FAQs

Please check below for helpful information about the different phases of the summer funding cycle - orientation, application, preparation for the summer project, and post-project follow up. If you have any questions that are not addressed below, please reach out to the office that administers the grant you are interested in.
  

Who can apply for summer funding?

There are funding options available for first years, sophomores, juniors and even graduating seniors. The funding office can give you more specific information about the different funds they administer, and your eligibility.

How do I define my class year related to summer opportunities?

Your class year is defined by you current year, i.e. the year you submit the application for the summer opportunity. For example, if you are currently a sophomore, hoping to pursue a summer opportunity in the summer between my sophomore and junior year, you would look for opportunities labeled with "sophomore". 

When do I need to start applying?

Check the Dates & Deadlines page. If you know what grant or job you'd like to apply for, be sure to check the funding office's website for additional information. 

How many grants can I apply for?

As many as you like. However, the stipend limit is $5200 per student for ten weeks of a full-time experience. Note: If you are offered more than one opportunity, you will need to decide which award to accept and cede all other awards. 

Do I need to know the specific name of the grant I'm applying for?

Not necessarily. In general, you don't apply for a specific grant by name, but for a type of funding such as Chester Community Fellowship, Social Impact Summer Scholarship, Social Impact Grant, and so on.  Academic Division funding in particular encompasses many different grants. You will simply apply for Academic Division funding, and at a later stage you are matched with a particular grant. 

What materials do I need to apply?

Please check the information on the funding office's website for detailed instructions about application materials and processes.

I see that there are different deadlines for different grant opportunities. What do I do if I am offered a grant, but I am still waiting to hear back about another funding opportunity I am more interested in?

If you receive a grant offer and are still waiting to hear back from other options, you will need to make a tough decision. If you are unwilling to withdraw from other possibilities, you should not formally accept the offer. We strongly advise that should this situation arise, you should meet with the staff member who oversees the grant you've been offered to discuss their options. 

If I stay on campus for my summer plan, can I apply for campus housing? How does that work?

Yes, you can apply for summer housing. Please see this Guide on Summer Housing. [link coming soon]

How might COVID-19 affect my summer plans?

For the most up-to-date information about College policies and protocols around COVID, please refer to the College's COVID-19 Information website. Any information pertaining to a funding opportunity you have applied for will be communicated by the office that oversees the grant/funding/employment.

I will be traveling (within the U.S. or abroad) as part of my summer project. Is there anything I should know?

Yes!
For domestic travel, please refer to the College's COVID-19 information website for any relevant updates. The office that provides your funding will also keep you informed of any relevant policies you need to be aware of.

For international travel, the current College policy is that all members of the College community (including students), who intend to travel internationally with College funding, must seek approval from the International Travel Risk Management Committee. Flights should not be purchased and other funds expended, without this permission. Proposals for travel should be submitted minimally one month prior to the intended travel.

I will be doing research. Is there anything I should know?

Yes! You need to understand if your research project requires approval by one of the committees on campus that oversees research involving human subjects, animals and/or biohazards. 

Talk with your research supervisor to determine if: approval is already in place for their ongoing research, or you’ll need to submit an application to the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research (IRB), the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and/or the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).  

Briefly: A project requires IRB review if it meets the definition of research, and involves an interaction or intervention with human subjects and/or their private identifiable information. Detailed information is available here. IACUC review is required if the subject of your research is a vertebrate animal. IBC review is required for research utilizing recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules, biological materials (e.g., infectious agents) and other potentially hazardous agents (e.g., carcinogens). 

Please reach out to to Jena Fioravanti , in the Office of Research Integrity and Engagement, with any questions.

There seem to be a lot of opportunities all across campus. Is there any coordination among the offices that provide students with summer grants?

Yes! The Beyond the Classroom (BTC) advisory committee consists of Swarthmore College staff members who manage and support high-impact learning experiences such as community-based learning, externships, independent and faculty-led research, internships, language immersion, leadership development, mentorship programs, abroad/domestic off-campus study programs, and student-led activities such as social impact projects and entrepreneurial ventures. The BTC advisory is dedicated to enhancing collaboration among staff members, streamlining application processes, and most importantly, making co-curricular learning experiences more accessible and transparent for students.

I completed my summer project. Is there anything else for me to do?

Yes! Please follow the instructions from the office that administers your award / employment. In most cases, you will be asked to complete an online exit survey. We take your feedback very seriously, so please take some time to share your experiences and thoughts!