Luther Rice Undergraduate Research Fellowships are part of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences's comprehensive undergraduate initiative to promote discovery- and inquiry-based education throughout the undergraduate experience at GW. The Luther Rice Fellowships offer support for student research carried out in collaboration with, and under the guidance of, at least one faculty mentor.

The research undertakes a significant, focused examination of an idea or an area of inquiry and result in work that could merit presentation or publication in a scholarly venue. The fellowships take place over any increment of time—from weeks to multiple semesters—and may or may not be associated with a credit-bearing course. The idea of the Luther Rice Fellowships is to provide substantial support for the promotion of working research alliances between students and faculty.