Through the Young Initiative, funding opportunities for research, internships, and conference travel, as well as fellowships related to world affairs or the global political economy are available to current students and doctoral scholars.
The John Parke Young Initiative on the Global Political Economy funds student research, internships, and participation in conferences, colloquia, and workshops related to world affairs or the global economy.
Rolling grants of up to $1,500 are available during the academic year for short-term conference, workshop, or colloquium travel, while the Young Student Grants grants of up to $4,500 support longer-term research or unpaid internships during summer or winter breaks. Young Student Grants are awarded competitively through an application reviewed by the Young Student Grant Committee; summer and winter applications must be submitted by the stated deadlines.
For internships, students may still submit an application and be awarded a Young Grant without an internship acceptance letter, but the grant cannot be disbursed until we have an acceptance letter. Applications for a rolling grant must be submitted at least 4 weeks in advance of conference/workshop/colloquia to be considered for funding.
The Young Student Grant is available to all students across campus and majors. Students from departments where funds are not available are especially encouraged to apply. Students who have access to grants in their departments (Politics, Economics) must apply for their departmental grants before applying for the Young Student Grant.
Examples of projects eligible for funding (all most have an international component):
- Independent field research, including data collection for Senior Comps
- Unpaid internships
- Participation in domestic or international conferences, colloquia, or workshops
Before You Apply:
Projects must be related to world affairs or the global economy to qualify for support. Research proposals that are well-executed and focused on world affairs and political economy will be prioritized. Poorly-designed projects will not be funded, even when specifically focused on global political economy issues.
Students are required to check travel advisories to ensure that the destination country is safe for travel before applying. Projects will not be funded in countries and/or cities that have a travel advisory level of 3 or higher.
Please check travel advisories here:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/.
Additionally, students are encouraged to attend Young Grant Information Sessions or review a recording of this information session. (PW: U7xDl?T&)
Applications for Young Student Grants:
Rolling applications must be submitted at least 4 weeks in advance of the start of the event to be considered for funding.
Applications for conference, workshop, or colloquia grants of up to $1,500 will be accepted on a rolling basis:
Applications for research or unpaid internship grants of up to $4,500 for the Winter 2026–27 and Summer 2027 grants are available on an annual basis:
Apply for a ≤$4,500 Winter 2026–27 Grant
The deadline for the Winter 2026–27 Grant is October 15th, 2026.
The deadline for the Winter 2026–27 Grant is March 15th, 2027.
Faculty Recommendation Forms will be sent automatically to individual faculty advisors via the online application.
The deadline for the 2026-27 Winter Grant is October 15th, 2026
Human Subjects Review
If a project involves human subjects, it must be reviewed and approved by the College’s Human Subjects Research Committee before the start of research. If a project requires human subjects clearance, documentation requesting approval must be submitted to the Young Student Grant Committee as a condition of receiving funds. Please consult the HSRRC-IRB information page for more info.
Travel
Occidental College places the highest priority on the safety and health of all students. Accordingly, the proposed host site and project design must avoid extremely unhealthful conditions, crime, political instability, or other conditions that pose unusual or significant risks to students, such as those triggering a U.S. Department of State Travel Warning. Applicants must review College statements located on the IPO's website. Grantees must successfully complete the College travel clearance process through the International Program Office Mandatory Online Clearance Process for Independent Research to receive funding. Funding is contingent upon the successful completion of the International Program Office Mandatory Online Clearance Process for Independent Research.
Post-Award Duties
At the conclusion of the award, recipients of Young Student Grants are required to submit a written report and present their work at the annual Young Student Grant Showcase. The report must include a summary of the project activities, results, its relevance to the Young Initiative mandate and to global issues, and a budget report. Further details are provided in the grant award letters.