on funding: Given the extent of global travel restrictions and the uncertainties around vaccinations, Duke will suspend all outgoing undergraduate Duke-supported travel—both global and domestic—this summer.

Please state your itemized budget keeping in mind that DSRF will not be able to provide any funds to be used towards travel expenses or off-campus housing in keeping with the restriction above. Please justify any special equipment costs. Each dollar of your total expense must be accounted for.

Reasonable expenses include:

• Room and board on-campus in order for students to take advantage of an unpaid on-campus research opportunity (More information)
• Fees associated with use of archives, lab equipment, etc.
• Software Licenses
• Participant incentives
• Anything needed to pursue research in a remote setting that is not considered a durable good.

Fellowship funds may not be used:

• As stipend, or salary
• To purchase personal equipment or durable items (cameras, computers, clothing, etc.),
• For travel expenses
• For off-campus housing
• To cover taxes

The maximum award is $3000.

If you’re not sure if one of your expenses fits within the restrictions above, please contact ursoffice@duke.edu BEFORE submitting your application.

Mentor Recommendation Information

Mentor recommendations are due March 12.

In addition to the application, you will need to provide contact information for your Duke Faculty mentor who will be asked to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf.

A good recommendation demonstrates a strong relationship with your mentor, and your mentor’s thorough knowledge of your planned research project. Your mentor's letter should address the scholarly value of your research project, their assessment of your preparedness and relevant experience for completing the project, and their commitment to providing oversight and feedback to your project, and assistance with resources.

The recommendation submission form will be emailed to your mentor upon submission of your DSRF application. Please notify your mentor in advance that an email will come to them from ursoffice@duke.edu requesting that they submit their recommendation. Mentor recommendations will be due within one week of the DSRF deadline. We prefer that mentors submit their recommendations in this way. However, letters of recommendation can be sent from your mentor to the URS office via email at ursoffice@duke.edu.

DSRF FAQs

Is travel an allowable expense this for 2021?
Neither international or domestic travel can be covered with DSRF funding for summer 2021.

Can I budget funds for housing expenses off-campus?
No. Housing will only be covered if it is on-campus. Find on-campus housing information here.

If my research is fully remote, can I get my housing expenses covered?
No. We cannot fund off-campus housing, with the assumption that a fully remote project is not location-dependent, and that if it is location-dependent, it is not fully remote.

If my research is fully remote, can I get food expenses covered? 
Yes. If you are living on-campus, food expenses can be covered up to the medium plan. If you are living off campus, up to $120 per week is an allowable expense. 

If my research is fully remote, can I get utility expenses covered? 
No. The dilemma is that we are not allowed to provide any funds towards travel or off-campus housing . The assumption being that if you are off-campus you are either in location that requires travel (which we cannot fund at all) or you are working on a completely remote project.

Can I get a parking pass covered if I'm living off-campus but researching on-campus? 
No. We are not allowed to provide any funds towards travel, and the parking pass implies travel.

What are the on-campus housing and dining rates? Are there additional fees? 
All housing will be single room, and for summer 2021, every person with a room on campus must have a meal plan. The Housing and Dining websites have not been updated yet with Summer 2021 information, so please keep checking for information. We anticipate students being able to use DSRF funding for Small and Medium Meal Plans. There will be an additional health and undergraduate fee.

Can non-Duke undergraduates apply?
No, Duke’s DSRF Program is for returning Duke students only.

I have never done any research – will this hurt my chances?
It is advisable to build experience before applying for DSRF. DSRF favors students preparing for senior thesis work and graduation with distinction, but exceptional proposals from rising sophomores and juniors are considered.

If I am awarded a DSRF, may I enroll in a summer course or work another job?
Yes, but you must earmark no less than 3 weeks, full time, for your DSRF project. The most competitive applications typically demonstrate a longer time period than three weeks.

How many people apply for this program and how hard is it to get in?
In each of the past several years, approximately 120-140 students have applied for approximately 35 spaces. This is a competitive program.

When will I be notified? Is there a waitlist?
Students are notified of decisions towards the end of March or early April. There will be a short, unranked waitlist.

Do you wait to accept students after receiving all applications, or is there a rolling admissions process?
The Committee reviews all completed applications before notifying students of decisions. There are no rolling admissions.

May I check whether my application materials have or have not been received?
The on-line application will be acknowledged as soon as it is submitted; the URS Office will notify students if a letter of recommendation not been received. Please do not contact the office and request an update on your materials.

How important is academic performance in the selection process?
Grades are reviewed during the selection process, but are not the only criteria.

When are reference letters due?
Reference letters are due March 12.

Can students apply multiple times for a Deans’ Summer Research Fellowship?
Yes. If you do not receive funding one year, you are encouraged to apply again the next year. There is no guarantee that repeat applications will be funded and it’s wise to get feedback regarding improvements to your first application. Rising seniors pursuing honors thesis or graduation with distinction are given priority in the application review process.

The application requires you to identify other sources of funding you are pursuing and you are encouraged to find other lines of funding such as competitive of end-of-year awards within your major/minor/certificate departments or programs, competitive awards outside of Duke, and others. If you do not know if your major/minor/certificate department or program has awards for student work, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies or Program Coordinator for details. Some departments list competitive awards information on their website (including APSI and Statistics).

Can a faculty or research mentor from another university serve as my mentor for DSRF?
No. DSRFs must be mentored by Duke Faculty.

What projects have been funded in the past?
You can browse DSRF projects completed in previous years here. Other recently funded projects include:

• Effects of Sexual Selection on Sex Combs in Previously-Mated Drosophila Simulans, Freddie Xu
• The New South: The 1906 Atlanta Race Riot and Southern Urban Development, 1880 – 1930, Gino Nuzzolillo
• Addressing Hepatitis C in the American Prison Population: Strategies for Nationwide Elimination, Selin Ocal

I’m an international student, can I apply for DSRF?
International students are absolutely eligible for DSRF and encouraged to apply. But keep reading into the next question, because the tax burden for international students can be significant.

What kind of tax impact does the award have? Could it affect my financial aid?
DSRF award funds are taxable and reported to the IRS. Your tax liability will depend on your total income and many other things, but all applicants should consider it when budgeting.

For international students, the tax burden is likely to be especially large—from 10 to 40% depending on your country of origin. So, for example, you might receive a total grant of $3000 but only be able to use $2000 of it towards your project because the other must be paid for taxes. Read here for more information and support.

If you are concerned about how your funding at Duke will work in relationship this award or other summer programs/opportunities, contact your financial aid counselor for further information and advice.

Can DSRF funds be used for projects during fall or spring semesters?
No.

Must DSRF awarded projects be completed by end of summer?
The DSRF funded portion of a research project must be completed before the beginning of the fall term. Overall project development can of course, continue past the summer, but at the start of the fall semester, you are asked to submit a record of actual expenses, return unused funds, and submit a report summarizing your efforts. This will be used to create reports and shared with the larger Duke Community.

Updated: 2/27/2021