Up in the Air

As University President Lawrence H. Summers admitted to a group of questioning prefrosh Saturday, the current shortfall in funding for students’ summer research abroad “shouldn’t have happened.” This year, an increased number of students seeking grants for thesis and other research abroad were denied funding because of the overwhelming number of applicants. After recent efforts by the College and University to increase international opportunities for Harvard undergraduates, a corresponding effort to improve funding of grants is in order. The drastic increase in student interest seen over the past few years must be matched by an equally drastic financial commitment to support these endeavors.

This year’s shortfall should not overshadow the improvements that have already been made in funding (and publicity) for international experiences—more Harvard students will have educational experiences abroad this summer than during any previous summer. It is exciting to see the students’ enthusiastic response to Summers’ call for more widespread participation in research and study abroad, as evidenced by a 20-percent increase in applications to some grants.

It is disappointing, however, to see this spike in student enthusiasm not matched by a comparable increase in funding. While many centers, including the Office of International Programs (OIP), indeed have more funding for grants this year, the greater funding has not come close to matching interest. The OIP, the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, the Center for International Development, The Asia Center, and other sources of student grants should receive additional funds corresponding to the additional student demand. While the change in funding to these centers will likely not aid those scrambling to find grants for this summer, additional funding is the most reasonable long-term solution.

Until permanent funding is secured, the University’s central administration ought to mitigate the effects of this year’s shortfall in funding. We welcome Summers’ promise to prefrosh that “We will succeed in fixing that for this year.” In the coming years, the College and University should solicit donations designated specifically to fund students’ study and research abroad. Because there has been much public discussion of the value of international experiences, there are likely many donors willing to support students’ research abroad.

In the mean time, the Office of the President should continue to allocate its discretionary funds as a temporary fix. Just as the push to increase student interest in international experiences was an initiative of the Office of the President, so too should be the expansion of funding for these experiences. One of the most compelling reasons to guarantee funding for worthwhile projects is that without sufficient funding, wealthy students will continue to research abroad while those with fewer financial resources will not.

Part of the cause of this year’s shortfall is the changes that have been made to the application process for summer grants. These modifications have expedited and improved the application process, allowing students to apply for previously little-known financial resources. The common application used for 14 different grants and the centralized database publicizing sources of funding are both positive developments for students interested in funding for international experiences.

After a disappointing shortfall in funding for student research abroad, the College and University must act both by helping those affected this year and by finding a long-term solution. Recent efforts by Summers and the College to increase interest in international experiences are highly commendable, but insufficient funding will only discourage student researchers.