L&S Honors Program

The Mark Mensink Honors Research Grant is awarded in recognition of the most distinguished senior honors thesis proposal submitted to the L&S Honors Program. Please click on a link to learn more. What is the Mark Mensink Honors Research Grant? Who is eligible to apply? How are recipients chosen? What is the application process? When is the application due?

What is the Mark Mensink Honors Research Grant?

The Mark Mensink Honors Research Grant is the L&S Honors Program's most prestigious grant, awarded in recognition of an exceptional thesis proposal. The purpose of the grant is to enable its recipient and his or her advisor to undertake more demanding and extensive honors senior thesis research than might otherwise be possible due to limited resources or time. This award was established by the Mensink family to honor the memory of their late son Mark, whose exceptional academic record and service to the university community stand as a model for other aspiring, high achieving students.

The Mensink Grant awards its recipient with two semesters of full-time, resident tuition. Recipients of the Mensink Grant are asked to submit a copy of their completed thesis to the L&S Honors Program, where it will be bound and placed in the Washburn Observatory library.

Who is eligible to apply?

You can apply for a Mark Mensink Grant if you meet the following criteria:

You are a currently enrolled L&S Honors Student (HM or Comprehensive Honors) who plans to graduate with the Honors in the Major or Comprehensive Honors degree in May of the current academic year or earlier.

Your cumulative GPA is at least 3.3.

You are enrolled in a minimum of three (3) credits of Senior Honor Thesis Directed Study (681 or 682) in your major department

You are a Wisconsin resident.

Please note that you may not receive a Mensink grant for your research if your thesis has been or will be supported by another university undergraduate research grant (e.g., the Hilldale Undergraduate Fellowship or the Hughes Grant).

How are recipients chosen?

The Mark Mensink Grant recipient is selected by members of the L&S Faculty Honors Committee. They will evaluate your application based on the following:

Strength of academic record

Progress towards completing your Honors in the Major or Comprehensive Honors degree(s)

Outstanding strength, rigor and clarity of your proposal and of the Honors Senior Thesis research project to be funded

A clearly defined and justifiable budget

What is the application process?

The following materials must be submitted to the L&S Honors Program office as a packet:

The application form, available from the Honors Program office

One (1) letter of recommendation from your Honors Senior Thesis advisor to support your application

Your UW-Madison student transcript (unofficial or official)

Three (3) copies of the above materials (application form, letter of recommendation and transcript) in addition to the originals.

Please staple each packet together and secure all four packets with a binder clip.

When is the application due?

The application deadline usually falls in late October. Please refer to Honors On-Line for details in the fall semester.

Award status notifications will be mailed to applicants within two to three weeks of the application deadline.

If you have additional questions about the Mark Mensink award, please contact the Honors Program office at (608) 262-2984 or e-mail honors@honors.ls.wisc.edu.