S. Erving Severtson Research Fellowship Forest Foundation Undergraduate Research Program
In May 2000, a grant was awarded to the Division of Social Sciences for a student-faculty research program to honor PLU faculty member and alumnus (1955) Dr. S. Erving (Erv) Severtson. Endowed by the Forest Foundation, the Severtson funding supports joint student and faculty research by providing financial assistance.
- For a student researcher, the grant covers up to $500 for project expenses and a $3,950 fellowship.
- Each faculty supervisor is also eligible for up to $1,100 for travel and other project-related expenses per project.
- Applications for 2025-2026 are due by 5:00 pm on April 25, 2025.
The competitive application process is open to students collaborating with any faculty member from the departments/programs previously housed in the Division of Social Sciences: Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, and Sociology & Criminal Justice. To apply, a student must submit a completed application form and unofficial transcripts. A student should consult with their faculty supervisor about the project prior to submitting their application. The Severtson Fellowship Committee will review all submissions and notify applicants of its decisions. The number of funded projects will vary based on available funding and application quality. By its very nature, the Fellowship Committee is an interdisciplinary group of scholars and application materials need to be prepared with this audience in mind.
Selection will be based on the following criteria:
- Thoroughness and completeness of the application
- Merit of project
- Appropriateness for student involvement
- Likelihood that research will lead to publication
- While students may propose to work with any full time faculty member in the departments/programs listed, applications from students proposing to work with recently hired tenure track faculty and faculty who have not supervised an award in the previous award cycle will receive higher priority.
- Student information such as academic record and career goals will be considered
- The experience/ability of the student to complete the research will be considered
- Students must be enrolled at PLU for the duration of the project. Preference will be given to students who will be enrolled in the fall and the spring. December 2025 graduates can apply, but they must present a detailed plan for how they will complete each aspect of the project prior to graduation.
If selected, all student work on the project must be performed between the dates of June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026. (As a guide, the amount of effort in the project should be equivalent to two 4-credit hour courses, or 240 hours of work). In addition, the student is expected to:
- Meet regularly with their faculty supervisor
- Write a research report (or other appropriate concluding product) to be delivered to the Dean’s office no later than the last day of Spring classes
- Present the findings of their research at the Rae Linda Brown Undergraduate Research and Creative Projects Showcase or other approved venue
The student researcher will receive 50% ($1,975) of their fellowship payment by the end of September 2025. The remaining 50% ($1,975) will be disbursed upon the completion of the project, as confirmed by the faculty supervisor, no later than the end of May 2026. Travel and other project expenses (up to $500 for the student) will be reimbursed only to a currently enrolled student upon submission of original receipts. The $500 for project expenses for the selected student and $1,100 for project expenses and/or travel for the faculty supervisor are available for use beginning June 1, 2025 and must be used by May 31, 2026.
Applications for 2025-2026 are due by 5:00 pm on Friday, April 25, 2025.
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