Follow in the footsteps of musicians, artists, authors, or statesmen; study architecture, ruins, landscapes, or climates; experience cultures, artistry, innovations, or disparities; or conduct experiments, analyses, interviews, or investigations. As a Richter Scholar, you can engage in any of these types of opportunities. The Richter program provides funding for globally-oriented independent research and study that is devised, initiated, and carried out by individual students, with mentorship, guidance and expertise provided by a faculty mentor. Graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to pursue enriching and engaging projects that have the promise of being life-changing. 

Here is an example of a stellar project done by Kgosi Hughes (’23).

Ready to Apply?

Due: February 12, 2024

Expected Length of project: 3-6 Weeks

Who: Rising 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year undergraduate students
Information for graduate students

Funding: Up to $6000

Contact: richterscholars@wfu.edu

Important Details to Consider

  • The Richter Scholarship awards up to $6,000 to cover travel and living expenses. Students must develop a budget as part of their application.
  • Due to the number of eligible applicants and limited scholarship funding, students typically only receive the Richter Scholarship award once.
  • Applications require mentorship from a Wake Forest University faculty mentor during the development and completion of the project.
  • Richter Scholarships are NOT designed to support credit-bearing “study abroad” programs, and therefore tuitions or fees to other institutions may not be made with Richter funds.
  • Richter Scholarships do not support equipment costs (e.g., cameras) or collaborator expenses (e.g., translators, consultants).
  • Awardees are required to take INS 150 (see details below in the FAQ), a one-credit pass-fail course during the second half of the Spring semester, to support their cross-cultural experience
  • Applications for Summer 2024 are due February 12, 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions


ACC Meeting of Minds 2023

This year, Wake Forest University was represented at the annual ACC Meeting of the Minds Conference by two previous Richter Scholars! Zacary Contreras presented his project, “Casta Paintings in the 21st century: Identity Propaganda, Indigenismo, and the Reclamation of Identity Art in Mexico.” Laura Page presented her project, “An Investigation into Cultural and Societal Factors Affecting Maternal Birth Outcomes in Iceland and the Netherlands.”

Laura Page stand in front of her presentation at the ACC Meeting of the Minds conference.