Each Buffett Undergraduate Research Fellow will be eligible to earn up to $4,000 total through a paid research assistantship ($16 per hour for up to 250 hours, carried out over the summer and/or any subsequent quarters during the 2025–26 academic year). Research project descriptions can also include specific foreign language requirements and/or other skills needed to support the research, and faculty should indicate in their research assistantship proposal whether international travel will be necessary. If international travel is required for Research Fellows to fulfill the duties of their assistantship, they will also be eligible for travel support if funds permit. Typically, these travel awards are between $2,000 and $3,000, so supplemental funding may be required depending on the geographic area and duration of travel.

Research Fellows will carry out meaningful research in coordination with a faculty mentor. They should not be expected to simply make photocopies or proofread manuscripts. Rather, the goal is for them to be mentored by faculty and/or research teams on a substantive, well-defined research project.

If selected, faculty will have the option to pre-select a Research Fellow or list a Research Fellow position for which any student can apply. Once all job applications are submitted and reviewed, faculty will interview and select their Research Fellow(s). The student application and selection process will take place in March. 

Questions? Please e-mail Buffett-Undergrad-Programs@northwestern.edu.

Faculty should consider applying if: 

• You are a faculty member (tenure or non-tenure track) teaching undergraduate coursework and will be at Northwestern for at least six months after the research project/collaboration ends.
• You have a global or international summer research project that would benefit from a paid undergraduate Research Fellow.
• An undergraduate Research Fellow/mentee could meaningfully contribute to your research initiative(s). (Please note that seniors are ineligible to apply.)
• You are willing to work and meet regularly with your Research Fellow to provide a positive, mentored research experience.

Undergraduate students currently enrolled in their first, second or third year at Northwestern and in good academic and disciplinary standing will be eligible to apply for a Buffett Research Fellowship.

Faculty must submit their project through the SOAP application portal by Monday, February 10 at 12 p.m. The application will require:

• A brief research project statement, including a research project topic/title and one- or two-paragraph project description clearly outlining the role(s) an undergraduate Research Fellow will play in the project and how you will mentor them. This will be used as the "ad" or job listing for your project.
• Your expectations regarding number of hours worked on a weekly basis and any special skills your research requires (language or other) as well as research travel plans, if relevant.
• Request for international travel funding and any information available at this early stage.

Successful applications will demonstrate direct benefits to both the faculty member or research team and the undergraduate Research Fellow. Research Fellows should be meaningfully involved in the research process and, as a result, learn how research is conducted in and/or across disciplines. Successful applications will include a clear description of what an undergraduate research fellow’s role will entail—the specific tasks they’ll be assigned—and how a faculty member(s) will mentor them throughout the project.

Finally, successful projects will focus on a region and/or theme of global or international importance.