Undergraduate Fellowships
The Undergraduate Ethics Research Fellowship (ERF) program is an immersive, three-year mentorship experience that equips undergraduate students to creatively harness contemporary moral theory and the analytical tools of their major to carry out ambitious research that pushes forward major ethical debates. Through community, coaching, weekly ethics research seminars, and international travel, we train each ERF to identify and grow an excellent thesis project that aligns with their interests and contributes to the scholarly discourse of their field. Together, ERFs develop their sense of purpose and character for wisely engaging the pressing moral issues of our time.
Sophmore Year: Discernment
Identifying Your Research Focus
- Instruction in developing a critical ethical component to a research project.
- Workshops on understanding and applying ethical theory to moral issues that emerge in the students’ field of interest.
- Collaborative ethics research projects spanning across the disciplines.
Junior Year: Adventure
Carry out your ambitious research plan
- Dedicated research grant funding for accessing new resources, building new studies, analyzing data, working a research-related internship, etc.
- Participation in ECG community events.
- One-on-one research support and mentorship with ECG staff.
Senior Year: Impact
Research in service to the common good
- Senior thesis peer-writing groups, aimed at enhancing ethical argumentation and rhetoric.
- Public engagement training workshops and presentation opportunities.
- Leadership development through mentoring the sophomore fellows.
Eligibility
Any rising sophomore who plans to have at least one major (or supplementary major) in a humanities or social science field is eligible to apply.
Application Process
ERFs will be selected by a competitive application, referral, and interview process. Applicants submit the following materials:
- A statement of interest, analyzing an ethical question that fascinates you and your own story why you’re interested in being an ERF.
- Contact information for one faculty reference.
The application for the 2025-2026 Ethics Research Fellowship will open in January 2025 and be due in late March, 2025. Contact Jeff Tolly (jtolly@nd.edu) with any questions on the fellowship and/or application process.
Apply Now for an Undergraduate Ethics Research Fellowship