Summer Research Fellowship

Summer Research Fellowship in Economics

The annual summer fellowship in economics is designed to give undergraduate students hands on experience applying their coursework to a rigorous research project. Through the program, undergraduate students (major or minor) have the opportunity to engage in independent research with a Tenured or Tenure Track faculty member in the department of economics. To apply, students must identify a sponsoring faculty member and a research project. The research project may be jointly decided by the faculty member and the student or may be proposed by the student in consultation with, and approval of, the faculty mentor. 

Funding

Students receive a stipend of $8,000 in funding for the summer.

Expectations

The program typically runs for 10 weeks in the summer although often students wish to continue their research in the fall semester. Students gain valuable experience while engaged in important research on cutting edge topics in economics. All Research Fellows are expected to meet with the faculty member at least weekly during these 10 weeks. 

Upon completion of their research, students will

• Present their research in the economics department seminar
• Present their research at either the undergraduate research colloquium or a local economics conference (such as the Eastern Economic Association conference) during the following AY.
• Additionally, depending on the outcome of their research and with guidance from the faculty mentor, students will be encouraged to submit their co-authored research to an academic journal. 

Selection Criteria 

A committee comprised of two faculty members (‘selection committee’) in the economics department will select the student fellow for the coming summer. Selection criteria is based upon:

1. Academic performance: Specifically, (a) A minimum B+ average in economics courses. (b) Where applicable, a B+ or higher in econometrics, time series econometrics, mathematical economics, or game theory.
2. The quality and feasibility of the project, which will be determined by the selection committee. Evaluation of the project’s quality will include the committee’s assessment of the likelihood of a co-authored publication (in an academic journal) with the faculty mentor.
3. Where relevant to the project, programming skills in Stata, R, MATLAB, or Mathematica are also valued (but not required). 

How to apply? 

At any point during the academic year students may begin to connect with a sponsoring faculty member and identify a tentative research project to apply. During the spring semester a formal online application form will need to be completed which includes the name of their faculty mentor, proposed project title and abstract. This form will typically be posted before spring break and due shortly after the break.

Questions? Contact the chair of economics jsschwartz1@loyola.edu or 410-617-2919.