Undergraduate Research
The department supports undergraduate research through funding for individual projects and paid assistantships to work with professors on their research. An Honors Thesis can be a great way to undertake research in English studies. In addition, the Department of English and the University both fund undergraduate research through the following programs:
Research & Travel Grants
The English Department disburses up to $2,000 yearly in grants to conduct or present research, including travel to conferences or to pursue archival or field research, among other possibilities. Funding is also available for off-campus research related to Honors Thesis projects.
Past Examples
- Technical Writing Conference
- 18th-Century Studies conference in Charleston
- Literature Conference at SUNY Oneonta
- JFK Library Boston – Hemingway research
- Library of Congress research on libretti
- AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) Conference
- Society for Technical Communication Annual Conference
- Internship at the Folger Shakespeare Library
- Research in Dublin, Ireland on Bog Bodies
- Cultural Rhetorics Conference
- Project on Nuclear Issues Conference
Research Assistantships
The English Department funds multiple undergraduate research assistantships each year. Awards pay up to $1,000 per student at a rate of $15 per hour. Faculty apply to the department for funding on a rolling basis to hire an undergraduate to assist with a research project. Open positions are announced via the undergraduate newsletter, so be sure you sign up. As part of the award, students are required to present their work at one of the University’s undergraduate research showcases.
Past Examples
- Herman Melville marginalia research with Prof. Dawn Coleman
- Textual Editing Assistant for The Routledge Anthology of Restoration and 18th-Century Literature with Prof. Misty Anderson
- Research on Knoxville’s Native Mounds and Museum Displays with Prof. Lisa King
- Pedagogy for International Students with Prof. Russell Hirst
- Phillis Wheatley Poetry Project with Prof. Katy Chiles
- Literary Knox author and content research with Prof. Bill Hardwig
- Frederick Douglass Day Project with Prof. Katy Chiles
University Funding
The University also offers substantial funding for undergraduate research, at the initiative of both faculty and students. For more details on those opportunities, see here.
Funds are also available from the university for student travel to present research off-campus.