Global Research Assistant Program

The Global Research Assistant Program (GRAP) provides the opportunity for Tufts students to work with Tufts faculty members on international research and impact projects for a minimum of eight weeks during the summer. This initiative is sponsored by the AS&E Career Center and Summer Scholars Program, the Office of the Provost, and Tisch College.
This opportunity is open to all Tufts undergraduates currently in their first, second or third year of study. Graduate students are eligible to apply, but priority will be given to undergraduate students. Graduating seniors may only apply if they are continuing into a Tufts graduate program. Research projects are typically posted below in the end of January.
Although it is unclear how COVID-19 will impact international travel in summer 2021, we are working with faculty members to develop research opportunities that could be done remotely if necessary.
For questions about the program or application process, please contact Christine Hollenhorst.
Student Information
More information about the application process, timeline and past projects can be found below.
- Summer Research Assistant position with Tufts faculty member
- Weekly stipend
- A minimum of 3 weeks at a field site outside of the United States
- International travel costs including airfare, visa costs, local transportation, food, and lodging
- If a portion of the project takes place in Massachusetts, housing arrangements and transportation costs may be available
- Apply via Handshake
- Resume/CV
- Unofficial Transcript
- Title and Contact information of one reference who is able to speak your research abilities and commitment to global understanding or to the subject of the research proposed.
- A statement of interest in a particular research project (300-600 words). Please address the following:
- Why are you interested in this particular research project?
- In relation to the qualifications outlined in the job description, what strengths do you bring to this position? What do you hope to learn from this experience and how does this opportunity relate to your academic studies?
- How will this opportunity inform your future academic and career goals?
- A statement of interest in global research (300-600 words). Please address the following:
- This position includes a portion of time spent outside of the U.S. in varying contexts and will require working across cultural differences. Please discuss how you will address these challenges and what you might do to prepare for this experience. Share with us your experience engaging with cultures and individuals who are different than you. Please be sure to refer to the particular international context of the project you are applying for as described in the job description.
- February 25 (midnight): All application materials are due.
- Mid-March: Finalists interview with faculty.
- End of March: Selected Research Assistants will be notified.
- Mid-April: Pre-Departure Health & Safety Meeting
- Late May – Early June: Position begins. Timelines will be determined by individual faculty.
- September/October: After the program concludes, students will participate in a presentation describing their experience.
2020 Global Research Assistant Opportunities
Please refer to the Research Assistant job descriptions for details about each opportunity. Click on the links to read the full job descriptions. You may apply to more than one.
- Behavior of Axion Dark Matter
Mark Hertzberg, Assistant Professor, Physics and Astronomy, Arts & Sciences
8 weeks in Japan (various cities)
Click here for description of Professor Hertzberg's GRAP Project
- Bioinformatics of Porites astreoides, a Deep Sea Coral Not Affected by Climate Change
Lenore Cowen, Professor, Department of Computer Science, School of Engineering
4 weeks in Bermuda, and 8 weeks in Medford
Click here for description of Professor Cowen's GRAP Project
- Exploring the Resilience of Coffee Production in Costa Rica
Colin Orians, Professor, Department of Biology, Arts and Sciences
4 weeks in Santa Maria de Dota, Costa Rica, and 5 weeks in Medford
Click here for description of Professor Orians's GRAP Project
- Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA)
William Masters, Professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
1 week in Boston, 3 weeks in Lilongwe, Malawi, and 4 weeks in Boston
Click here for description of Professor Masters's GRAP Project
- Teaching Leadership to Ugandan School Children
Zarin Machanda, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Arts and Sciences
1 week in Medford, and 6 weeks at the Kibale National Park, Uganda
Click here for description of Professor Machanda's GRAP Project
- Bird Stories, Then and Now
3 weeks in St. Andrews, Scotland, and 11 weeks in Medford
Marie-Claire Beaulieu, Associate Professor, Classics, School of Arts & Sciences
Jennifer Burton, Professor of the Practice, Drama and Dance, School of Arts and Sciences
- Do education programs influence children’s investment in conservation?
Zarin Machanda, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Arts and Sciences
1 week in Medford, 7 weeks at the Kibale National Park, Uganda
- Global Comparative Architecture and Urbanism: Exploring the ‘Unconscious’ Human Visual Experience of Da Nang (Vietnam) and Boston (USA)
Justin Hollander, Associate Professor, Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, School of Arts & Sciences
4 weeks in Medford, 3 weeks in Da Nang, Vietnam, and 5 weeks in Medford
- Managing for Coffee Farm Resilience: A Socio-ecological Approach
Colin Orians, Professor, Department of Biology, Arts and Sciences
5 weeks in Santa Maria de Dota, Costa Rica, and 5 weeks in Medford
- Novel Governance of Security Concerns in Bioengineering
Samuel Evans, Research Professor, Science, Technology & Society, School of Arts & Sciences
8 weeks in Cambridge, England
Apply on Handshake
- Owner presentation versus veterinarian diagnosis of cases presented to a hospital for working equids in Morocco
Melissa Mazan, Professor, Cummings School of Veterinary Sciences
2 weeks in Grafton, 3 - 4 weeks in Fez, Morocco, and 3 weeks in Grafton
- Zoonotic and environmental transmission pathways of antibiotic resistant bacteria in Kenyan households
Amy Pickering, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering
8 weeks in Nairobi, Kenya