Kenyon Keys Student Research Grants

Only students enrolled at Kenyon during the grant period and in good academic standing are eligible for a Keys grant. Awardees who withdraw from the College are not eligible to claim reimbursement for any purchases already made or expenses incurred.

There are two parts to a complete application, the most important of which is the student’s proposal for their project. The second part of the application is a letter of faculty support, which must be emailed directly to keysprogramming@kenyon.edu. 

STUDENT APPLICATION

All applicants must submit two documents as part of their application:

1. A research proposal (1,000-1,250 words) that provides the following information:

a. A description of the proposed project that includes the central research question(s), framework and methodology, and the stakes of your project. 

b. The outcome of the research project. 

c. Which of the six Keys (may be more than one) the scope and aims of the project falls under and how.

d. Relevant coursework as preparation for your research project. 

2. A budget statement of projected expenses, including travel fares, accommodation, photocopying, the purchase of texts and materials, and meals.

If you plan to do research at archives, libraries, museums or other sites, you should specify the number of days you plan to spend gathering research materials, the texts or collections you plan to peruse or view, and whether you have permission to conduct research there.

In addition, if your proposed research project involves human subjects, please note that it requires a faculty co-Principal Investigator for application. You must receive approval from Kenyon's Institutional Research Board prior to applying for a Keys Research Grant. 

You must consult with your faculty on the parameters of your research project as well as an appropriate budget. The student’s portion of the application must be submitted by the deadline via this form. 

FACULTY LETTER OF SUPPORT

Once the student submits the application, the faculty mentor will receive an invitation to submit their letter of support to keysprogramming@kenyon.edu within a week of the student deadline (i.e., by Monday, October 26, or Monday, March 29). The faculty letter (300-450 words) is a crucial part of the student’s application for a research grant. Given the breadth of research possibilities, the role that faculty members play in the student’s research grant will also vary. There are three levels of support that faculty may offer on the project:

Level A: Entirely independent research (for applications in either Round 1 or Round 2). An endorsement of the project at the outset, following which the student conducts entirely independent research. The faculty member then begins mentoring the project only during the semester. Here, the faculty need only submit a brief statement of support for the student’s proposed research project and the student’s preparation to do the work. 

Level B: Primarily independent research (for applications in Round 2). An endorsement of the project and of the student’s ability to conduct primarily independent research and writing over the summer. In this model, students submit their work to their faculty mentor periodically and consult with them on an as-needed basis. Faculty mentors receive $500 for their mentorship.

Level C: Mentored summer research (for applications in Round 2). An endorsement of the project and a commitment to work with the student consistently for a period of 6-8 weeks over the summer. Such projects may involve weekly meetings in person or via Zoom, regular discussions of the material, and feedback to students on their research-in-progress. Faculty mentors receive $1,200 in recognition of their work with the student.

The faculty letter of support must specify the type of mentorship that the project will involve. Note: the student’s grant application is not considered complete until the faculty letter of support is also received. 

Following the grant period, the faculty mentor working closely with the student over the summer (levels B and C)  must submit a short, one-page report on the mentoring experience.

Please email both the letter of support and, later, the post-mentoring report to keysprogramming@kenyon.edu.

The application process is competitive. In 2026-27, we expect to award 18 grants across the six Keys. The grants aim to support both exploratory projects where students are at an earlier stage of their research, as well as more developed proposals where students seek research funds to support the final stages of their project. A successful proposal will include a clear articulation of the following: 

1. Project aims, methods, and scope; 

2. Student preparation to do the research (coursework, skills and training, receipt of necessary permissions);

3. Relation of the project to one or more of the Keys; 

4. Proposed budget;  

5. A strong faculty letter of support. For applications in Round 2, the faculty letter must also clarify the mentoring relationship for the duration of the student’s research.

In a pool with several strong applications, priority will be given to students who have not previously received a Keys grant.

All students approved for a Keys research project will receive a grant of $500. In addition, students are eligible to receive further grant funding to reimburse essential research expenses: Those applying in Round 1 are eligible to receive up to $1,500, while those applying in Round 2 are eligible to receive up to $3,000. Depending on the details of the proposed project, students may be approved for partial funding. 

Once approved, students may receive their grant in stages as they are reimbursed after organizing travel, accommodation, the purchase of materials, and any other approved expenses with submitted receipts. Every effort must be made to economize on travel, lodging and meals. 

Any physical materials purchased, such as books and prints, become the property of the College at the conclusion of the research project. The grant cannot be used for the purchase of electronic equipment (including laptops, tablets, cameras and calculators). No part of the grant may be used to pay external collaborators or institutes.

All students who are awarded a Keys grant must submit a one-page report (single-spaced) within four weeks of the site visit. The report must include a brief overview of the research completed, the outcome of the research, and what you learned through the research process.

One of the joys of doing research is joining a community of scholars and participate in the continued exchange of ideas. A key requirement of the grant, therefore, is that students share their work with a wider community, both on campus and elsewhere. Students who are awarded a Keys grant will give a brief presentation (10 minutes) on the research or project they completed; these presentations will be scheduled in late March for Round 1 awardees and in late September for Round 2 awardees.