Notre Dame of Maryland University launches $100,000 fund to support student research

Notre Dame of Maryland University has established its largest fund dedicated exclusively to student research, raising more than $100,000 to support academic projects across disciplines.

The newly created Notre Dame Endowed Student Research Fund will help students cover expenses tied to research, including conference fees, travel, publication costs and other related needs, according to a June 23 news release. 

The initiative is intended to expand opportunities for experiential learning and give students greater access to hands-on academic work.

Dr. Marylou Yam, Notre Dame president, led the effort to launch the fund, highlighting its role in enhancing students’ academic and professional development.

“The Notre Dame Endowed Student Research Fund will open doors for students to pursue significant research opportunities beyond the classroom,” Yam said in the release. “Students at Notre Dame can benefit from participating in research which deepens their learning experience, creates opportunities for them to engage with faculty and prepares them for advanced study and their future careers.”

The investment builds on existing research programming at the Baltimore-based university. Each year, students present their work during Nancy Kreiter Student Research Day, delivering poster and oral presentations reviewed by faculty judges. Top presentations receive recognition, underscoring the institution’s emphasis on cultivating research skills.

Students also collaborate closely with faculty members on research projects. Among them is Dr. Jennifer Kerr, the Dr. Mary Kay Shartle Galotto ’64 Endowed Chair in the Biological Sciences, who has mentored more than 200 students in the research process. Many of those students have gone on to present at academic conferences and publish in academic journals, according to the news release.

More recently, Kerr partnered with Dr. Sayumi York to lead a team of 11 Notre Dame students who served as co-authors on a national study published in Nature Genomics. The group collaborated with a Johns Hopkins University scientist recognized as a leading expert in genomics research.

“Students are gaining skills, contributing to national research efforts and seeing themselves as scientists who can push the field forward,” Kerr said in the release.

University officials said the new fund is expected to further expand such opportunities, allowing more students to participate in significant research experiences and engage with broader academic communities.

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