Colby is recognized as a national leader when it comes to incorporating research into undergraduate education across the curriculum. In recent years major grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and other sources have expanded opportunities for students to learn by doing—in research laboratories, classrooms, and in the field. Working on projects supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts, students have researched how Congressional candidates emerge in national politics and the roles of religious and neighborhood organizations in political campaigns. At national meetings of science organizations such as the American Chemical Society, American Physical Society, and the Geological Society of America, Colby students present research findings alongside their professors, graduate students, and other scientists. And a Ford Foundation grant sent students around the world to evaluate the health of the democracies in various nations.