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Contact Information
Leslie North

(315) 859-4584
(315) 859-4807 (fax)

Summer Research in the Sciences and Mathematics at Hamilton College

Summer 2008

Hamilton College offers its students outstanding  opportunities to conduct hands-on collaborative research in the sciences, computer science and mathematics. During the summer of 2008 we expect over eighty students to conduct research on campus, collaborating with faculty on projects in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, geology, mathematics, neuroscience, physical chemistry, physics and psychology. Many of these projects will lead to papers co-authored by students.

All Hamilton students with a serious interest in research are encouraged to apply for a summer grant. Grants are awarded to rising sophomores, juniors and seniors. 

PLEASE NOTE: competition for science research grants becomes more intense each year, and no student can be assured that he/she will be awarded a grant. We encourage all students to back up their applications by applying for off-campus research positions and by pursuing other summer employment opportunities. 

The first step of the application process is to seek the support of a faculty sponsor and commit to a single research project with one faculty member.  The next step is to fill out the application with the assistance of your faculty sponsor, indicating the start and end dates of the proposed research grant.

In 2008 research stipends will be $400 per week. Although eight week research appointments are typical, the Committee will consider applications for both longer and shorter projects. Often research begins in late May or early June, but the Summer Research Committee will be flexible in offering shorter grants if another model is better suited to the project or the calendar of the supervisor. The research application requests the precise dates of employment, to be determined in conversation with the research supervisor.   

Students accepting a summer research grant agree to abide by Hamilton College Standards of Conduct, as outlined in the Hamilton Student Handbook, and will also demonstrate the professional behavior expected of a Hamilton College employee. Students receiving grants are required to write an abstract at the end of the project and present a poster of their research at the annual Science Research Poster Session. This year's poster session will be held in conjunction with Family Weekend, October 31-November 2.

Substantial funding for summer research is provided by Hamilton College. Additional support for student research comes from grants received by individual faculty members from the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Health, the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation and the Research Corporation. Generous funding has been received from:

  • The Ralph E. Hansmann Science Student Support Fund
  • The Sergei S. Zlinkoff Student Medical Research Fund
  • The Merck/American Association for the Advancement of Science

On-campus housing is available at the College at reasonable cost to students who are employed on campus. Additional information about summer housing is available from the Residential Life office, and a summer housing lottery will be held in the spring. 

If you have questions, please contact Leslie North: Lnorth@hamilton.edu.

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Professor of Biology Ernest Williams, Associate Professor of Biology Bill Pfitsch and their group of students explain their summer research at the Rome Sand Plains. More ...