Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Grants

Student-Faculty Research Grants are a great way to organize an original research project.  These grants will pay juniors/seniors $2500 (plus $500 expenses) to do research with a faculty member on a project of your choosing.  These projects can be completed during the summer or during the academic year.  To be eligible students must show that they are registered for at least 6 credits during the coming fall semester.

Read more about the grants here.  The deadline for application is usually around February 14th; we'll have specific announcements coming up.  If you're interested see or email Marianne Johnson for sample grants.  In addition, Professors Gunderson, VanScyoc, and McGee can help you find a matching faculty member.

Student-Faculty Small Research Grants

These grants are available on a rolling-basis.  Grants are used to fund supplies such as data puchasing and possibly student conference travel.  The grant does not provide any payment for student researchers.  That said, it is still a great way to get a project off the ground.  Visit the Grants Office Website for details.

Faculty Development Small Grants

These are grants designed to help faculty members finish projects; they can be used for student research assistance.  The application process is on a rolling-basis, meaning you can apply at any time.

Independent Study

Another way to do research is to organize an independent study project.  You can register for 1 - 3 credits of independent study and the course/project counts as an upper division elective requirement in Economics.  To do this, you need to find a faculty member to supervise the Independent Study project; then, together, you will develop the project and set the deadlines and schedule.  

International students or students planning to travel to another country and who are interested in doing Independent Study projects while at away during the summer or holiday break should see Professor Johnson.  She's got some new ideas for this!!

Volunteer Research Assistant

Sometimes faculty members are working on projects and would be happy to have a research assistant help with inputting data, doing internet research, helping with writing, graphs, tables, etc.  You can always ask to be involved.  (See the small grant options above.)

Fulbright Grant

Students interested in long-term study in another country could consider a Fulbright Grant.  These are very competitive, but great opportunities to live in another country doing research and taking classes (supported by the US government).  Prof. Johnson met several in Estonia last spring -- they were all having a great time!  

The application process is long and time-consuming, so you should start to think about it early.

Conferences

If you do research -- on your own, for a class project, for a professor -- a great way to finish off the project is to present your work.  There are lots of options:

Wisconsin Economics Association Conference is in the middle of October each year -- usually in Stevens Point or the Dells.  The conference emphasizes student research at both the graduate and undergraduate level.  The deadline for submissions is in mid September.  Awards are given for the best student paper/presentation.

UW Oshkosh Celebration of Scholarship Day is at the end of April.  The deadline for submitting your project for possible presentation is usually in early March.  We had several students participate the last couple of years, presenting posters and giving short talks.

UW Symposium for Undergraduate Research is also at the end of April -- it moves between UW Campuses and I don't know where it's going to be next year yet.  The last two years we had 5 Economics majors presenting their projects in sessions.  Several of the presenters spoke about their Econometrics project for EC 473.  They each got to speak about their project for 15 minutes; sessions were well attended and everyone got lots of interesting questions.  The deadline for submissions will be in March -- announcement will be forthcoming.

Midwest Economics Association Meetings, in March in Chicago or another Midwestern city.  The deadline for submitting a paper to the student sessions is early November.  The best student paper/presentation wins an award of $200.  But, you don't have to give a paper to go...sign up with Professor Johnson and go see what economists do.