As Northwestern first announced its transition to a remote environment in March 2020, applications for the Summer Undergraduate Research Grant were due.
Though students may not have known it then, 2021’s summer research would look different than they had initially imagined.
“We gave a lot of guidance and flexibility for students to adjust the project and the overwhelming majority of them were able to do so,” Peter Civetta, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, said.
This year, students had to provide a “COVID back up plan” in their research proposals, explaining how they would adjust their projects if in-person elements were incorporated. Civetta said seeing how adaptable students and faculty could be was one of the best parts of the process.