Liberal Studies encourages all students to become independent, lifelong learners that critically examine important questions. LS makes many opportunities available to support your scholarly interests with research outside the classroom. Below is a selection of research programs and fellowships for which LS students may be eligible.
Research & Fellowships
GLS Dean’s Global Research Grants
Grants to fund student research projects that are completed independently or in conjunction with a senior thesis, and that involve unusual expenses, such as travel; open to GLS students.
Liberal Studies Social Impact Grants
Funding for applied learning experiences that promise meaningful, life-enriching impact for communities; open to LS students.
Bell Scholarships for Public Service
Current sophomores and juniors from across NYU who plan to pursue a career that advances the public good may apply for the Bell Public Service Scholarship. This program seeks to enable students to pursue careers in the public service sector by providing them with annual scholarships of up to $8,000, renewable until graduation.
Bennett-Polonsky Humanities Labs (H-Labs)
A collaborative, interdisciplinary research and curricular initiative offering new opportunities for humanities-centered inquiry with an ethos of experimentation, creativity and cross-disciplinary knowledge production. The goal is to create shared spaces where faculty, students and humanities practitioners from different fields come together to address big questions or explore timely ideas of import
Dalai Lama Fellowships
The Dalai Lama Fellowship offers emerging leaders a rigorous, interdisciplinary program on ways to be a leader that connects and cares for self, extends genuine compassion to others, and works for our common humanity. With the support of mentors and coaches, each Fellow designs and implements an original Field Project addressing a global challenge over the course of a year.
Female Founders Fellowship
Provides extensive training, mentorship, and networking opportunities to student entrepreneurs at NYU who are committed to advancing gender equality in entrepreneurship, with loan alleviation grants of up to $50,000.
First Generation to College Founders Fellowship
Provides training and mentorship to undergraduate student entrepreneurs at NYU, who will also have the opportunity to apply for $5,000 scholarships.
Gallatin Global Fellowship in Human Rights
Funding for extended research or experiential learning projects that focus on human rights; open to all students.
LSAC Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) Program
Offers an immersive summer prelaw experience for aspiring lawyers, focused on strengthening the academic skills necessary to succeed in law school, while providing insight and guidance to help prepare for the admission process. The PLUS Program also helps explore career options after law school and provides invaluable networking opportunities. The program is specifically aimed at rising undergraduate sophomores and juniors from groups underrepresented in the legal profession, though any student can apply; offering a $1,000 stipend.
Innovation Scholarship with the Skirball Department of Hebrew & Judaic Studies
Scholarship to support study at NYU Tel Aviv for students intending to combine interest in Jewish history and culture, Israel, and/or the Middle East with a career in technology, business, or international affairs; open to students with a declared major or minor in Hebrew and Judaic Studies.
Schomburg-Mellon Humanities Summer Institute
Encourages minority students and others with an interest in African-American, African and African Diasporan Studies to pursue PhDs in the humanities, open to rising seniors with a $3,800 summer stipend.
Summer Research Opportunities in Prehealth & Summer Undergraduate Research Program
Multiple opportunities to hone and demonstrate intellectual curiosity and scholarly development as a pre-professional student; open to all prehealth students.
Sustainability Internship Grant
Provides financial assistance to students pursuing unpaid and low-paying internships in qualifying industries in the sustainability field.
NYU Undergrad Humanities Fellowships
The undergraduate Humanities Fellowship Program is a mentoring program for NYU Juniors and Seniors working in the humanities.
United Nations Academic Impact Millennium Fellowship
For students interested in making a social change, there is the opportunity to create or join an NYU cohort for this fellowship program; this semester-long leadership development program on the NYU campus provides access to world class training, connections, and recognition
GLS Dean’s Global Research Grants
Grants to fund student research projects that are completed independently or in conjunction with the senior thesis, and that involve unusual expenses, such as travel; open to GLS students.
Visiting Undergraduate Research Program at NYU Abu Dhabi
An opportunity for undergraduate students at NYU New York, NYU Shanghai, and UAE-based universities to take part in research projects at NYUAD over the summer.
Center for Ancient Studies Antonia S. Ranieri International Scholars Fund
Grants to support summer or term-time academic travel abroad; open to LS, CAS, and GSAS students.
Department of History Richard Hull Fellowships
Funding to defray the costs of NYU study abroad programs in Africa or other research-related projects on African history; open to LS, CAS, and GSAS students.
Global Awards & Fellowships
Competitive, merit-based scholarships and fellowships intended to support outstanding students in their academic and professional endeavors, such as the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the Marshall Scholarship, the Rhodes Scholarship, the Truman Scholarship, and more; open to all students.
Liberal Studies Global Research Colloquium (LS)
Spring semester conference at which LS students showcase research projects related to the annual evolving theme, undertaken in connection with a course or as an independent project; open to LS students.
CAS Undergraduate Research Conference
Spring semester conference at which students showcase undergraduate projects in the Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Humanities, completed in connection with a course or as an independent or supervised study; open to all students.
Global Engagement Symposium
Spring semester conference at which undergraduate international students, study away participants, and exchange students present on their internationally focused engagement experience; open to all students.
NYU Student Government Assemble Conference Funding
Funding to support student travel to conferences related to their academic or professional goals as attendee, presenter, or performer; open to all students.
Diversity Summer Student Research Conference
An opportunity for students to present research conducted in connection with summer internships, research projects, science experiments, independent studies, and service projects if actively mentored by an NYU faculty member; open to all students.
Brio Literary Journal (NYU Comparative Literature Journal)
BRIO showcases exemplary and thought-provoking work of interdisciplinary focus by undergraduate college students across the nation. The journal combines a variety of genres; academic papers, creative pieces, and artwork with an intertextual, interdisciplinary or translational focus. The mission of the journal has always been to feature undergraduate works originating across various departments and disciplines.
Council on Undergraduate Research
Scholarly publications that feature undergraduate research across disciplines and institutions; open to all students.
Interdependent Research Journal
An open-access online undergraduate research journal committed to exploring the global commonalities across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities; The Interdependent fosters multidisciplinary research and discussion on global interdependence and cross-cultural encounters, and encourages global empathy
NYU Journal of Politics & International Affairs
JPIA is a publication that provides a forum for outstanding student work on relevant, thought-provoking topics in the domestic and international landscape. It offers an outstanding opportunity for NYU students (including current GLS students and recent alumni) to have original research or reporting published in an academic journal. Submissions are evaluated based on their critical analysis as well as their ability to stimulate discourse.
NYU Undergraduate Law Review
The Undergraduate Law Review at NYU provides a platform for the submission and discussion of law-related subjects. They accept student submissions of articles that examine and explore topics pertaining to law and the legal field. As a journal that fosters scholarly debate, research and analysis, their mission is to encourage legal and political awareness in the NYU community.
Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal
The Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal welcomes submissions from undergraduate students enrolled full-time in a U.S. university.
If you are a Core Program student who will transition to another NYU school, you have additional research opportunities to consider following your transition.
Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund (CAS)
Grants to assist a student's independent research; open to rising juniors transitioning to CAS and continuing students in CAS.
Diversity Undergraduate Research Incubator (Arts & Science)
Summer program that connects undergraduates from diverse backgrounds to GSAS doctoral student mentors to collaborate on original research; open to rising juniors transitioning to CAS and continuing students in CAS.
Gallatin Undergraduate Research Fund (Gallatin)
Grants that support the purchase of necessary equipment, travel, or other qualified expenses of research projects; open to Gallatin students.
Global Fellowship in Urban Practice (Gallatin)
Funds supporting students’ pursuit of extended research projects while working at sponsor organizations in New York, Berlin, Buenos Aires, and Madrid; open to Gallatin students.
Grants for Student Research/Creative Projects (Steinhardt)
Grants that support independent research on a special topic of interest; open to Steinhardt Students.
Research+ (CAS)
Summer program to complement practical research experience; open to rising juniors transitioning to CAS and continuing students in CAS.
C.V. Starr Fund for A/P/A Research (CAS)
Grants for academic projects, community projects, or conference participation with the goal of promoting a convergence of theory and practice in Asian/Pacific/American Studies and its related fields
LS Awards & Fellowships Newsletters
Junna Chang
GLS ’25
Major: Global Liberal Studies/Concentration in Politics, Rights, Development
Minors: Global Education and Peace & Conflict Studies
Study Away Site: Ghana 23-24,
How did you hear about the Boren and what inspired you to apply?
I signed up for an appointment with the global awards office. They directed me to the Boren scholarship and how to apply. I have always been on the lookout for merit-based and study-away scholarships since I knew I was going abroad. The Boren was ideal for me because it focused on intensive critical language study in which I knew I would study Twi, the language of the Akan people who are the ethnic majority in Ghana.
Tell us about what you will do during your study away year as part of this fellowship.
I will be using my scholarship to study at NYU Accra in Ghana during my junior academic year. During my time in Ghana, I will be intensively learning Twi and further researching, volunteering, and interning for organizations that promote education as a means of peacebuilding.
Advice to applicants to fellowships in general?
My advice to applicants is to stay true to your character and work in your application. I believe the representation of authenticity and genuineness of what you want to do and what you hope to become are key to successful applications.