Research
What interests you so much that you could imagine exploring the topic further on your own?
More than one-third of Notre Dame students participate in research, as it fosters independence and creativity — and, for students in our department, sometimes the opportunity to travel to the Russian Federation or a country in the former Soviet Union.
Russian students have received funding to purchase materials or to travel to a Russian-speaking country in order to:
- Study materials in archives or visit a museum
- Interview scientists for an article on environmental issues and Lake Baikal
- See theatrical performances or artworks
- Visit universities to identify the best location for a post-graduate fellowship year
Many Russian students have successfully published their work in such Slavic studies journals as The Birch, Vestnik, and others, and have also won Notre Dame research library awards for their projects.
Research Opportunities
During your time at Notre Dame, you could:
- Write a year-long senior honors thesis
- Assist a faculty member with a research project — paid positions that could lead to your name being included in the acknowledgments of the professor’s book
- Have an idea or topic that pursue on your own
A good place to start brainstorming is the Hesburgh Library’s Department of Rare Books and Special Collections. Contact research librarian Natasha Lyandres at nlyandre@nd.edu for more information on using these resources.
Our Russian faculty take great joy in helping students with their research projects!
“I wrote a senior thesis analyzing the connections between Pushkin’s poem “Autumn” (“Osen”) and Nabokov’s novel Glory (Podvig). In the process of writing that thesis, I learned skills in research writing with sources in multiple languages and constructing long-form literary argument which proved essential in teaching high school English and Rhetoric.”
Research Funding
Notre Dame is distinctive in offering students so many opportunities for funding and mentoring. Grants are available for summers, the academic year, or fall and spring breaks.
The Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) serves as a hub for students who want to learn more about getting started in research, securing funding, or presenting research. CUSE offers workshops, online resources, and one-on-one advising to help undergraduates discern their scholarly interests and develop a plan.
The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program supports Arts and Letters students. It provides generous funding for research and materials, travel and fees for conference, and senior thesis support.
The Nanovic Institute for European Studies has as its primary focus undergraduate students. Funding is available for preliminary research expenses, travel and research, internship and service, and language study.
No matter what topic interests you, Notre Dame has the mentors and funding opportunities to support you as you to pursue your ideas. And it is never too early to begin — simply reach out to a faculty member to discuss your ideas!