Honors Undergraduate Research and Conference Grants

On any given day, Honors students can be found conducting laboratory experiments, poring over archival documents, engaging with community partners or preparing presentations for academic conferences. These undergraduate research experiences are defining moments of their Honors College careers.

However, as a high-impact, immersive experience, undergraduate research often comes with financial barriers—from equipment costs to travel for fieldwork or academic conferences—that can prevent students from fully participating.

To make it easier for students to engage more deeply in scholarly work and take the next step in their academic development, the Honors College has expanded its research grant program to offer two types of funding: Research Support and Conference Travel Grants. This program ensures financial support so students can take meaningful ideas, implement them, and share them across campus and the world.

Finding Focus

By focusing specifically on research support and travel, these grants target the moments where funding has the greatest impact. Research projects frequently require supplies, data collection or access to off‑campus sites, while conferences provide critical opportunities for students to present their work, receive feedback and participate in wider academic conversations. Together, these grants help move projects from concept to completion.

“These grants reinforce the Honors College’s commitment to undergraduate scholarship by helping students complete the kinds of substantial, faculty-mentored research experiences that support their journey to distinctions such as Honors Research Scholar and University Honors Research Scholar,” said Whitney Comer, associate director of student affairs for the Honors College. “By funding research activities and opportunities to present findings, the grants support the full research process—from idea development to dissemination.”

Intentionally designed

The new research grant program complements other research-centered initiatives in the Honors College, such as the Research Venture Lyceum program that began this semester.

“The Research Venture Lyceum is about providing Honors students with an introductory-level research experience early in their time at Auburn, so that they can learn what research looks like in a given field,” explained Laura Stevens, Honors College director. “The research support and conference travel grants are for students who have already caught the research bug and want to move forward with their own projects or present their project outcomes to a national audience.”

Stevens sees these kinds of programs as invaluable preparation for students interested in graduate school and research-intensive careers, but the benefits of undergraduate research are immense regardless of what career a student seeks.

“I am a firm believer in the value of undergraduate research as an educational experience, no matter the student’s major or their ultimate career outcome. Whether students are conducting research in a laboratory, an archive, an art studio, or a forest, the active roles they have to take in their process of discovery, as well as the specific skills they develop while working on their project, are immensely valuable for their general learning and maturation. Research is a powerful accelerator in undergraduate education and in preparation for life after graduation, and I am delighted that the Honors College can provide more opportunities for our students to pursue their passions through research,” said Stevens.

Honors students are three times more likely to participate in undergraduate research than their non-Honors peers. This is due in part to the Honors curriculum, which integrates seamlessly with Auburn’s degree programs and enhances traditional coursework through multidisciplinary and metacognitive approaches.

Student Success

In addition to funding, these grants emphasize mentorship and communication. Students must develop a proposal with a faculty sponsor and present their findings at the Honors College Academic Showcase and at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, which is organized by the Office of Undergraduate Research. These requirements reinforce the idea that research is meant to be shared, discussed and refined through dialogue.

The new grants are already having a positive impact on Honors students.

“Thanks to the Honors Research Grant, I turned an ambitious idea into a real-world research initiative that could improve the quality of our lab's work,” said William Chambliss, an Honors sophomore majoring in computer engineering with the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. “It opened doors to a level of technical exploration I wouldn’t have found in a traditional classroom. I am forever grateful for the support that allowed me to push the boundaries of what a student project can achieve.”

Together, the Research Support Grant and Conference Travel Grant reflect the Honors College’s commitment to empowering undergraduate research scholars—not only to ask meaningful questions, but to see their work through to impact.

Students interested in applying for these grants can visit our website for more information and application details.