The George L. Abernethy Endowment supports independent student research and other experiential learning opportunities in the humanities, arts, or social sciences. Research can occur in the United States and/or abroad and during the academic year and/or the summer. Research can occur in the United States and/or abroad and during the academic year and/or the summer. Grant awards average about $2,000, but have ranged from $250 to $5,900.

Students work with a mentor who serves as a touch point throughout their independent project. In agreement to serve as the mentor on the student’s project, faculty will submit a mentorship agreement plan that addresses the feasibility of the project and the nature of the collaboration between the mentor and the students. 

Applications for winter break research and experiential learning are due on October 1, 2025. 

Applications for summer research and experiential learning are due on February 1, 2026.
 

In the application, you will enter your faculty mentor's email address and they will receive an email link to complete an advising/mentoring plan. We recommend that you send your proposal and a copy of this advising/mentoring form to your faculty mentor before you complete the application. They will have to complete an online version of the form, but it will be helpful for them to see the questions in advance.  Mentor agreements will be due on October 6th for the October 1st deadline and on February 6th for the February 1st deadline.

To review the rubric that will be used to assess your proposal, click here: Abernethy Endowment Grant_Rubric.docx
 

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Federal tax maybe required at the time of disbursement of grant funds, there may also be state tax implications. Taxes are your responsibility. We advise you to reach out to Susan Caldwell (sucaldwell@davidson.edu) to determine your federal/state tax status so that you may account for this in your budget.  

ELIGIBILITY: Students on personal leave or those ineligible to return in the fall semester are not eligible to participate in Davidson research programs unless expressly permitted by the Dean of Students Office.

Note: To promote fairness in the distribution of funding, students receive multiple internal Davidson awards for the same project during the same time period (semester, break, or summer), or for separate projects to be completed concurrently, will only be permitted to receive one of the awards.