Mulcahy Scholars Program
The Mulcahy Scholars Program was formed to facilitate close working relationships between Loyola students and faculty. Through the program, students work with faculty members on projects of scholarly significance that reflect the diversity of academic activity throughout the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). The program accepts applications from all academic fields and funds projects representing virtually every department in CAS. For more information, or if you have questions about the eligibility of your project, please call the dean's office of the College of Arts and Sciences at: 773.508.3500.
Each recipient of a Mulcahy Scholarship receives a stipend of $1,000, and is eligible to receive up to $1,000 more in project support. Previous scholarship recipients have spent their project support funds to: purchase research equipment, pay research volunteers, fund the publication of their work, fund professional conference trips, obtain books and journals, and reimburse the cost of art and photographic supplies. Any legitimate expense incurred during the completion of an approved project can be funded up to the funding limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is eligible to apply?
All full-time students in the CAS (College of Arts and Sciences) are eligible to apply.
- How do I apply?
Paper applications can be picked up in the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Office in Damen Hall 205 or Lewis Towers 900. You may also download an application in PDF format.
The most critical sections of the application are the project description and the faculty letter of support. In the project description, the student should provide a detailed description of the proposed project, including the importance of the work; an outline of the procedures, protocols and methodologies that will be employed; and the potential outcomes of the project (e.g., a paper for publication, an art exhibit, a submitted grant proposal). The student should also submit a detailed budget for the project.
Faculty mentors should submit a letter of support for the project, explaining their role in the project, verifing the project's feasability given the available time and resources, and commenting on the student's ability to conduct the proposed work. If a faculty mentor is recommending more than one student, the mentor must explicitly and uniquely rank the proposals.
All application materials must be received in Damen Hall 205 by the posted deadline. - May the project be based on a faculty member's current work?
Yes, but the student must be an active participant in the scholarly process and work closely with the faculty member. We are very unlikely to fund projects in which the student is paid for doing "grunt work."
- May the project be original work by the student?
Yes, as long as the student works closely with a faculty mentor throughout the year.
- Can the project be outside the student's major?
Yes. Students may submit proposals in any area as long as they have the support of a faculty mentor with expertise in that general area.
- Can current or past recipients of Mulcahy Scholarships reapply?
Yes, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements listed above.
- Is it possible to receive a Mulcahy Scholarship for just one semester or over the summer?
Ordinarily, Mulcahy's are awarded for a full academic year, but pending availability of funds, one term scholarships may be awarded. Contact the Mulchahy Director in the CAS Dean's Office for more information: 773.508.3500.
- Can full-time Loyola students apply if they are studying abroad?
Yes, but the student should indicate on the application how they intend to meet the program's mentorship requirement.
- Who may be a faculty mentor for a Mulcahy project?
Faculty mentors must be full-time faculty at Loyola.
- What requirements must Mulcahy recipients meet?
Students who are awarded Mulcahy Scholarships must submit a mid-year project report, and must present the results of their work at the annual Mulcahy Scholars Symposium which is held on one of the reading days after the spring semester. Awardees must attend the entire presentation.
Previously Funded Projects
- Characterizing of the Organization of β-Satellite on Chromosome 21 - biology
- Age Differences in Life Satisfaction & Competence of Bosnian Refugees in Chicago - psychology
- Implicit Learning in Category Formation - psychology
- Oscillatory Motion and Air Resistance - physics
- I personi d'Italia: A Photographic Retrospective - fine arts
- Conference on International Affairs - history
- Alternative Models of Electromagnetic Motors, Based on Rotational Inertia of Galileo's Double Cone -mathematics
- Typographic Signage Project - fine arts
