The Hilldale Undergraduate/Faculty Research Fellowship provides research training and support to undergraduates. Students have the opportunity to undertake their own independent research project under the mentorship of UW–Madison faculty or research/instructional academic staff. Please Note: Graduate students are ineligible to serve as the project advisor. Approximately 97 – 100 Hilldale awards are available each year.
Table of Content
Summary
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Benefits
The student researcher receives a $4,000 stipend (purpose unrestricted) and faculty/staff research advisor receives $1,000 to help offset research costs (e.g., supplies, books for the research, student travel related to the project). The project advisor can decline the $1,000 if it is not needed to support the student’s research. Declined project advisor funds are pooled to offer additional Hilldale Fellowships.
Requirements
- Have at least junior standing at time of application
- Plan collaborative research project with a UW–Madison faculty/staff
- Plan to graduate after May of the application year
- While there is no minimum GPA to apply for the Hilldale, projects proposed by students with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or lower typically are not as competitive.
- Must be in good academic and disciplinary standing to apply
Other restrictions
- A student may submit only one application for consideration per year, and previous student recipients of a Hilldale or Holstrom award may not apply for a second award of the same type.
- Faculty/staff members may submit no more than two student projects/year across all divisions (biological sciences, arts and humanities, physical sciences, social sciences and interdisciplinary).
- If you are awarded and accept a Hilldale Fellowship or a Holstrom Scholarship you may not accept funding from other sources for the same research project during the same time period. (For example, if you plan to apply for summer funding from another source you may want to apply for the Hilldale/Holstrom for the fall and/or spring term.)
Interview Dates and Process
A selection committee will review all proposals.
- Evidence of the student’s intellectual contribution to the research (may include, but is not limited to, student’s contribution of preliminary data to the proposed project)
- Significance of the research (originality, impact on the field)
- Degree of meaningful collaboration with a faculty research mentor
- Extent to which research objective is achievable within the proposed timeline (may also include evaluation of the student’s academic record)
Application Deadline
February 15, 2026How To Apply
For more details, visit University of Wisconsin webpage
