Do you have a social justice research idea?
The Project Humanities Ambassador Program provides an opportunity for students to complete a research-based applied project that considers a social justice issue under the direction of a faculty mentor. Ambassadors receive a $3000 stipend (paid at project’s completion). ASU faculty mentors receive a $1000 stipend at the completion of the student’s project completion.
What is a research-based applied project:
- is not just a written paper,
- has a worthwhile world/social impact beyond your personal/professional goals,
- draws from applicant’s expertise formally and informally,
- engages others,
- can be recorded, shared, documented, or otherwise represented and published through a public presentation (May 2025) and the Project Humanities website
Project examples include but are not limited to:
- Experimental or correlational pilot studies that involves “traditional” research design, data collection, and statistical analysis
- Field study that examines theoretical predictions
- Survey study examining opinions, attitudes, or practices within a field or discipline
- Development of a new intervention, training program, instructional approach, or other programmatic guide grounded in research literature, accompanied by implementation and evaluation plan
Eligibility and Expectations
- Currently enrolled ASU undergraduate students (freshmen to seniors) from all majors and years of study
- Applicant must identify and have a commitment from an ASU faculty member who is benefits-eligible and not on a sabbatical or leave of absence.
- No GPA requirement
- Applicant must commit to full 6-month term for project completion.
Application Guidelines
You will submit your proposal online. Your application will include:
- Title of Your Project
- Description of your proposed research project (maximum 500 words) that addresses the following:
- The who, what, when, where, why, and how details of your proposed project
- A description of how you would complete the project
- Personal experience, academic background and/or prior knowledge of proposed research topic
- A statement related to the importance of this research (i.e. a short literature review)
- A current resume
- ASU faculty mentor contact information (Project Humanities will contact your faculty mentor to ensure their participation.)
Applications will be assessed based on these criteria:
- Project relevance and timeliness
- Project feasibility
- Proposal quality (clarity, thoughtfulness, comprehensiveness)
Faculty recommendation letters can be structured into a short paragraph response (4-5 sentences) that addresses the following:
- How long and in what capacity the faculty member has worked with the student?
- Acknowledgment of the student project idea and its relevance to their field of study
- A commitment to mentor the student throughout the Spring semester (including monthly update meetings with the Project Humanities staff)
Expectations for One-semester Project
The Ambassadorship begins in January 2025 and continues through May 2025.
Each ambassador will complete the following:
- Meet with their ASU mentor at least twice monthly
- Attend Project Humanities cohort meetings once monthly (4pm or later)
- Attend at least [2] Project Humanities public events (typically held in the evenings--Tuesday through Thursday).
- Prepare project overview, collect and assemble data, prepare a one-page research brief, and 5-minute presentation (presented virtually)
Each faculty mentor will complete the following:
- Meet with their student mentee at least twice monthly
- Attend Project Humanities mentor meetings (three throughout the semester - meets 4pm or later)
- Review and approve ambassador project submissions (project overview, collected data, final project deliverables (one-page research brief and 5-minute presentation).