Welcome to the Center for Research and Fellowships (CRF)! Established in 2001, we have connected hundreds of Villanova students, alumni, faculty, and staff to programs of research and scholarship around the world.
Our Mission Statement: CRF is a results-oriented team of professionals that supports Villanovans at all levels—undergraduate, graduate, alumni, faculty, and staff—to enhance their career trajectories through mentoring, student research funding, and assistance in winning competitive awards.
Our Diversity Commitment: CRF commits to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in line with Villanova University’s Mission and Diversity Statement. We strive to create a welcoming environment in all that we do, ensuring that all identities, perspectives, and experiences are heard, respected, and valued. Our community suffers when members live in fear of injustice and prejudice. We acknowledge that silence and inaction contribute to the continuation of ongoing structural inequalities. No one should be made to feel discounted or threatened because of their race, ethnicity, or any other identity. We commend and support the work that our community members are doing in advocating for change. Click here to see the actions we are taking to promote these core values.
We provide support in three areas:
- Nationally Competitive Scholarships and Fellowships: The CRF team assists undergraduates, graduate students, alumni, and faculty with applications to major awards, including the Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater, Udall, Marshall, and Rhodes Scholarships, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, the DAAD-RISE international research internships, and National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates, as well as dozens of others. In recent years, CRF has assisted over 500 Villanovans to win awards and formal recognition from these and other prestigious programs.
- Student Research: CRF provides financial support for undergraduate research through the Villanova Match Research Program for First-Year Undergraduates and the Villanova Undergraduate Research Fellows Program, as well as short-term research, conference, and travel grants. In recent years, over 200 Villanova undergraduates have received CRF funding for research that they have published in peer-reviewed scholarly journals and presented at national and international conferences. CRF also assists undergraduates and graduate students alike to find, apply for, and win funding from sources external to the university, such as the National Science Foundation.
- Presidential Scholars Program (PSP): The CRF team is proud to manage all aspects of the PSP, including the nomination, application, and selection processes for the Presidential Scholarship, as well as mentoring Presidential Scholars throughout their time at Villanova—and after. The Scholars are a vital community within the larger University family. They are encouraged and expected to be leaders and change makers both here at Villanova and beyond. CRF orients and mentors the Scholars to live up to those high expectations—and they do.
If you are interested in any of these opportunities, or if you are a faculty member working with a motivated student, please stop by our office on the top floor of Garey Hall or call us at 610-519-8803.
Students can make an appointment with a CRF team member using Handshake’s Appointments feature. Choose the “Center for Research and Fellowships: Appointments” option and follow the prompts.
We also provide databases of external research opportunities and fellowship opportunities for Villanovans to investigate.
