As part of an effort to encourage undergraduates to consider academic careers, Harvard has initiated a three-year, $250,000 program that will provide students with academic credit or stipends for independent research projects.

Funded by a Ford Foundation grant, the Ford Program for Undergraduate Research will allow those undergraduates who wish to pursue academic research greater flexibility and financial independence, officials said.

Funding for the program will provide stipends, reimburse expenses, and match College Work-Study or Faculty Aide salaries for undergraduates working closely with professors in fields of mutual interest.

"It really just opens up all sorts of possibilities," said Martha H. Homer, program administrator in the Student Employment Office.

"One of its most exciting uses will be that a student who's been fascinated by a topic will be able to do that instead of term-time job."

"This allows students to develop their own research proposals and either get paid or receive academic credit," said Dean of Admissions William R. Fitzsimmons '67. "The idea is to give students a chance to do something academic and get paid for it."

Under the guidelines of the program, Homer anda faculty committee will screen applicants basedon a written research proposal, a budget, aresume, and a letter of recommendation from afaculty sponsor. Individual grants will be limitedto $1200 for a summer or an academic year.

Homer said the number of proposals that will beaccepted "really depends on what kinds of programscome in."

The Ford Program differs from the existingFaculty Aide Program in that the research isinitiated by the student rather than theprofessor, and faculty members serve as "mentors"rather than employers, officials said.

"It's the students who really call the shots,"Homer said.

Last week Dean of the Faculty of Arts andSciences A. Michael Spence sent letters to thefaculty urging them to support the Ford andFaculty Aide Programs. Homer estimated that 100professors have expressed an interest in servingas faculty sponsors so far.

"We've received nothing but enthusiasticresponses," Homer said.

Homer said that a particular effort is beingmade to encourage minority students to considerthe program since "minorities and women are reallyunderrepresented in college faculties."

"With declining numbers of minority studentsseeking academic careers, there's an interest insupporting efforts to increase these numbers,"said Wilson L. Hunt, Jr., counselor for Scienceand Technical Careers and Minority Concerns. Huntsaid that the Ford program will aim at "providingmentorship for minority students to encourage themto pursue academic careers" rather than opt forlaw or business school