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 is pleased to announce the availability of financial support for students to conduct independent research, undertake internships, and participate in conferences, colloquia, or workshops. Projects must be related to world affairs or the global economy for support.
Grants of $750 or less (known as "rolling grants") are available for short-term conference / workshop / colloquia travel during the entire academic year, as well as grants of $3,500 for longer-term research / unpaid internship projects pursued over summer or winter breaks. Young Student Grants are awarded to students on a competitive basis, based on an application process and review by the Young Student Grant Committee. Applications for Summer or Winter research or unpaid internship grants should 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. In exceptional cases, the Young Student Grant Committee will waive the 4-week requirement.
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 must apply for their departmental grants before applying for the Young Student Grant. Students majoring in Politics and/or UEP can apply in extraordinary circumstances and must specifically focus on global political economy with a DWA or ECON Advisor. All eligible applicants must approach their own department(s) and other Campus funding sources first regarding the availability of other funds prior to applying for a Young Student Grant.
Examples of projects eligible for funding:
- Independent field research, including Senior Comprehensives research, in the U.S. or abroad
- Unpaid internships in the U.S. or abroad
- Travel costs and expenses for participation in domestic or international conferences, colloquia, or workshops
- Travel costs and expenses for research in the U.S. or abroad
Questions? Contact Young Assistant Director Priscilla Falter.
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 $750 will be accepted on a rolling basis:
Applications for research or unpaid internship grants of up to $3,500 for Summer/Winter are available on an annual basis:
Apply for a ≤$3,500 Winter/Summer grant
Faculty Recommendation Forms will be sent automatically to individual faculty advisors via the online application.
The 2024 Summer grant deadline is March 28th, 2024.
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. If funded, all participants must participate in the College travel clearance process through the International Program Office Mandatory Online Clearance Process for Independent Research.
Award
Recipients of Young Student Grants are required to submit both a written report and a Global Crossroads project at the conclusion and participate, as well, in the annual Young Student Grant Showcase & Dinner. 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 on grant award letters.
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.