Office of Undergraduate Research

What is Undergraduate Research?

An inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline. - The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR)

What are the benefits?

A greater understanding of your discipline and career options.
Improved communication skills.
Greater problem solving and critical thinking skills.
Hands on experience in a lab.
Work one-on-one with a mentor.
Increased understanding of research methodologies.

How do you start?

Undergraduate Research may be a valuable learning opportunity for students. Although placement is competitive and not guaranteed, undergraduate students seeking research opportunities should:

Contact a current or past faculty member to ask if he or she is accepting students to help with research, or if any of their colleagues are accepting students;
Create a HANDSHAKE account to look for and apply to research opportunities beginning Fall 2018; or
Contact the office of the Office of Undergraduate Research to discuss faculty-mentored research and other opportunities outside of the classroom.

If credit is an important aspect of your participation as a student researcher, you should discuss this with your faculty member. She/he will determine the requirements to obtain credit if feasible.

If you are seeking ExEL units, please contact the office Experiential Education and Learning (ExEL) for assistance. You may also download the ExEL Student Research packet for more information.

Please note that research placement is not guaranteed. It depends on many variables such as your availability, your responsiveness, your experience, your commitment level, and your grades.

Current Opportunities

Research Volunteer - Computational Biology/Bioinformatics

Research Volunteer - Dental Medicine

Research Volunteer - Genomic Research

Research Volunteer - Marine Biology

Research Volunteer - Psychology