# Research & Employment Opportunities ## expand\_more While the Department’s curriculum provides all concentrators with hands-on, small-group instruction in historical method, many students may wish to have an even more individualized research experience at some point during their undergraduate careers. The History Department currently facilitates four kinds of independent research experience for Harvard undergraduates: (1) term-time independent study, known as ***History 91r***; (2) term-time work with faculty on research projects, known as History Lab or ***History 92r***; (3) **summer research grants** for students planning to write a Senior Thesis; and (4) **Research Assistantships** with faculty members. Open all sections Close all sections ### History 91r expand\_more Juniors and seniors who wish to pursue an independent course of study with a faculty member may apply to enroll in History 91r. Ordinarily, students must have already taken at least one regular course in History that would provide background for their special reading and research. Each History 91r will have its own requirements, as the instructor in each case sets them. But they must include at least the following: (1) a thirty minute oral examination at the end of the course, given by the instructor and one other member of the Department; and (2) a paper at least ten pages long, submitted to the instructor and graded by him or her. A bibliography of all reading in the course and a copy of the paper must be filed in the [History Undergraduate Office ](/advising-resources)at the end of the term before the Director of Undergraduate Studies will forward the grade to the Registrar’s Office. A 91r may not be taken pass/fail. [Instructions & Application Form for History 91r](/forms) ### History 92r expand\_more History Lab offers History concentrators and other students a chance to spend a semester working with History faculty on faculty research projects. Outcomes will include familiarity with a range of digital tools for research and data visualization and insights on how to design and execute a major research project. Students will be assessed on the basis of blogs and presentations of research assignments. Consult for more details. ### Summer Thesis Research expand\_more It is not necessary to conduct summer research in order to write an excellent senior thesis. Many students do, however, choose to take advantage of the many generous thesis research grants available to visit libraries, archives, and historic sites around the world. The History Undergraduate Office holds a meeting every December for juniors interested in applying for thesis research grants, introducing them to the process. The Tutorial Office also maintains a comprehensive database of Harvard grants available to our senior thesis writers and sample grant proposals that have been successful in previous years. - Visit the Department’s[ thesis research grants](/senior-thesis-grants) page. - Students should also remember to check Harvard’s [Summer Funding Database](https://carat.fas.harvard.edu/), which allows one to search for grants by geographical location, concentration, and area of interest.