Lloyd & Susanne Rudolph Field Research Grants

The Lloyd and Susanne Rudolph Field Research Award for Graduate Students supports MA and PhD students conducting global, international, and/or transnational research in any branch of the social sciences. The award can be used to carry out fieldwork in support of MA theses, qualifying papers, pilot projects, and/or portions of their dissertation research. Students engaging in original data-collection efforts and traveling to access archival materials are especially encouraged to apply. Other allowable expenses include purchasing datasets, specialized software licenses, archival access subscriptions, books & primary documents, compensation for field research assistants, and translation or transcription services. Applicants can familiarize themselves with CISSR's mission through our website and bi-weekly digest. A list of the 24-25 field-grant awardees and their projects can be found here. Varied in discipline, geographic focus, and methodological approach, the characteristic trait of Rudolph-funded projects is the combination of empirical rigor and theoretical relevance.

• Eligibility: University of Chicago graduate students (MA or PhD) in the Division of the Social Sciences are eligible.
• Support: CISSR will provide graduate students with up to $5,000 for fieldwork expenses.

The application portal will open January 30, 2025 and close on April 1, 2025. 

Requirements

1. CV
2. Project abstract (maximum 250 words)
3. A 2-3-page project narrative (maximum 2000 words) Outline the research question(s), research design, importance of the trip to the project, likely field sites and data sources, and qualifications to undertake the trip (i.e., language competence, contacts in the field, etc.)
4. Budget broken down by cost with descriptions, type of costs, and dollar amounts
5. No letter of recommendation is required, but students must identify a faculty sponsor who is familiar with the work and can speak to the feasibility and promise of the proposed project.

Apply Here

Deadline to submit applications: April 1, 2025 at 11:59 PM (CT)

For questions, please contact CISSR at cissr@uchicago.edu.