The WVU Humanities Center Undergraduate Research Fellows Program
Deadline: 11:59 p.m., July 1, 2026
What is the WVU Humanities Center Undergraduate Research Fellows Program?
The WVU Humanities Center’s Undergraduate Research Fellows Program provides sustained, mentored research and professional development for a select community of undergraduate students. We are seeking applications for the first cohort of undergraduate students conducting research projects aligned with the Humanities Center’s annual theme. The theme for the 2026–2027 academic year is authenticity, a concept that invites rich exploration across disciplines and raises timely questions on artificial intelligence, cultural identity, history, journalism, artistic representation, aesthetics, social responsibility, philosophical inquiry, and so much more.
Who is eligible for the Humanities Center’s Undergraduate Fellows Program?
The Humanities Center’s prestigious Undergraduate Fellows Program is open to undergraduate students from any major, provided their research project aligns with the Humanities Center’s mission to support humanities scholarship and creative activity that expands our perspectives, inspires the imagination, encourages human connection, and promotes a deeper understanding of the human experience.
What are the benefits of being a Humanities Center Undergraduate Fellow?
Fellows will have the opportunity to work closely with their faculty mentor and earn 1-6 academic credits through the faculty mentor’s home department, either as a capstone project, independent study, honors thesis, research, or the equivalent. Fellows will meet regularly with their mentors throughout the semester or academic year. Fellows will also participate in monthly cohort meetings facilitated by the Director of the Humanities Center. These meetings will serve as interdisciplinary research workshops where students present their work in progress and receive structured feedback in a supportive scholarly community.
Fellows will have access to some professional development funding to support research travel and other cultural experiences that inform their research.
Fellows will participate fully in the Humanities Center’s year-long programming related to the theme of authenticity. Fellows and their faculty mentors will have special opportunities to engage with distinguished visiting speakers through small group lunches and receptions. Students will receive explicit mentoring on professional norms and academic engagement, allowing them to approach these opportunities with confidence and maturity.
The experiential learning benefits of the fellowship will be substantial. Fellows will deepen their research skills while also developing as thoughtful professionals capable of communicating complex ideas clearly and persuasively. The program will intentionally cultivate competencies that are often underdeveloped in traditional classroom settings, including interdisciplinary collaboration, professional communication, reflective listening, and academic networking. Such skills, along with teamwork, clear writing, public speaking, and professional social engagement are highly valued by employers. Students will develop these strengths and more, all while gaining a strong sense of belonging within an academic community grounded in humanistic inquiry.
How do students apply?
To apply to be in the WVU Humanities Center’s Undergraduate Fellows program students should:
- Submit a 500-600-word description of their research project, explaining how this work addresses the theme of authenticity. Each application should include the student’s name, major(s), GPA, and title of the project. Please submit as a PDF, with your name in the file title, to Dr. Sharon Ryan, Humanities Center Director: Sharon.Ryan@mail.wvu.edu
- Please request a letter of recommendation and commitment from a faculty mentor who will mentor your research project in an independent study, capstone project, honors thesis, or the equivalent. Your mentor should send their letter directly to Dr. Sharon Ryan, Humanities Center Director: Sharon.Ryan@mail.wvu.edu
Applications will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary faculty committee.
Deadline: 11:59 p.m., July 1, 2026