Research

Researching Chicago

History and Initiatives

Since its inception in 2007, Chicago Studies has promoted undergraduate research about Chicago under the direction of the University's faculty and researchers. The first volume of the Chicago Studies Annual, a prestigious edited journal of undergraduate research about Chicago, came out in 2008 and continues to be published to this day.  We began offering an interdisciplinary Certificate in Chicago Studies (which recognizes long-term academic engagement with the city) in 2017, and our Undergraduate Research Prize in 2018.  In Winter 2023, we launched our inaugural research cohort, focused on the history of 55th Street, to help students build skills for historiographical and spatial investigations in the city.  In Winter 2024, we began exploring the history of 63rd St, following on the same model, and now branded as the Chicago Centuries Project.  In Spring 2025, we launched additional projects, focusing on the histories and geographies of Chicago's Black Southland and on the shape of Chicago's built environment, now the Chicago Urban Heritage Project.  Several of these initiatives are still engaging students - contact Chris Skrable (cskrable@uchicago.edu) for more information.

Resources and Project Support

Chicago Studies can provide one-on-one advising on Chicago research, including local data sources and archives, potential collaborators, research mentors, primary/secondary sources, and more.  To arrange one-on-one advising about a Chicago research project, schedule an appointment with Chris Skrable, Chicago Studies' Executive Director and Assistant Dean of the College, or with Dr. Nick Foster, Assistant Instructional Professor of Chicago Studies in the College.

Chicago Studies can provide micro-grants (usually capped at $750) to support in-person, independent (capstone/BA-level) research in the Chicago region.  Micro-grants may be used to provide small honoraria to acknowledge Chicago-based interviewees' time, transportation assistance, purchasing support (e.g. to provide food at community meetings or public presentations), and reimbursement for the costs incurred while doing fieldwork in the city.  These grants are intended to be supplemental, and secondary to any funding provided by students' home departments/programs.  Students interested in a micro-grant to support their thesis or capstone work can apply through our Undergraduate Research Support form or reach out to us at chicagostudies@uchicago.edu.

In addition to advising, promotion, and funding, Chicago Studies also helps students prepare to present their work at the College's Undergraduate Research Symposium in Spring, and curates a collection of undergraduate research about the city on Knowledge@UChicago.  These general resources and those that follow are meant to inspire interest in studying the city, and are by no means exhaustive. 

Starting Points

Finding information can be overwhelming sometimes—there are so many places competing for your attention that it can be hard to figure out where the information you need lies. That's where these "starting points" come in.  While no substitute for talking through your project idea with an informed advisor, each of the following links opens many doors to investigation and can help inspire questions to consider with more targeted research.

Quick Links

Isadora Kron receives the 2023 Chicago Studies Prize

Chicago Studies Research Prize

Each Spring, Chicago Studies collects and judges the best undergraduate research (capstone and BA projects) from across the College. The winner receives a $1000 award and their paper is published in the Chicago Studies Annual.  Up to four additional finalists may also be invited to publish in the Annual each year.  For more information and to apply, visit our Prize website.

Left:  Isadora Kron (AB '23) was the recipient of 2023's Chicago Studies Undergraduate Research Prize for her CEGU and Public Policy BA, "A Tale of Two Rivers:  Zoning Policy Conflict and the Production of Public Space on the Chicago River."  Read Isadora's prize-winning paper here!

Other Recent Prize-Winning Chicago BA's