Scholarships supporting undergraduate research available to Barrett Honors College students

Among the benefits of being a student in Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University is doing high-level research as an undergraduate.

Research contributes to progress and innovation by investigating new ideas and contributing to the advancement of knowledge, leading to new discoveries, technologies and methodologies that can transform industries and improve lives.

Barrett Honors College is home to students from any major throughout ASU, making for a place of bright minds and innovative research in many disciplines.

The honors college offers avenues through which students can work with faculty on research as well as donor-funded scholarships to support the work, including the Bidstrup Foundation and Barrett Research Undergraduate Fellowship, the Jose Franco and Francisca Ocampo Quesada Research Award, and the Jaap Sustainability Scholarship.

The Bidstrup Foundation and Barrett Research Undergraduate Fellowship is tailored for students engaging is research with a faculty member. Recipients receive a bi-weekly paycheck to support their research efforts guided by a faculty director.

Through the fellowship program, Barrett students with financial need who carry out scholarly work under the tutelage of faculty members are paid an hourly salary. Funding of up to $2,000 is available.

Vincent Troung, a senior majoring in psychology and biochemistry with a minor in disability studies, received the Bidstrup Foundation and Barrett Research Undergraduate Fellowship in 2023.

He worked under Jessica Verpeut in the ASU SOCIAL Neuroscience lab studying sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease to determine if the rates of cognitive decline and cognitive flexibility are different between males and females to determine new targets for therapeutic treatments.

“The Bidstrup Fellowship program expanded my academic awareness by allowing me to integrate didactic knowledge into practical applications in a curiosity-driven setting. It exposed me to the exciting and diverse field of research and its importance to society,” he said.

“I have learned to become a critical thinker even when precedent tells us otherwise and to always question claims in a constructive manner,” he added.

Truong advised that students interested in applying for the Bidstrup Fellowship seek a mentor in the research field they are passionate about.

“Your motivations will shine through and your mentor will share that energy to help you pursue your goals. Make sure to develop specific questions that target areas of interest and try to relate your motivations to your own personal values. Research is sustained by passion and will carry you through challenges faced in conducting research,” he said.

Applications for the Bidstrup Foundation and Barrett Research Undergraduate Fellowship are open Sept. 1, 2024-April 1, 2025.

The José Franco and Francisca Ocampo Quesada Research Award supports student research that increases the understanding of Hispanic culture, influences the Hispanic community, and that promotes the interdisciplinary research work of Hispanic students.

This scholarship, which ranges from $500 to $1,500, is available to Hispanic students working on their honors thesis or any Barrett student whose thesis focuses on a Hispanic-related topic.

Research supported by the Quesada Research Award has included topics of Hispanic access to health care, the effects of breastfeeding on obesity among Hispanic women, and the anthropological site of Teotihuacán near Mexico City. 

Applications for the Quesada Research Award will be accepted until Oct. 31, 2024.

The Jaap Sustainability Scholarship (Summer Internships and Thesis Support Funding) offers two types of funding, one for summer internships and another for thesis support. This scholarship is available to Barrett students pursuing a summer internship or researching their honors thesis in sustainability, particularly solutions to sustainability challenges on a local, regional, national or global scale.

When applying, students interested in internship funding should select “internships” and students interested in thesis funding should select “thesis support funding”. Students can apply for both scholarships, but need to submit a separate application for each one.

Applications open Nov. 1, 2024 and close Feb. 1, 2025. Recipients will receive approximately $1,000. Funds will be awarded for fall 2025.

These scholarships are among the more than 50 merit- and need-based scholarships available to current and prospective Barrett Honors College students.

A list of available scholarships and applications are on the Barrett scholarship portal.

Need based aid requires that a current Free Application for Federal Student Aid form be on file. Each year, the FAFSA opens on October 1.

International students who are unable to file a FAFSA are asked to complete a budget form provided during the application process.