American Dream Grant
Undergraduate Students: Apply Now
Available to Graduate, Undergraduate Students
Deadline: March 19, 2027
Funding Amount: Up to $5,000
Restrictions
Supports undergraduate and graduate research on the American Dream broadly conceived. Students must have a major or minor in the College of Arts & Letters.Purpose
The American Dream Summer Grant Program, sponsored by the Prochaska Family, supports research or creative projects on topics exploring the American Dream. Applicants should make the connection between their project and the American Dream overt in the abstract and introduction of their application. Possible projects might include studies of immigration to the United States, the development of American social ideals, changes in real and perceived social mobility in contemporary American society, and the ways in which artists and novelists have envisioned America. The fund is also available for projects that analyze how Americans and American ideals are understood outside the United States, and how global trends, in turn, shape American society and the American Dream.
Application Instructions
Proposal Application Materials
Every application must have the following elements with the correct formatting to be considered.
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Title page with a 100-word non-technical abstract.
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Five-page project proposal that includes a description of the project, methods, timeline, and a discussion of broader impacts.
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Budget using the Franco Institute budget template.
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For Human Subject Research: IRB approval and completion of the online Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) module.
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Travel: For any domestic travel, complete the Domestic Travel Waiver Form. Projects involving international travel require that students register with the Notre Dame International Travel Registry and forward proof of registration to Therese Blacketor (tblacket@nd.edu), Student Grants Coordinator.
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Letter of Recommendation (from Arts and Letter faculty): Undergraduates Only.
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CV (2 pages maximum): Graduate Students Only.
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Sample of work: Creative Projects Only.
If grant funds are awarded, recipients are also required to complete post-award reports.
Proposal Preparation and Submission
All proposals should be a maximum of five pages, double-spaced, with one-inch margins and 12-point Times New Roman font. Include page numbers (bottom center) and embed any figures or images within the project description with captions. Footnotes, endnotes, in-text citations, and the bibliography should use a discipline-appropriate citation style. The bibliography is not included in the page limit.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the level of engagement with the American Dream, intellectual merit, the potential impact of the project, and the researcher’s qualifications to conduct the proposed work.
Budget items with insufficient justification may be reduced or eliminated in an award offer.
Questions and Additional Information
For additional information and best practices, see the Before You Apply page for either graduate students or undergraduate students.
Timing: Summer