Undocumented students have access to a range of research and fellowship opportunities. Whether through university-based programs or external fellowships, undocumented students can explore their passions and build their professional skills while overcoming barriers to success in higher education.
Marco Antonio Firebaugh Scholars Program
Firebaugh Scholars receive funding and academic support to design and complete an independent faculty-sponsored research project over the course of one academic year. Scholars also receive support in applying to graduate school and post-baccalaureate opportunities.
Applications typically open in early spring for the following school year.
Transgender Student Wellness Initiative (TSWI) Research Grant
The Transgender Student Wellness Initiative (TSWI) provides an opportunity to apply for a research grant. Students are encouraged to submit proposals on research that focuses on Trans people, experiences, policy, or stories. Even if your research doesn't focus on trans people, experiences, policy, or stories, we HIGHLY encourage Trans/Enby undocumented, first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented college students to apply for this grant.
No prior research experience is required. TSWI will be awarding a total of 3 grants, with each participant receiving a total of $2,000 ($1,000 per semester).
The TSWI Research Grant is open to submissions using visual arts, qualitative methods, or quantitative methods based in the social science or STEM field (If your project is STEM-oriented, you are required to provide us with how your research connects to or is a reflection of NASEM 2022 Policy Translations of Gender and Sex).
Applications typically open in the early fall semester.
Haas Scholar Program
Each year, twenty highly qualified, academically talented undergraduates with financial needs come together to build a supportive intellectual community during their final year at UC Berkeley.
Haas Scholars come from all walks of life and every major on campus, but they are united by their desire to strive for excellence–both in their individual academic pursuits and as an interdisciplinary cohort. Applicants are evaluated primarily on the merit and originality of their proposal for an independent research or creative project that will serve as the basis for a senior or honors thesis. Once selected, Haas Scholars receive close mentoring from members of the UC-Berkeley faculty, seminars and workshops to assist them in the research and writing process, the opportunity to present their work at a professional conference, and up to $13,800 each in financial support.
Haas Scholar alumni have gone on to become leaders in their respective fields, including academia, medicine, law, industry, the arts, and public service. You are invited to explore this website for an introduction to the community of Haas Scholars, and if qualified, we encourage you to apply to join us!
Applications typically open during the spring semester for the following school year.
Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP)
The Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP) provides an opportunity for Berkeley undergraduates to work with faculty members and research staff on cutting-edge research projects. Working closely with mentors, students will deepen their knowledge and skills in areas of special interest, while experiencing what it means to be part of an intellectual community engaged in research. The program is designed to stimulate awareness of advanced research and interest in graduate study. Students are not paid for their participation; instead, they earn 1 unit of academic credit for every 3 hours of research work completed (limited to 4 units per term).
CRG Student Grants Program for Research & Creative Projects
The Center for Race & Gender (CRG) welcomes proposals from
both undergraduate and graduate students to support research or creative projects. Project topics should be consonant with CRG’s mandate to support critical student research on race, gender, and their intersections in a wide variety of social, cultural, and institutional contexts. Proposals that address both race and gender will be prioritized, and proposals that do not address race at all will be de-prioritized. Projects may be oriented toward academic research or may approach race and gender issues from the perspectives of the media, fine arts, and performing arts.
Applications are open twice each year, once in the fall semester and again in the spring semester.
Fall applications open in mid-September.
Spring applications open in mid-February.
Social Sciences Research Pathways
Social Sciences Research Pathways (SSRP) is a yearlong paid research development program that connects undergraduate students with graduate student mentors pursuing master’s or doctoral-level research.
Applications for mentors and mentees typically open in late-July each year.
The Berkeley Physics Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (BPURS)
Berkeley Physics Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (BPURS) offers the opportunity for a student in the physics major to partner with a faculty member to apply jointly for funding ($750 per semester) for a research project. The project can be mentored by postdocs or graduate students, under the supervision of a faculty memberInterested students apply and the faculty member must sign off on the acceptance of the student through BPURS into their lab.
Applications open at the beginning of each semester and are sent via email to the Physics major email listserv. For additional information on how to apply, meet with a Physics Undergraduate Advisor.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
SURF L&S provides undergraduates in the College of Letters and Science with funding to undertake concentrated summer research in preparation for a senior thesis or other major capstone project. Fellows receive a summer stipend of $5,000. SURF L&S fellows must be entering their final year or final semester and have no other research funding.
SURF Rose Hills
SURF Rose Hills supports sophomores, juniors, and seniors conducting STEM-oriented research during the summer months. Students may be either pursuing a faculty-led project or an independent project of their own design. Generously supported by the Rose Hills Foundation, SURF Rose Hills fellows receive a summer stipend of $5,000.
Applications typically open during the spring semester.
The UC Washington Program (UCDC)
Each Fall and Spring, UC juniors and seniors from all majors travel to Washington, D.C. to intern, do research, and take classes for a semester. Students live and attend courses at the UC Washington Center, an eleven-story building six blocks from the White House. Washington, D.C. offers a wide variety of academic, professional, and rich cultural opportunities for undergraduates.
DreamSF Fellowship
The DreamSF Fellowship is a paid San Francisco-based leadership and professional development program for immigrant students and aspiring professionals who seek to gain real-world experience with social justice change-makers in the Bay Area.
Fellows are paired with local immigrant-serving community organizations and gain hands-on experience in direct services, advocacy, and immigration law, and more while growing a network of mentors. Fellows receive professional mentorship and attend weekly enrichment seminars to support their growth as leaders and community advocates.
Applications open in February of each year.