Thanks to the generosity of its alumni, the School of Engineering and Applied Science administers several endowed funds to support research connected with departmental junior and senior independent work and senior thesis projects.

These funds are available to defray the costs of consumable supplies, software, small equipment and parts, data acquisition, and travel for field experiments. They specifically do not cover conference travel, books and journals, food and refreshments, salary replacement, copying and thesis preparation costs, or capital equipment.

Two funding rounds are held each year, once in October for senior thesis and fall-term independent work research, and again in February for spring-term independent work research. B.S.E. students in the junior and senior year should watch their e-mail at the beginning of each semester for the announcement of the next funding round. A link to an application and waiver form will accompany the e-mail.

Students applying for funds must submit the following: the application form as a cover sheet, signed by both the student and the adviser; a description of the research and budget not to exceed two pages; a signed waiver of liability form that accompanies the application form. Applications for SEAS funding are not accepted outside these two funding rounds.

Questions about funding for independent work and senior thesis research should be directed to BSEprogram@princeton.edu. Support for student projects that are not departmental independent work or a senior theses should be sought from other sources, including the Norman D. Kurtz ’58 Fund administered by the Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education.

Can I work a summer experience into my independent work in the following year?

Sometimes. Consult with your adviser in your department. Some departments have limits on the degree to which work done outside Princeton can be brought into independent work. Also, remember that continuing to work for a company during the academic year may cause problems for Princeton’s tax-free status if you use University equipment or computers. Finally, any work you do for a thesis or independent work has to be completely open and available to public scrutiny. Companies working on cutting-edge technology usually like to keep things secret, and we can’t have you working on independent work that you can’t talk to your adviser about. If you have any questions, consult your department.