Research & Creative Fellowships

Get funding for your research, community-based, or creative work

The David C. Frederick Honors College (FHC) supports undergraduate students conducting a independent creative, community-based, public service, and research projects. Depending on the project, students will identify mentor affiliated with Pitt or an FHC partner program. See below for individual program information. 

For more information:

• See details below
• View our Current Programs Folder (must sign in with Pitt email) here
• Contact the FHC Office of Research at fhcresearch@groups.pitt.edu. 

Program Application Dates (See below for information on each program). 

Also look into these opportunities:

• Bachelor of Philosophy Degree
• Community Engaged Learning
• Global Learning Signature Hands-On Experiences
• Social Innovation
• Office of National Scholarships and Post-Graduation Success

Ongoing Opportunities

Sign up for the FHC Research Opportunities Canvas page to learn more about fellowships, funding, and professional development at Pitt and beyond!

Submit articles & creative works to the Pittsburgh Undergraduate Review, the Frederick Honors College academic journal. Submissions are accepted throughout the year and published 2 to 3 times annually. 

The Frederick Honors College Travel Award supports FHC students presenting at conferences. See additional information and apply here before your planned event. Graduating students must apply before the start of their final semester.

For more information, contact fhcresearch@groups.pitt.edu. 

Annual Research & Creative Expression Symposium

FHC hosts the Research & Creative Expression Symposium each spring. It is an opportunity for FHC students and recipients of FHC administered research, creative arts, and community research fellowships to present their work to peers and faculty from a variety of fields across the university. The Symposium is usually held in spring, with applications opening in January.

Congratulations to the 2025 Symposium Award Winners!

• Dean's Award: Owen May
• Director's Award: Shanmayee Devarapalli
• Community Impact: Tanisha Pagadala
• Health and Biological Sciences: Aashika Bhat
• Interdisciplinary Studies: Sahil Gandhi
• Social Sciences: Isabel Sichlau
• STEM Fields: Jesse Zhang

Applications for spring 2026 fellowships are now open and due on October 27. Martinson Applied Projects applications will open in October for spring 2026.

Please note that these programs are limited to current FHC students. Students not yet enrolled in FHC may:

• Learn more about our degree & distinction programs here.
• Discuss enrollment or application with an FHC Academic Advisor here. 

For more information:

• See details for each program below.
• View our Current Programs Folder (must sign in with Pitt email) here.
• Contact the FHC Office of Research at fhcresearch@groups.pitt.edu.  

Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Fellowships

The Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Fellowship (CURF) supports undergraduate students conducting a research or creative project under the guidance of a Pitt-affiliated mentor during the fall or spring semester. Applicants may propose any form of research, scholarship, or creative work that is appropriate to the project's discipline. 

Apply by October 27 here. 

Chancellor's Undergraduate Teaching Fellowships

The Chancellor's Undergraduate Teaching Fellowship (CUTF) supports undergraduate students working on collaborative teaching projects with a Pitt-affiliated professor or instructor during the fall or spring semester. Applicants may propose any form of creative or innovative educational project that is appropriate to the course that goes beyond tasks traditionally assigned to teaching assistants. Prior teaching fellows have developed projects including virtual and 3D study models, as well as curriculum enhancements such as study guides or discussion prompts. Teaching Fellows are also encouraged to include an educational assessment in their proposal, which may form the basis of a future research fellowship application.

Apply by October 27 here. 

Community Research Fellowship

The Community Research Fellowship (CRF) is designed to help students research and promote positive social change! You will have the opportunity to work with one of the FHC Scholar Communities, a nonprofit partner, or focus on an issue that you are passionate about by creating your own research project. 

The CRF provides experiential learning to students as they engage with curricular concepts to create a socially responsible, mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources with community partners. Students will explore community engaged learning opportunities and build social responsibility and civic identity. It is ideal for students who seek to connect theory and better understand community-identified issues to inspire action. 

For more information, contact Dr. Catherine Cordova, the director of community engaged learning, at catherine.cordova@pitt.edu.

Apply by October 27 here.

Frederick Honors College Research & Creative Fellowship

FHC's Research & Creative Fellowship (RCF) supports undergraduate students conducting a research or creative project under the guidance of a Pitt-affiliated mentor during the fall or spring semester. However, students enrolled in an FHC program (BPhil, degree, or distinction) may be given priority. Applicants may propose any form of research, scholarships, or creative work that is appropriate to the project's discipline. This fellowship requires attendance at a weekly seminar on Mondays from 4:30 to 5:20 p.m. and provides 1 credit for participation. 

Apply by October 27 here. 

Martinson Applied Projects

The Martinson Applied Projects (MAPs) are team-based research experiences sponsored by FHC and designed to provide small groups of honors students the opportunity to work on applied interdisciplinary research projects throughout the Pitt community. MAPs are led by Pitt researchers and allow students to gain experiential credit while working on projects that create new knowledge, inform action, and advance the public good. 

For the 2025-2026 academic year, there are eleven projects. Six are returning as expanded and redefined projects with the same research leads as in the 2024-2025 academic year, and five projects are new. All of these projects incorporate multiple major fields of study including health care, sustainability, community focused with, and one project based at Pitt-Greensburg. 

Information and applications for spring 2026 programs will be listed here in October.

Summer Programs

Applications for summer programs are expected to open in January 2026, with applications due in February. Summer program dates are determined, but participating fellows should plan to live in Pittsburgh and be able to attend on-campus events in June and July 2026. 

Brackenridge Fellowships

The Brackenridge Summer Fellowship supports undergraduate students conducting an independent research or creative project under the guidance of a Pitt-affiliated research mentor. The Brackenridge Fellowships are open to FHC students from any major or field. Applicants may propose any form of research, scholarship, or creative work that is appropriate to the project’s discipline. 

Applicants to the Brackenridge may elect to be considered for these special awards that are jointly administered by FHC and the sponsoring program.

• Brackenridge Sustainability Scholars, for projects incorporating sustainability.
• Dick Thornburgh Undergraduate Fellowship Program, for projects researching issues of governance and making use of the Dick Thornburgh archive.

Community Research Fellowship

The Community Research Fellowship (CRF) supports undergraduate University of Pittsburgh students who are working with a community leader and faculty mentor to develop a research project that explores various issues of importance to the community. The mission of the CRF is to provide an experiential learning opportunity to students as they engage with curriculum concepts to create a socially responsible, mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources with community partners, to foster civic engagement. Students can work with a nonprofit partner or focus on an issue which they are passionate about. The results of the research are intended to inform actions for positive social change surrounding a specific issue or on a broad scale. 

For more information, contact Dr. Catherine Cordova, catherine.cordova@pitt.edu.

Creative Arts Fellowship

The Creative Arts Fellowship supports undergraduate students producing creative work under the mentorship of a Pitt-affiliated faculty or project mentor who works in a medium or discipline relevant to the project. Applications are welcome for projects for any artistic endeavor, and interdisciplinary projects are encouraged. Past projects have included one or more elements including: exploring connections between art and science, creative writing, film, performing arts, and studio arts. 

Frederick & Keefe Public Service Internships 

Participate in civic engagement and build civic identity by taking part in public service.  FHC students may apply to receive up to $6,000 for a summer Congressional internship or other public service internship at a nationally recognized non-profit or government agency. Applications for Summer 2025 are TBA. Check out our 50+ partners that you can intern with in our Civic Engagement Catalog. 

For more information, contact Dr. Catherine Cordova, catherine.cordova@pitt.edu. 

Health Sciences Research Fellowships

The David C. Frederick Honors College (FHC) Summer Health Sciences Research Fellowship (HSRF) supports undergraduate students conducting an independent research project under the guidance of a Pitt-affiliated research mentor in a project related to the health sciences.