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Funds and Opportunities

There are a range of funding sources available to support student research and other learning experiences. 

In addition to the sources of funding below, American Studies faculty sometimes hire majors as research assistants; if you are interested in a paid research assistant position, contact a faculty member.

Phi Beta Kappa/Charles Bassett Award in American Studies

Each year American Studies awards a total of $1000 to one or more American Studies majors for thesis research and/or conference travel and attendance. This gift was endowed in honor of Charles and Caroline Bassett for students in their respective departments, American Studies, and Mathematics, and is overseen by the Phi Beta Kappa  Chapter on campus. 

Applications will be judged by the merit and feasibility of the project. Funding may be applied toward travel for research, entrance or registration fees for special archives or programs, conference travel, and registration, or to help defray cost of living expenses while you do your research.  

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: This is a rolling deadline (first-come, first-served). To receive funding for research or travel during JanPlan, please apply as soon as you are able. For summer funding, please apply by May 1 for full consideration. Email applications to [email protected]. Your application should include: 

For conference travel and attendance: 

  1. The name, date, and location of the conference. 
  2. The focus of the conference, the organization sponsoring it, and your reasons for attending it. 
  3. A budget explaining how you will use the funding. 
  4. A resume. 

For thesis research: 

  1. Your name and the working title of your project. 
  2. The name of the faculty member who has agreed to supervise your project.
  3. A very brief literature review that helps explain the significance of your project.
  4. A brief description of your methodology (i.e., what kinds of sources you intend to examine and how you intend to analyze them). 
  5. Evidence of your preparedness to research this project (coursework or other experience with the topic and/or the methodology). 
  6. A timeline for your research. 
  7. A budget explaining how you will use the funding. 
  8. A resume.

For a list of previous Bassett Award winners, with their project descriptions, see Department Awards. 

Other Funding Through DavisConnects

For all funding opportunities, fill out the general funding application I and II on the Davisconnects website. This will automatically consider you for all general DavisConnects funding. After those applications, if your project qualifies for funding outside of DavisConnects general funding, you will be prompted to fill out extra questions for those specific opportunities.