CSAD Democracy Scholars Program

Competitive awards for student-faculty research teams in American liberal democracy, sponsored by the Center for the Study of American Democracy at Kenyon College.

In order to be considered for CSAD Democracy Scholar, please apply through the Kenyon Summer Scholars application process. 

The CSAD Democracy Scholars Program provides opportunities for students to work in close collaboration with faculty members as full participants on some fundamental question, text, or theme of American liberal democracy. Students selected for these competitive awards will receive a $4,000 stipend, summer housing, and up to $500 in funds for research materials and supplies when necessary. A primary component of the program is the public presentation of the summer scholar's work at the conclusion of the research project.  The Democracy Scholars Program is supported by the Class of 1978 Summer Research Fund and Pamela K. Jensen Faculty Research Fund endowments for the Center for the Study of American Democracy.

Proposal submissions are due no later than 4:30 pm, February 2, 2018, for summer 2018. Please use the submission form below. Awards will be announced on March 2, 2018.

CSAD Democracy Scholars Program

Summer Research Fellowships - Each student scholar will be awarded a stipend of $4,000 plus provision of on-campus summer housing. A research budget of up to $500 is also available for each student.

Selection of Awards - Selection of recipients for these competitive summer fellowships will be made by a committee comprised of the Associate Provost, the Director of the Center for the Study of American Democracy, and other faculty, as appropriate. 

Proposals are to be written and submitted by the student member of each student/faculty research team. Complete applications for a summer research award must include the following:

• A clear description of the project (in 2 to 4 pages);
• A statement about the qualifications of the student researcher (e.g. relevant coursework, research skills, etc.);
• A schedule for the project (normally 8 weeks in length but may vary from 8 to 10 weeks);
• A letter of support from the faculty mentor, including a statement about the qualifications of the student to successfully complete the project; if the research is part of a project undertaken by the faculty member, the letter should indicate whether the faculty member has grant funding to cover the student stipend and any necessary equipment; faculty mentors should submit their letters directly to the Administrative Assistant, Andrea Lechleitner at lechleitnera@kenyon.edu;
• An expense budget and budget narrative (e.g. travel, postage, copying, transcripts, etc.).

Institutional Review Board (IRB) - Students awarded a summer research scholarship whose research involves the use of human subjects, must apply to the Kenyon College IRB for review of their research protocol. Information about IRB application may be found on the IRB web page. Be sure to go to Information for Researchers and pay special attention to "Advice to Students" and "Summer Scholars." IRB applications should be submitted well in advance of the start dates of your program and research.

Equipment and Materials - Students may apply for assistance in meeting the costs of research, including presenting results at a conference. If these requests are funded, any materials, supplies, and equipment will become the property of the College and remain with the sponsoring faculty member's department or the Center for the Study of American Democracy. An estimated budget must be prepared and submitted with each proposal. Costs for equipment and materials or conference travel, if appropriately invoiced and receipted in the Accounting Office and approved by the faculty mentor, may not exceed $500.

Public Talk - CSAD Democracy Scholars will present their research at a public talk before the end of the Fall 2018 semester.

Final Paper - Students will also be required to submit an electronic copy of the final comprehensive paper that serves as the research project's concluding report by Monday, December 3, 2018. Submit the paper via email to Andrea Lechleitner at lechleitnera@kenyon.edu. Students are also encouraged to submit their final papers for publication in an undergraduate journal. Some possible venues for submission are listed here.

Transcript Notation - Students who successfully complete a summer democracy research project in accord with program and project requirements and who receive the endorsement of their faculty mentor will have this summer research experience noted on their College transcript.

December, 2017