The Whitham Family Collaborative Research Awards Fund was created through a $3.8 million gift from Santa Clara alumna Jacqueline Whitham ’21 and the Whitham Family Foundation of Colorado.
As a student at Santa Clara, Jacqueline initially studied biology, but decided she didn’t want to work in that field as a career. But then she found there was no clear path for her to pursue her specific combination of interests— chemistry, mechanical engineering, and the arts. Eventually, she was able to change majors, add a minor in mechanical engineering and pursue her creative passion for art through a sculpture art minor. But doing so required five years to graduate, and she felt alone in her journey at times.
Still, the extra effort paid off, she said. Her STEM teachers noticed that she attacked problems differently from other students, while still being effective. “Art was a creative outlet, which connected me to people and my other studies in the craziest ways,” she said. “Creativity really fed into helping me understand so many concepts. I want to help people who want to walk similar paths.”
The Whitham Family Collaborative Scholarship Awards are designed to promote true cross-disciplinary collaborations between two or more Santa Clara University faculty members and their research students. While any University-wide cross-disciplinary collaboration is eligible, there will be a preference to fund projects that involve at least one faculty member of the research team from the Arts.
Read the Guidelines below to learn more about eligibility, student participation, and the application process.
Congratulations to our 2025 Whitham Awardees! Learn more about their collaborations below.
Timeline:
Application Open Date: November 8, 2025
Application Due Date: January 27, 2026
Anticipated Award Notification: Early March, 2026
Anticipated Start Date of Awards: July 1, 2026
Track 1 will support projects in the exploratory phase, while Track 2 will provide funding for established collaborations and/or projects developed to the point that tangible results are highly probable in the grant’s timeline.
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Track 1 |
Track 2 |
| Preference to fund projects that involve at least one faculty member of the research team from the Arts, although any cross-disciplinary collaboration is eligible | Preference to fund projects that involve at least one faculty member of the research team from the Arts, although any cross-disciplinary collaboration is eligible |
| Overall budget capped at $30,000 | Provides support for up to two years; although there is no limit on the request, the typical award will be in the $50,000 to $60,000 range |
| At least 40% of the budget must be allocated to students (wages, travel, and registration for conferences) | At least 40% of the budget must be allocated to students (wages, travel, and registration for conferences) |
| Faculty summer stipend is permitted- up to $7,500 per summer per faculty on the proposal (faculty stipends are issued as supplemental pay, paid directly to the faculty member, during the summer pay periods) | Faculty summer stipend is permitted- up to $15K per faculty member spread across two summers (faculty stipends are issued as supplemental pay, paid directly to the faculty member, during the summer pay periods) |
| Student research wages are permitted- up to $6,000 per student per calendar year | Student research wages are permitted- up to $6,000 per student per calendar year |
| The Guidelines provide additional details regarding permissible expenses, eligibility, and evaluation criteria. | The Guidelines provide additional details regarding permissible expenses, eligibility, and evaluation criteria. |
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Ready to apply? Track 1 Application |
Ready to apply? Track 2 Application |