Show that you understand the current state of research on your topic.
The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.
One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.
Download our research proposal template
Discover proofreading & editing
Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.
Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:
The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.
Your introduction should:
To guide your introduction , include information about:
Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:
See an example
As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.
In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:
Following the literature review, restate your main objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.
? or ? , , or research design? | |
, )? ? | |
, , , )? | |
? |
To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.
For example, your results might have implications for:
Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .
Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.
Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.
Download our research schedule template
Research phase | Objectives | Deadline |
---|---|---|
1. Background research and literature review | 20th January | |
2. Research design planning | and data analysis methods | 13th February |
3. Data collection and preparation | with selected participants and code interviews | 24th March |
4. Data analysis | of interview transcripts | 22nd April |
5. Writing | 17th June | |
6. Revision | final work | 28th July |
If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.
Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:
To determine your budget, think about:
If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Methodology
Statistics
Research bias
Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .
Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.
I will compare …
A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.
Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.
A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.
A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.
A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.
All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.
Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.
Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.
The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, November 21). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved July 18, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-proposal/
Other students also liked, how to write a problem statement | guide & examples, writing strong research questions | criteria & examples, how to write a literature review | guide, examples, & templates, what is your plagiarism score.
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Shiwei Wang is a junior undergraduate student studying Integrated Science and Chemistry at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Twitter: @W_Shiwei
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Writing a research report is part of most university degrees, so it is essential you know what one is and how to write one. This guide on how to do a research project for your university degree shows you what to do at each stage, taking you from planning to finishing the project.
The big question is: what is a research project? A research project for students is an extended essay that presents a question or statement for analysis and evaluation. During a research project, you will present your own ideas and research on a subject alongside analysing existing knowledge.
The next section covers the research project steps necessary to producing a research paper.
Research project topics will vary depending on the course you study. The best research project ideas develop from areas you already have an interest in and where you have existing knowledge.
The area of study needs to be specific as it will be much easier to cover fully. If your topic is too broad, you are at risk of not having an in-depth project. You can, however, also make your topic too narrow and there will not be enough research to be done. To make sure you don’t run into either of these problems, it’s a great idea to create sub-topics and questions to ensure you are able to complete suitable research.
A research project example question would be: How will modern technologies change the way of teaching in the future?
Secondary research is a large part of your research project as it makes up the literature review section. It is essential to use credible sources as failing to do so may decrease the validity of your research project.
Examples of secondary research include:
Great places to find your sources are the University library and Google Scholar. Both will give you many opportunities to find the credible sources you need. However, you need to make sure you are evaluating whether they are fit for purpose before including them in your research project as you do not want to include out of date information.
When evaluating sources, you need to ask yourself:
It is important to ensure that you have a variety of sources in order to avoid bias. A successful research paper will present more than one point of view and the best way to do this is to not rely too heavily on just one author or publication.
For a research project, you will need to conduct primary research. This is the original research you will gather to further develop your research project. The most common types of primary research are interviews and surveys as these allow for many and varied results.
Examples of primary research include:
If you are looking to study in the UK and have an interest in bettering your research skills, The University of Sheffield is a world top 100 research university which will provide great research opportunities and resources for your project.
Now that you understand the basics of how to write a research project, you now need to look at what goes into each section. The research project format is just as important as the research itself. Without a clear structure you will not be able to present your findings concisely.
A research paper is made up of seven sections: introduction, literature review, methodology, findings and results, discussion, conclusion, and references. You need to make sure you are including a list of correctly cited references to avoid accusations of plagiarism.
The introduction is where you will present your hypothesis and provide context for why you are doing the project. Here you will include relevant background information, present your research aims and explain why the research is important.
The literature review is where you will analyse and evaluate existing research within your subject area. This section is where your secondary research will be presented. A literature review is an integral part of your research project as it brings validity to your research aims.
What to include when writing your literature review:
The research paper methodology outlines the process of your data collection. This is where you will present your primary research. The aim of the methodology section is to answer two questions:
In this section you will not be writing about your findings, but the ways in which you are going to try and achieve them. You need to state whether your methodology will be qualitative, quantitative, or mixed.
The methodology section should always be written in the past tense, even if you have already started your data collection.
In this section you will present the findings and results of your primary research. Here you will give a concise and factual summary of your findings using tables and graphs where appropriate.
The discussion section is where you will talk about your findings in detail. Here you need to relate your results to your hypothesis, explaining what you found out and the significance of the research.
It is a good idea to talk about any areas with disappointing or surprising results and address the limitations within the research project. This will balance your project and steer you away from bias.
Some questions to consider when writing your discussion:
The conclusion is where you will bring your research project to a close. In this section you will not only be restating your research aims and how you achieved them, but also discussing the wider significance of your research project. You will talk about the successes and failures of the project, and how you would approach further study.
It is essential you do not bring any new ideas into your conclusion; this section is used only to summarise what you have already stated in the project.
As a research project is your own ideas blended with information and research from existing knowledge, you must include a list of correctly cited references. Creating a list of references will allow the reader to easily evaluate the quality of your secondary research whilst also saving you from potential plagiarism accusations.
The way in which you cite your sources will vary depending on the university standard.
If you are an international student looking to study a degree in the UK , The University of Sheffield International College has a range of pathway programmes to prepare you for university study. Undertaking a Research Project is one of the core modules for the Pre-Masters programme at The University of Sheffield International College.
What is the best topic for research .
It’s a good idea to choose a topic you have existing knowledge on, or one that you are interested in. This will make the research process easier; as you have an idea of where and what to look for in your sources, as well as more enjoyable as it’s a topic you want to know more about.
There are seven main sections to a research project, these are:
The length of a research project will depend on the level study and the nature of the subject. There is no one length for research papers, however the average dissertation style essay can be anywhere from 4,000 to 15,000+ words.
Student resources, welcome to the digital roadmap and resources.
Work your way through interactive exercises for each stage of the research project roadmap and watch videos from your pocket supervisor, Gary Thomas. Explore real-world practice through case studies and journal articles . Reflect, revise, and take your learning on the go with worksheets and get to grips with key terms and concepts using digital flashcards .
Click a base camp below to get started.
For lecturers:
Teach the book in a way that suits your lecturer hall and classroom by modifying and adapting PowerPoint templates that include the key points of each chapter. Log in using the tab at the top for access.
As America’s first research university , we have been tackling difficult questions and finding answers since 1876.
Every day, our faculty and students work side by side in a tireless pursuit of discovery, continuing our founding mission to bring knowledge to the world. Whether you study engineering, chemistry, music, anthropology, or all of the above, every student here—no matter his or her major—is an investigator.
You can find research in whatever field you want because everyone here is doing some sort of research, and you can help out.
Explore supernovae alongside a Nobel laureate. Learn how to make music with lasers . Create devices that will save lives in impoverished countries . Take a grand tour of the cities that inspired some of the Western world’s great thinkers—Venice, Florence, Paris, or London.
At Hopkins, you can do all of the above. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
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Learn more:
What is undergraduate research.
Research is a creative and systematic process of asking questions and discovering new knowledge. Any student, regardless of major, year, or experience, can get involved in undergraduate research.
“Find what you love! The sheer abundance of research opportunities at UW can be overwhelming. Take the time to explore what you like.” Sophia Mar Biochemistry Undergraduate
Many students who answered these questions are Undergraduate Research Leaders (URLs) with the Office of Undergraduate Research . Click here to learn about the URL program.
No! Most people don’t have any experience with research before college, so it is more than okay to reach out before you have any formal research experience. I would encourage everyone interested in research to look into professors or researchers who conduct research on topics that you are interested in and email them to ask if they have any space in their lab! – Megana Shivakumar
View Megana’s URL profile here .
You definitely do not need prior experience to start researching as an undergrad! Most professors/UW programs supporting undergrad research are more than happy to support students through their first research experience. If you have found a topic or program that interests you, your interest is enough to make you a valuable member of the research process. Also, each research project/lab/program is completely different and will be a new starting point for each person involved even if they already have research experience. – Ruby Barone
Everyone has a different path to research! I started in high school through a Biomedical Sciences class and continued research at the UW through a summer program before freshman year. With this being said, you do not have to start research this early on. Some students begin research after the fall or winter quarter of Freshman year while others wait until Sophomore year. Personally, I took a break from research my sophomore year and just participated in summer research through an internship. Currently, I am starting in a different lab, so don’t worry about starting later into your undergraduate year as a junior. However, I would suggest reaching out sooner rather than later, so you do not wait until your senior year because you may not have enough time to learn whether you enjoy research or not. – Nisha BK
View Nisha’s URL profile here .
Yes! I would definitely encourage students to look into getting involved with research before they’re in their major so that you can learn more about the specific topics within your major that interest you. In addition, many PIs like to work with students earlier in their college career so that you can spend more time working in their lab and specializing in your skill set. It’s never too early to start! – Megana Shivakumar
You absolutely can! I conduct research in a Microbiology lab as a Biochemistry major. My research provides me with insight into the unique workings of biochemical assays specifically used with bacteria. For example, I research DNA replication proteins and am working to determine the biochemical mechanism of action for protein-protein interactions that are unique to bacteria using both in-vivo and in-vitro assays. Additionally, many fields are interdisciplinary in their research: in my lab, I get to work with aspects of Microbiology, Virology, Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry. Having a different major from your research topic can make you a unique asset to a research group, as you may be better equipped to answer questions in ways that come from your major compared to the field of the research you participate in. If you’re passionate about the topic, I would encourage you to pursue the research opportunity! – Tara Young
View Tara’s URL profile here .
This is one big misconception that I have come across at UW – that research is only STEM-related. This is wrong!! UW has tons of great opportunities for research in the humanities – for example, the Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities is a summer program that supports students through an arts/humanities-centered research project based around a common theme (selected students also receive a financial award and course credit!). The Mary Gates Endowment awards research scholarships to students from all disciplines, and many UW professors in the arts/humanities are also happy to have students reach out to them with research interests that can be pursued on a more one-on-one level with a mentor or instructor. – Ruby Barone
Research in the arts/humanities is a lot less structured than how lab-based research and experiments might flow – students can create a research style and project that is tailored to their individual topic and interests, which allows projects to take form as research essays, art forms, performances, video essays, and the list goes on. For research programs like the Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities, and for more individualized research that one might work with a faculty member on, you are highly encouraged to bring your own interests and passions to the table. Your mentor(s) will likely provide a basic framework for the final project you are aiming to produce, but they also allow a lot of room for creativity and your own interpretation of your research to take place. For example, my last big research project took form as both a formal research project and an art piece, which ended up being displayed in UW libraries and the UW office of research. Research in the arts/humanities is very fluid, and your project’s form will likely evolve as you learn more about your topic. – Ruby Barone
If you began a research project in high school, it is absolutely up to you and your research mentor whether you want to continue it into your undergraduate career. If you feel passionate and excited about your research, don’t feel obligated to switch topics as you enter undergraduate research. However, I would say that the transition to college can be a great time to try new things and extend yourself as a researcher to learn new skills, techniques, and about new topics! You have a lot of years to experiment with new things. Anecdotally, the research I participated in during high school in seismology is completely different from the research I conduct now in microbiology, and I really value having had that experience in gaining skills in a more “dry lab” environment. Although I now work in a wet lab, there are many skills that can carry over, and it allows you to get a better sense of what excites you as a researcher. – Tara Young
It depends. Most professors in STEM fields, from my understanding, expect approximately 9-12 hours per week. That said, you can fulfill these hours whenever it works best with your schedule. Moreover, all professors understand that you are a student first. If there are weeks where you have several exams, for example, or are particularly busy with schoolwork, communicate this to your research mentor! Odds are they will understand that you can’t work on your project as much as usual and it will be totally ok. – Carson Butcher
View Carson’s URL profile here .
For research in the STEM fields, mentors usually expect 10 hours per week of time commitment. However, it does not mean that you will and must do 10 hours of work every week. You would start easy with ~3 hours per week of training, getting yourself familiarized with the research methodology and protocols. As you gain familiarity and confidence in research methods, you can be more independent and conduct more experiments based on your interest, therefore spending more time in the lab. Mentors usually expect a long-term commitment of a minimum 1 year, and it is reasonable: most of the training, whether wet lab work or computational work, would require at least a quarter of training to gain confidence. You are left with two quarters (or more) of independent research to learn, grow and contribute. – Teng-Jui Lin
View Carson’s Teng-Jui’s profile here .
I recently transitioned to a new lab, and I do not have a specific project I am working on. I am mostly learning basic biomedical science lab bench work even though I have prior experience. My mentor encouraged me to start from the beginning as if I had no previous experience, so I can relearn the fundamentals. If you want to develop basic research skills, I would highly recommend applying because you will spend time learning techniques in the beginning and your mentor will be there to supervise you. – Nisha BK.
As a student who juggles a full course load and anywhere between 5-10 extracurriculars every quarter, I understand the struggle of maintaining a healthy work-life balance! Something that has always helped me is organizing my life into a calendar and being very intentional with how I spend my time. Especially when it comes to research, I set clear boundaries with my mentors about when I’ll be working. It also helps that I love everything that I do—I get to study neuroscience, do research, direct a mentorship program, and do a communications internship. It’s so rewarding when you get to do work that you are genuinely passionate about. But of course, we can’t be productive all the time. Make sure to prioritize your health and give yourself time to rest and recharge! – Shannon Hong
View Shannon’s URL profile here .
If you are curious about a subject and can find a mentor who is willing to support your endeavor, you can participate in research. The Office of Undergraduate Research is here to help you find research opportunities and mentors who can help you reach your goals. Check out a variety of undergraduate research projects below!
Jasmine did undergraduate research on the Supreme Courts of the Philippines.
Learn more!
Matthew is pursuing research to find novel therapy for late-stage prostate cancer.
Meron conducted research on healthcare accessibility within Ethiopia.
Abi worked to understand the impact of legal discourse on Seattle’s history of racially segregated schools.
Anika studied the association between aggression and social functioning in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Daniel studies cosmological emissions in metal spectral lines as an Astronomy and Physics student.
ISBN: 978-1-118-69132-8
December 2016
Colin Robson
Written specifically to address the needs and concerns of the undergraduate, this tightly focused volume guides students through the process of conducting and completing a research project.
Friendly and accessible, this fully-updated second edition includes a number of accompanying student support materials to aid students further. Closely integrated sets of end-of-chapter tasks covering all aspects of research projects from design to completion, as well as suggested further reading, enhance each chapter. A wide range of additional helpful materials relevant to particular subject areas is also available on the accompanying website at www.wiley.com/college/robson . This textbook is an invaluable resource for students in a wide range of disciplines and fields of study, particularly those planning to use social research methods or to carry out a library-based study, for their undergraduate research project.
Colin Robson is Emeritus Professor of the School of Human and Health Sciences, Huddersfield University. From 1996–2007 he was chief consultant to the OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation project on the development of statistics and indicators on the performance of national systems for the education of children with disabilities, learning and behaviour difficulties, and social disadvantages. He has recently completed a consultancy to a follow-up project funded by Eurostat. He is the author of the best-selling Real World Research.
Research is the pursuit of new knowledge through the process of discovery. Scientific research involves diligent inquiry and systematic observation of phenomena. Most scientific research projects involve experimentation, often requiring testing the effect of changing conditions on the results. The conditions under which specific observations are made must be carefully controlled, and records must be meticulously maintained. This ensures that observations and results can be are reproduced. Scientific research can be basic (fundamental) or applied. What is the difference? The National Science Foundation uses the following definitions in its resource surveys:
Get on the path to graduate school with our comprehensive guide to selecting an institution and preparing for graduate studies.
At the undergraduate level, research is self-directed work under the guidance and supervision of a mentor/advisor ― usually a university professor. A gradual transition towards independence is encouraged as a student gains confidence and is able to work with minor supervision. Students normally participate in an ongoing research project and investigate phenomena of interest to them and their advisor. In the chemical sciences, the range of research areas is quite broad. A few groups maintain their research area within a single classical field of analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, chemical education or theoretical chemistry. More commonly, research groups today are interdisciplinary, crossing boundaries across fields and across other disciplines, such as physics, biology, materials science, engineering and medicine.
There are many benefits to undergraduate research, but the most important are:
Many chemistry programs now require undergraduate research for graduation. There are plenty of opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved in research, either during the academic year, summer, or both. If your home institution is not research intensive, you may find opportunities at other institutions, government labs, and industries.
Conducting a research project involves a series of steps that start at the inquiry level and end in a report. In the process, you learn to:
Chemistry is an experimental science. We recommended that you get involved in research as early in your college life as possible. Ample undergraduate research experience gives you an edge in the eyes of potential employers and graduate programs.
While most mentors prefer to accept students in their research labs once they have developed some basic lab skills through general and organic lab courses, some institutions have programs that involve students in research projects the summer prior to their freshman year. Others even involve senior high school students in summer research programs. Ask your academic/departmental advisor about the options available to you.
The quick answer is as much as possible without jeopardizing your course work. The rule of thumb is to spend 3 to 4 hours working in the lab for every credit hour in which you enroll. However, depending on the project, some progress can be achieved in just 3-4 hours of research/week. Most advisors would recommend 8-10 hours/week.
Depending on your project, a few of those hours may be of intense work and the rest may be spent simply monitoring the progress of a reaction or an instrumental analysis. Many research groups work on weekends. Saturdays are excellent days for long, uninterrupted periods of lab work.
This is probably the most important step in getting involved in undergraduate research. The best approach is multifaceted. Get informed about research areas and projects available in your department, which are usually posted on your departmental website under each professor’s name.
Talk to other students who are already involved in research. If your school has an ACS Student Chapter , make a point to talk to the chapter’s members. Ask your current chemistry professor and lab instructor for advice. They can usually guide you in the right direction. If a particular research area catches your interest, make an appointment with the corresponding professor.
Let the professor know that you are considering getting involved in research, you have read a bit about her/his research program, and that you would like to find out more. Professors understand that students are not experts in the field, and they will explain their research at a level that you will be able to follow. Here are some recommended questions to ask when you meet with this advisor:
Here is one last piece of advice: If the project really excites you and you get satisfactory answers to all your questions, make sure that you and the advisor will get along and that you will enjoy working with him/her and other members of the research group.
Remember that this advisor may be writing recommendation letters on your behalf to future employers, graduate schools, etc., so you want to leave a good impression. To do this, you should understand that the research must move forward and that if you become part of a research team, you should do your best to achieve this goal. At the same time, your advisor should understand your obligations to your course work and provide you with a degree of flexibility.
Ultimately, it is your responsibility to do your best on both course work and research. Make sure that the advisor is committed to supervising you as much as you are committed to doing the required work and putting in the necessary/agreed upon hours.
Be informed, attentive, analytical, and objective. Read all the background information. Read user manuals for instruments and equipment. In many instances the reason for failure may be related to dirty equipment, contaminated reagents, improperly set instruments, poorly chosen conditions, lack of thoroughness, and/or lack of resourcefulness. Repeating a procedure while changing one parameter may work sometimes, while repeating the procedure multiple times without systematic changes and observations probably will not.
When reporting failures or problems, make sure that you have all details at hand. Be thorough in you assessment. Then ask questions. Advisors usually have sufficient experience to detect errors in procedures and are able to lead you in the right direction when the student is able to provide all the necessary details. They also have enough experience to know when to change directions. Many times one result may be unexpected, but it may be interesting enough to lead the investigation into a totally different avenue. Communicate with your advisor/mentor often.
Absolutely! Your school may be close to other universities, government labs and/or industries that offer part-time research opportunities during the academic year. There may also be summer opportunities in these institutions as well as in REU sites (see next question).
Contact your chemistry department advisor first. He/she may have some information readily available for you. You can also contact nearby universities, local industries and government labs directly or through the career center at your school. You can also find listings through ACS resources:
REU is a program established by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support active research participation by undergraduate students at host institutions in the United States or abroad. An REU site may offer projects within a single department/discipline or it may have projects that are inter-departmental and interdisciplinary. There are currently over 70 domestic and approximately 5 international REU sites with a chemistry theme. Sites consist of 10-12 students each, although there are larger sites that supplement NSF funding with other sources. Students receive stipends and, in most cases, assistance with housing and travel.
Most REU sites invite rising juniors and rising seniors to participate in research during the summer. Experience in research is not required to apply, except for international sites where at least one semester or summer of prior research experience is recommended. Applications usually open around November or December for participation during the following summer. Undergraduate students supported with NSF funds must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions. Some REU sites with supplementary funds from other sources may accept international students that are enrolled at US institutions.
Here are some links to sites with very useful information and samples.
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HOW TO DO A RESEARCH PROJECT — COLIN ROBSON
Friendly and accessible, How to do a Research Project is an essential tool to guide students through the process of conducting and completing a research project.
Performing research can be a very enriching and transformative part of your undergraduate experience at the College. You may encounter it as part of your coursework, but it can also be something you do outside of the classroom as a way to gain practical skills, learn about methods of inquiry and contribute actively to the advancement of study in your field.
Finding a research opportunity will require you to be proactive, build faculty relationships , and use key resources . It may be good to start by charting your personal goals and interests in order to help you identify opportunities that are a match for them. Remember to give yourself plenty of time for your search and to remain flexible and open-minded through the process. Engaging with the research community at Harvard is possible for students in all concentrations. Whether you have participated in research work previously, or are just getting started, there are opportunities designed to meet you where you are right now.
Research opportunities come in many formats and happen in a variety of settings. They often start off as a question that someone wants to explore more fully. Faculty, for example, initiate research projects designed for this purpose. It might also begin with you! In your studies, for example, you may have noticed a lack of knowledge or a lack of recent work on a particular topic that interests you. With the guidance of a faculty mentor, you could be the person to explore and find answers to fill in the void of missing information.
Depending on the scale of a project, you might find yourself working on a team or operating on your own and coordinating your efforts with those of a faculty mentor. This work may take place on campus, at other domestic locations, or even internationally, during term-time or over the course of the summer.
Some common formats of research experiences for undergraduates include:
Courses (existing or independent study). Many courses at Harvard and neighboring institutions (where you can cross-register ) have a strong research component. There is even the option for you to design an independent study course. To explore these options, the best starting point is with a concentration adviser knowledgeable about course offerings and policies in that concentration. You can also visit the Advising Programs Office (APO) to connect with undergraduate concentration advisers.
There are many opportunities to work as a research assistant on an existing project. A research assistantship is an excellent opportunity for students with little experience to get their first exposure to research. Research assistantship postings can be found on department webpages, at research centers, as well as on the Student Employment Office Job Board . You can also check with nearby hospitals and research groups, in addition to faculty and grad students. If you have never contacted research investigators before, check out our tips on how to effectively reach out to faculty .
In lieu of performing research via a course or an assistantship, you might consider looking at a research program. Depending on the program, you might work on a project designed by a member of faculty or propose your own question to pursue under the guidance of a faculty mentor. URAF summer programs, for example, are designed to correspond to specific academic areas (i.e., STEM, Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences), forming a cohort of fellows working on various topics in their area of interest.
URAF research programs are offered on an annual basis, with pre-set start- and end-times, and require formal applications with strict deadlines. These programs often have different eligibility criteria (i.e., GPA, class year, research experience). Some programs require previous field-specific experience, while other are designed for newcomers to that particular field of study. Many research programs include various forms of financial support (e.g. stipends, accommodation, etc.) as well as opportunities for community-building and intellectual growth.
Each concentration has its own requirements for thesis research, including topics allowed, prerequisites, timing, and who can supervise your work. If you are interested in thesis research, connect with advisers appointed by the concentrations for guiding undergraduates—information about concentration advisers can be found on the APO website. Also, check out our tips on how to effectively reach out to faculty .
Some questions to ask yourself when looking for a program are:
The Browse URAF opportunities page of our website aggregates a large number of Harvard undergraduate research options. Please note, however, that not all Harvard-affiliated schools and programs are listed here. To ensure you are learning about all potential opportunities, don’t forget to consult faculty advisers, concentration advisers, and academic advisers to identify programs that match your interests and desired outcomes most closely.
Beyond browsing through URAF opportunities, you can explore our External Resources page which provides another starting point for finding research opportunities, including research programs. Some are based at Harvard, while others are located across the US and worldwide. You can also use Google to search for research programs related to your topic and interests. Try using the keywords, "undergraduate research" or "summer undergraduate research."
If you have previously performed research at Harvard, you too might consider how you would benefit from exploring external opportunities . Exposure to research and processes at different institutions will allow you to expand your professional and academic networks, to explore a new place and even new ways of investigating topics that interest you.
At whatever point you happen to be in your undergraduate trajectory, URAF is here to support you through each stage of the process. You can even check out our remote-ready resources webpages if you intend to perform all or part of your research online.
Interested in learning more about projects that past fellows in the Harvard Summer Undergraduate Research Village (HSURV) have worked on? Check out our achive HSURV Abstract Books!
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Building on your course work or earlier research experiences, you may have an idea for an independent project in your field. It is important to consider the time scale and resources you will have to work on such a project. Begin by meeting with faculty mentors who have expertise on the topic. It may take time and several meetings to create a plan for success.
Every project is unique, but successful projects have one thing in common: they are developed with the help of a faculty mentor. As you begin to plan your project, here are some things you might discuss with your mentor.
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Embry-Riddle students are no strangers to performing research . Thanks to small class sizes taught by experienced professors, our Eagles are given plentiful opportunities to work side-by-side with faculty on a vast array of research topics.
We also encourage our students to participate in research inside and outside of the classroom and beyond the academic year. Some students even stay on campus to take summer courses and keep working on their passion projects.
For the past several years, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has been designated as a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). This funding from the NSF allows our faculty to select a handful of applicants to participate in research and gain valuable laboratory experience and direct mentorship.
Students from all universities in the U.S. are permitted to apply for the NSF’s interdisciplinary 10-week summer program , which provides housing, meals, activities and a stipend. Some research areas include post-space flight syndrome, spacecraft trajectory design and biomarker sensing – all of which are led by Embry-Riddle faculty in our own facilities, like the MicaPlex .
Though many students who come to Embry-Riddle for the REU program are from other universities, a certain percentage of Embry-Riddle students are typically accepted as well.
During the summer 2023 program session, Embry-Riddle student Forrest Dohner (’26) was one of the few students selected to participate in the REU site on the Daytona Beach Campus . He’s studying Aerospace Engineering , driven by his love for air and spacecraft.
“I have always been fascinated by anything that flies, especially rockets,” he said. “I didn’t travel much growing up, so researching planes and rockets became a skill I picked up early on.”
Forrest worked with chemistry professors Dr. Foram Madiyar – Embry-Riddle’s REU Principal Investigator (PI) – and Dr. Jenny Vu on research surrounding self-healing polymers . He says that after working with Dr. Vu during this project, she’s become one of the greatest influences in his college career.
“I was introduced to Dr. Vu during last summer’s REU program. Beforehand, I had worked closely with her to better understand the polymer chemistry behind the synthesis. Now, I continue to work with Dr. Vu, continuing research into the same self-healing polymers,” he said.
Forrest noted that one of the advantages of researching over the summer was the time he was able to dedicate to research without having classes at the same time.
“I believe that my REU experience is one of the most defining moments in my educational career.”
Research has guided Forrest’s path through Embry-Riddle and beyond. After he graduates, he plans to take the skills he learned and the research he conducted during his REU experience and continue researching materials applications in aerospace engineering.
“Ultimately, I hope that this path can lead me to work at an organization like NASA to contribute to the further exploration of space,” he expressed.
Forrest advises future Embry-Riddle students that a key contributor to having a positive experience is getting involved in research or similar projects they find interest in. He said, “Getting a real-world application of your classes makes the learning process so much more fun.”
Are you looking for ways to get research on your resume before college graduation? Apply to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and discover the opportunities.
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Takeaways from connectur.
Identified as a high-impact practice by the American Association of Colleges and Universities in 2008, undergraduate research, scholarship, or creative activity is known to be especially transformative for underrepresented students , who are likely to face more barriers to participation. While most scholarship and funding of undergraduate research experiences is centered on the sciences, universities are making efforts to provide equivalent experiences for undergraduates in the arts, humanities, and social sciences—especially in the first two years of undergraduate study, when these opportunities are the most impactful . Creating fulfilling experiences for all undergraduates, and navigating differing definitions of “research” across disciplinary contexts, presents a challenge for Offices of Undergraduate Research as they seek to ensure that undergraduate participation in research, scholarship, or creative activity remains a priority.
This topic was an important one for attendees of ConnectUR, the annual meeting of the Council of Undergraduate Research that took place this year from June 20-26, 2024, online and onsite at the University of Maryland, College Park. In several panels and presentations, speakers worked to describe and define research in their disciplines in terms that an interdisciplinary audience could understand.
Jesse Guessford, a music faculty member at George Mason University, spoke about the difficulty of translating the creative process into the vocabulary of research methodology. He made a case for equating practicing in the arts (e.g., of a musical instrument, dance, painting technique, etc.) with data collection in the sciences. While practicing, the performer is essentially conducting a series of experiments with technique and observing the results; the resulting creative work or performance, then, is a dissemination of research results. Guessford also identified that excessive focus on traditional “research” aspects in the arts can impede the creative process and creative expression—he gave the example of a student who planned a creative work on deforestation in Iceland, but became stuck during the preliminary literature review.
Scholars in the humanities considered how to implement undergraduate research activities in disciplines where producing original intellectual or creative contributions typically requires more experience than undergraduates have. Elizabeth Franklin Lewis, a Spanish faculty member at the University of Mary Washington, noted the challenge of designing research experiences for undergraduates in lower-division courses whose language skills were still developing. Given these limitations, she led student teams to write Wikipedia articles about women’s civic organizations in Spain, and to create a map of locations visited by Don Quixote.
Amy Ferrer, executive director of the American Philosophical Association, explained how undergraduates could undertake philosophy research. Ferrer defined research in philosophy as the Socratic method—the discussion, exchange, and refinement of ideas that occurs between the teacher and student is research, which is then disseminated when the student replicates the exchange of ideas with someone else. In the humanities, then, students’ creative engagement with the materials plays an important role in the research process.
For social scientists, the challenge is not necessarily in defining research, but in creating contexts or experiences for undergraduates. Alissa Ruth, an anthropologist at Arizona State University, presented on the Culture, Health, and Environment Lab she developed with three other faculty members who use similar methodologies in their work. The lab provides training in qualitative research methodologies, as well as opportunities for undergraduates to participate in data collection and analysis for campus researchers’ projects. Similarly, recipients of the Pathways to the Education Sciences Research Training program grants (Guadalupe Carmona, University of Texas at San Antonio; Wynetta Lee, North Carolina Central University; Jacqueline Brooks, California State University, Sacramento; and Alysia Roehrig, Florida State University) described how they trained and placed advanced undergraduates in summer research internships with internal and external partners like Cal State Sacramento’s Institute for Social Research and FSU-affiliated Freedom Schools. These experiences allowed undergraduates to connect undergraduate research with real-life applications.
The release of the second edition of the Council of Undergraduate Research’s Characteristics of Excellence in Undergraduate Research , planned for August 2024, and the publication of the findings of the Council’s Transformations Project earlier this year, demonstrate its members’ growing interest in implementing undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activities throughout the curriculum of every associate’s and bachelor’s program. It seems likely this trend will present new opportunities for faculty and administrators as they consider how these activities are defined in each discipline and how undergraduates can take part.
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Emma atkinson, supported by the undergraduate research center, dozens of students got the chance to present their work at this spring’s showcase..
From science to the arts, students from departments across the University of Denver gathered this spring to present their research projects at the annual Undergraduate Research Showcase.
The Undergraduate Research Center awarded many of these students grants to conduct their research, which culminated in a diverse display of creative and engaging projects. The research represents the a dvancing intellectual growth dimension of the 4D Experience.
“DU’s undergraduate research activities are truly premier, providing students with rigorous opportunities to work with thought leaders from across campus—flexing their muscles as thought explorers, translating and learning critical skills, and building the confidence to tackle the problems of tomorrow,” says Corinne Lengsfeld, senior vice provost for research and graduate education.
Here are descriptions of nine of this year’s coolest research projects, along with what students told us about their experience.
Jacqueline Stephenson
“By examining how scholars have used a lens of queerness and mediation to analyze key hagiographies—first of saints, more broadly, and then of female saints—and using these approaches to examine the inherently queer actions, positions and roles found in Saint Brigit’s First Life, we can gain a clearer view of societal views towards queerness during the early medieval period and in early medieval Ireland, in particular.
In doing so, this thesis will help chip away at the monolithic view of the period as well as the queer erasure within—demonstrating that queerness has always been a fundamental part of human society.”
What was the best part about doing this research?
The best part about doing this research was actually contributing to the scholarship and demonstrating that queerness has always been here, even in the places we might least expect. Additionally, seeing concepts we often don't associate with religion and this period were fascinating.
An example is one of her miracles being essentially an abortion, where a young unmarried woman didn't want to be pregnant and came to Saint Brigit, who made the fetus disappear. This is literally a celebrated miracle and not condemned—something shocking considering present-day religious attitudes toward abortion.
Vincent Pandey
“A modern model for peace is the Olympic Truce, a United Nations General Assembly resolution that calls for the pausing and prevention of new conflicts from one week before the Olympic Games through one week after the Paralympic Games. Some argue that the symbolic nature of the truce allows it to create moments of peace in conflicts, while others argue that it is nothing more than a gesture of goodwill that has not actually been used for peace.
My research question is: Has the Olympic Truce ever been successfully implemented to prevent the onset of new conflict or in creating a ceasefire during an ongoing conflict? I use conflict data and case studies to determine the prevalence of conflict during Olympic Truce periods and four case studies to analyze attempts to use the Olympic Truce and some of the challenges faced.”
Lauren Tapper
“Through photography, Hawai'i Uncovered aims to explore the conflicting aspects of identity in Hawai'i, reveal the true characteristics of the state and separate its perception by tourists from the reality that locals know all too well. Photos were taken at popular tourist and lesser known ‘locals-only’ destinations on multiple of the Hawaiian Islands. The photos focused mostly on the way that people interact and exist within these places and amongst each other through a candid and observational lens.
The idea of community and belonging are both the saving grace and downfall of these islands, allowing many to be proud and excited about who they are while also leaving some cast out and forgotten. Both the romanticized and ignored aspects of these islands are what make the state unlike anywhere else in the world and are essential in defining Hawai'i in an honest fashion.”
How did the idea for this research come about?
I got the idea for this research as someone who was born and raised in Hawaii and came to the mainland to notice that there was a huge discrepancy between what people think they know about Hawaii versus what is true, or at least what I know to be true.
Haven Hinds
“This project is a study of extinct flowers, their histories, environments, biology, colors and assigned personalities—manifested in 3D models and a digital book. The goal was to select six flowers with interesting histories and/or cultural connections. Since the flowers can, for the most part, not be seen or kept, they were created in Blender as accurately as possible. To give people a means of connection with the flowers, each was assigned a personality based on different factors. These factors could be the colors they possess, where geographically they thrived, parts of their history or biological factors.
To allow these personalities to further flourish, color spaces were created in Affinity Designer to be applied not only as the background of the models but also as the background of half of the book’s pages. Each person who interacts with the book is encouraged to pick out flowers they connect to and create their own garden of these now-gone flowers.”
The best part about doing this research was finding out some of the love stories connected to these flowers. I am a hopeless romantic, so I enjoyed even the tragic ending to the ancient stories connected to the flowers. Their stories allowed me the opportunity to give the flowers personality traits, allowing others to further connect.
“ʽA Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is one of Shakespeare’s most renowned plays, steeped in a world of dreams and magic, and will be the second show in the Department of Theatre’s winter quarter season. This show has the goal of bringing in college audiences that have not had the full experience of witnessing live theatre and who may have previous, negative notions about Shakespearean plays. The goal was to transform our audience for the two hours they witnessed this play into people that can enter a world of magic, try something new, appreciate it, challenge their own thinking and revitalize an art that took a heavy blow in recent years.
In order to achieve this fantastical reality onstage, I worked closely with the costume designer (Janice Lacek) and director (Sabin Epstein) to research, design, prototype and fabricate specialty props and costumes to create the multiple distinct worlds present in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ By the end of the project, I designed, prototyped and fabricated five large-scale specialty props sporting at least 50 separate pieces, each using advanced painting and texturing methods, LEDs lights and wiring techniques, foam molding, paper mâché, and wig making techniques.”
“This project leverages virtual reality (VR) technology to create an immersive stargazing experience that makes the wonders of the cosmos accessible to all. By integrating VR with educational strategies, we aim to revolutionize the teaching and experience of astronomy. Our primary objective is to enhance astronomy education by developing a VR platform that transcends conventional teaching methods, making celestial phenomena accessible and engaging for users from diverse educational and geographical backgrounds.
This initiative will democratize access to astronomy, promote STEM education and introduce users to advanced technological learning tools. The approach involves constructing detailed celestial models and integrating them into a user-friendly VR interface.”
Trevor Briggs
“Flamethrower Vol. 1-3 is a series of three EPs (short albums) that combine jazz, classical and commercial electronic music to produce an artistic work in which the perception, function and musical context of electronic instruments is challenged. I approached these compositions treating electronic components as instruments, writing out scores as I would for brass and wind instruments. I also utilized cutting-edge electronic hardware to generate degenerated, fragmented and evolving sounds.
This type of in-depth sound design allowed me to write, perform and record novel parts for unique instruments. The remainder of the sounds on these recordings incorporate sampling of field recordings to generate new instruments or soundscapes and unconventional recordings of woodwinds (saxophone, clarinet, flute, bass clarinet and alto flute) from Professor Remy Le Boeuf, my faculty partner.”
The best parts of this project were tiny moments where I was really able to see how the final product was coming together. These times came through all parts of the writing and production process. I recorded Professor Remy Le Boeuf on woodwinds a few times for the album, and those sessions were full of those moments. There's a lot of momentary joy in making music with other people. As a recording engineer and producer, I have been feeling very lucky and grateful that I'm the one that gets to capture and shape these moments for others to listen to.
“This paper discusses how the unhoused population suffers at the hand of technological inequality despite being relatively offline. It presents theories on how this would change if we reapproached how technology is used to assist the unhoused. It suggests implementing blockchain as a resource as well as modifying the websites built for the unhoused.
Employees at shelters are interviewed for this paper about their experiences with using digital resources to rehouse and restabilize the vulnerable. They are asked how the sites can be improved for more optimized use. The sites are also tested against current user experience (UX) standards for accessibility.”
My idea for this research came from two different sources. The first was the approximately 100 hours of volunteer work that I did with a local organization that works with the unhoused. I worked with caseworkers and other employees to get a better understanding of how the organization was run and what major needs were held by the unhoused population. It opened my eyes to a lot of problems that I hadn’t thought about before, especially how difficult it is to escape homelessness and why it is so difficult.
The second source came later, when I was already working on my thesis paper. I was studying abroad in Greece and took a really interesting UX design class. That class made me start thinking about what UX looked like throughout my life, so when I was looking at government sites to understand where the unhoused would need to be using personal identification, I started noticing all these UX problems that would be easy to fix, which was baffling and frustrating to me, so I decided to add a second part to my paper.
“Suicide remains a global health concern for the field of health, which urgently needs innovative approaches for early detection and intervention. This paper focuses on identifying suicidal intentions in SuicideWatch Reddit posts and presents a novel approach to detect suicide using the cutting-edge RoBERTa-CNN model, a variant of RoBERTa (Robustly Optimized BERT Approach). RoBERTa is a language model that captures textual information and forms semantic relationships within texts.
By adding the Convolution Neural Network (CNN) head, RoBERTa enhances its ability to capture important patterns from heavy datasets. To evaluate RoBERTa-CNN, we experimented on the Suicide and Depression Detection dataset and obtained solid results. For example, RoBERTa-CNN achieves 98% mean accuracy with the standard deviation (STD) of 0.0009. It also reaches over 97.5% mean area under the curve (AUC) value with an STD of 0.0013. Then, RoBERTa-CNN outperforms competitive methods, demonstrating the robustness and ability to capture nuanced linguistic patterns for suicidal intentions. Hence, RoBERTa-CNN can detect suicide intention on text data very well.”
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Research funding to ui increases, topping $680m.
External funding to support research, scholarship, and creative activities at the University of Iowa totaled $683.8 million in fiscal year 2024, which ended on June 30, 2024. This is a 22% increase over the previous year’s $561 million.
Total external funding to the institution reached $811 million, an increase of 15% from last year. These funds support a range of activities that build on the university’s research strengths, engage students in dynamic educational experiences, and support engagement with local, regional, and global communities.
Several sources of federal and private funding trended up during FY24, including a significant uptick in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Education. Industry-supported activities, which include clinical trials, rose 17% to $149 million, the highest in the institution’s history. The previous record was $127 million set in FY22.
“These trends align with the institution’s efforts to diversify our funding portfolio and forge new partnerships with federal, corporate, and foundation entities,” says Marty Scholtz, vice president for research. “Their support fosters a range of high-impact faculty work, from the arts and humanities, to engineering, to the sciences.”
Federal funding remains the strongest supporter of the institution, totaling $315 million in FY24, or 39% of all external funding.
The NSF’s support of UI research projects increased 56% for a record high of $18 million, including a new $1.2 million project to advance the personalization of hearing aids. The lead investigator on the project is Octav Chipara, a professor in the Department of Computer Science.
Funding from the Department of Defense (DOD) totaled $18 million. The DOD’s social-science focused Minerva Research Institute funded a $1.7 million project to examine the global spread of propaganda, disinformation, and manipulative content on social media. Brian Ekdale, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, leads the study.
Several federally funded projects reached major milestones of longevity with continuous funding from a single grant. Fiscal year 2024 marked the 45th year of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for the UI’s training program in hematology . The project, which is currently led by Steven Lentz, professor of internal medicine and the Henry Hamilton Chair in Hematology, trains young scientists for productive careers as academic scientists and physician-scientists in hematology. It received funding to train its first cohort of scientists in 1978. To date, the program has trained more than 141 individuals who have gone on to successful careers in academic medical centers, the NIH, American Red Cross, and private industry.
Overall, support from private foundations and individuals totaled $129 million in FY24.
Two UI researchers secured $18 million from the nonprofit Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute for a five-year project to help older adults with multiple chronic medical conditions better manage their high blood pressure. Korey Kennelty, the Patrick E. Keefe Professor in Pharmacy and vice chair for research and implementation science in the Department of Family Medicine, and Carri Casteel, professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and director of UI’s Injury Prevention Research Center, are dual-principal investigators on the award. Their goal is to enroll more than 900 patients and partner with 60 primary care clinics across the country.
Private sources also supported UI writers who continue to shape the landscape of American literature. The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation awarded Guggenheim fellowships to two UI faculty in FY24. Kaveh Akbar, associate professor and director of the undergraduate English and creative writing major, and Jamel Brinkley, assistant professor in the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, secured the fellowships from a pool of nearly 3,000 applicants. Thirty-three UI faculty have received the highly prestigious award since 1978.
Clinical trials represent the largest percentage of industry-funded projects, at $85 million.
“Many clinical trials help patients treated at UI Health Care gain access to new drugs and therapies,” says Scholtz. “We’re proud to leverage the unique strengths and capabilities of UI researchers to help advance discoveries and treatments that directly benefit people in our state and beyond.”
The U.S. Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Weather Service co-funded a project to improve community resistance to flooding in eastern Iowa. The $1 million project will support new remote sensors to collect data and monitor conditions throughout the Lower Cedar River and Maquoketa River watersheds. Nathan Young, associate director of the Iowa Flood Center, will lead the project.
To address the shortage of special education teachers in Iowa and across the country, the Department of Education awarded a $1.2 million grant to a team in the College of Education led by Allison Bruhn, professor of special education.
“We are proud of the ingenuity of UI researchers and scholars, who continue to push the bounds of research and discovery, and secure competitive funding from a wide range of sources to do this work,” says Scholtz. “This year’s records are a testament to UI researchers’ enduring commitments to secure new knowledge that benefits the people of Iowa, the nation, and the world.”
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The colorado project is setting its sights on strengthening colorado’s economy through inclusivity and unity..
The Colorado Project seeks to reduce polarization, strengthen democracy and find solutions to the tough issues facing Colorado by harnessing the power of civil discourse. This year-old initiative is housed in the Douglas and Mary Scrivner Institute of Public Policy at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. In early March, the Project released a report proposing a strategy for sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Colorado, addressing topics like water, energy, jobs and housing.
“The Colorado Project is an effort for us to bring all Coloradans together to take on the most important questions of our state while committing to the hard work of listening and learning even when we may disagree,” said Dean Fritz Mayer, Korbel School of International Studies who launched the project as a flagship effort for the school based on work he previously led in North Carolina.
Starting in July 2023, the Project’s 33 members met eight times, virtually and in small groups, to develop recommendations for an economy that lifts all boats when the Colorado economy grows.
“On the surface, our economy looks good but historically our economic growth hasn’t benefitted every segment of the population the same, particularly people of color and people living in poverty,” says Rebecca Montgomery. She is the former director of democracy and civil discourse initiatives within Scrivner and was the staff facilitator for the Project. “Rural communities haven’t recovered since the recession of 2008. Up until now, leaders have worked on these issues in silos but there is potential for political alignment we are not seeing if we can break out of these silos.”
Landon Mascareñaz believes the group succeeded in doing that. He was a committee member and has been brought on as a consultant to replace Montgomery, who has since left the Project. He currently serves as the chair, State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education and is the co-founder of The Open Systems Institute. The civil discourse process used by the Project left him enthusiastic about the Project’s potential and results.
“I had a really incredible experience,” he says. “I loved the partnership, the facilitation and really great ways we could take the content and move it to the next level.”
The group’s members were selected to ensure diverse viewpoints were represented through geography and backgrounds: industry, business, non-profits, rural, urban, racial, water, energy, workforce, housing, land use and others. Only a couple held elected office.
While civil discourse was the rule of the day, the conversations weren’t easy. The group adopted four rules to keep talks civil:
1. assume positive intent 2. come to every meeting and engage meaningfully 3. keep all conversations confidential 4. base all your contributions in facts, research or practical experience
“We held each other to these values on those constructs we made at the beginning,” says Lisandra Gonzales, one of three co-chairs and chief executive officer of Rocky Mountain Partnership.
These points kept discussions on track, especially when talks became tough, as they did the first day. Ideas about equity and inclusion provided a tall first hurdle.
“How do you deal with racial issues in parts of the state where race is not a prominent issue?” says Steve ErkenBrack, co-chair and chief executive officer of the Buell Foundation. “That was very tense for a bit but we worked through that because we realized it’s all about inclusion. Parts of rural Colorado also feel they have not always been included.”
Gonzales says that talk revealed something else. Definitions are shaped by people’s personal experiences, giving language shades of meaning beyond the dictionary. In the end, she says people generally agreed on what something meant but used different words to describe it.
“Even if you hear something that is off-putting,” ErkenBrack says, “rather than react immediately, make sure the person is really saying that. We all have biases. These biases we all bring to the human experience are not inherently negative, but you have to face them and recognize them in yourself. We ended up with a candid process and there was a unanimity of where we wanted to get.”
Questions were not left to fester unresolved. “If something felt off, we connected to make sure we had real conversations,” Gonzales says. “We didn’t lose anyone for the sake of not having those accountability conversations.”
The issues often emerged from smaller working groups, were introduced to the larger group, discussed, sent back, reworked, reintroduced and accepted, or not, usually by consensus.
“Can you live with this in the end? That’s where we had the ultimate buy-in,” Gonzales says. “Are you comfortable with your name being associated with this? That is the question we were asking.”
ErkenBrack says that the diversity of the group was its strength, especially as the participants came to realize all the issues were interrelated. Water affects business which affects housing, education, land use, etc. Any single issue brought up others, and the commitment from the group was to create a plan that would benefit the entire state, not just part of it.
“You wind up realizing whatever your own background and expertise is, you have to access other expertise,” ErkenBrack says. “You realize the importance of listening to other people’s expertise.”
Gonzales says the group spent a lot of time “sitting in the dialogue” and listening before decisions were made. “What was most inspiring about this process and gives me the most hope, even for the country,” she says, “by bringing together this vast array of people, what we all committed to was the end result. We were respectful of other opinions.”
“You can’t assemble people from all these diverse backgrounds and expect everybody to think like you,” says ErkenBrack. “We live in an environment of policy that is increasingly contentious and emotional. Bringing together several dozen leaders from different fields and reaching a result and consensus document inspired us to take this back to our day jobs and communities - listening to make progress.”
“We built relationships across ideas and differences. That was so powerful,” Mascareñaz says.
The focus now is on getting the report into the hands of thought leaders. Eventually, a new group will be convened for the Colorado Project to tackle a new topic, yet to be identified, certain to be tough, but the discourse civil.
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A student's guide to undergraduate research. Originally written by Shiwei Wang for Nature journal in March 2019. Participating in original research during your undergraduate studies can greatly expand your learning experience. However, finding the project can be a challenging task, so here's a short but comprehensive guide that can help you ...
A research proposal at the undergraduate level is an engaging exercise on coming up with your own questions on your chosen field. There is much leeway as an undergraduate to experiment within your field and think out of the box. In many ways, you will learn how to learn and how to formulate questions for any task you encounter in the future.
Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We've included a few for you below. Example research proposal #1: "A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management" Example research proposal #2: "Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use" Title page
As an undergraduate, you have the freedom to change your major and your future plans. Make sure to strike a balance between reading and conducting experiments. It's hard to do both at the same ...
Methodology - the methods you will use for your primary research. Findings and results - presenting the data from your primary research. Discussion - summarising and analysing your research and what you have found out. Conclusion - how the project went (successes and failures), areas for future study.
VPUE Project Proposal Writing Guide. (link is external) : Read this document carefully and follow the guidelines based on the project you envision to pursue. In this guide, you will find: General guidelines for all grant proposals. Additional specific guidelines for Research, Arts/Design, and Senior Synthesis project proposals -- please follow ...
Work your way through interactive exercises for each stage of the research project roadmap and watch videos from your pocket supervisor, Gary Thomas. Explore real-world practice through case studies and journal articles. Reflect, revise, and take your learning on the go with worksheets and get to grips with key terms and concepts using digital ...
Sample Project Proposals. Check out a few sample grant proposals below. Read ones annotated with reviewer notes (even if the topic is outside your area of interest) to learn what reviewers look for. You can also see also how resubmitted proposals respond to reviewer comments. Please note that these proposals serve as exemplars for students ...
How to do a Research Project. : Colin Robson. Wiley, Aug 8, 2014 - Psychology - 176 pages. Written specifically to address the needs and concerns of the undergraduate, this tightly focused second edition guides students through the process of conducting and completing a research project. Friendly and accessible, this fully-updated second ...
Step 1: Find the right supervisor. Step 2: Don't be shy, ask! Step 3: Select the right topic. Step 4: Keep your plan realistic. Step 5: Prepare a project timeline. Step 6: Write, write and write. 1. Find the right supervisor. My professor asked a faculty member to become my supervisor.
In How to do a Research Project, Colin Robson has created an essential tool for students. Written specifically to address the needs and concerns of the undergraduate, this tightly focused volume guides students through the process of conducting and completing a research project and is relevant to all disciplines that require the use of social research methods. Friendly and accessible, this ...
ASPIRE grants : Promote independent research projects among undergrads in the School of Arts and Sciences; awards range from $500 to $4,500 per academic year. Learn more: Hopkins Office of Undergraduate Research. Student research opportunities at the School of Engineering. Student research opportunities at the School of Arts and Sciences.
Research is a creative and systematic process of asking questions and discovering new knowledge. Any student, regardless of major, year, or experience, can get involved in undergraduate research. "Find what you love! The sheer abundance of research opportunities at UW can be overwhelming. Take the time to explore what you like.".
What students actually do when they gain "research experience" can vary widely depending on the nature and setting of the experience. From start to finish, the psychology research projects you learn about in your classes involve a lot of complex steps, completed by a team of researchers, over a period of time that can last several years.
Description. Written specifically to address the needs and concerns of the undergraduate, this tightly focused volume guides students through the process of conducting and completing a research project. Friendly and accessible, this fully-updated second edition includes a number of accompanying student support materials to aid students further.
Undergraduate Research in Chemistry Guide. Research is the pursuit of new knowledge through the process of discovery. Scientific research involves diligent inquiry and systematic observation of phenomena. Most scientific research projects involve experimentation, often requiring testing the effect of changing conditions on the results.
A student-friendly and supportive guide to designing, implementing, analyzing and reporting on undergraduate degree projects. Includes closely integrated end-of-chapter tasks, covering all aspects of designing and completing the project. Features links to extensive website material appropriate for a wide range of disciplines and fields of study ...
Research Opportunities. Performing research can be a very enriching and transformative part of your undergraduate experience at the College. You may encounter it as part of your coursework, but it can also be something you do outside of the classroom as a way to gain practical skills, learn about methods of inquiry and contribute actively to ...
The first step in taking on any independent project is to reflect on your intellectual interests, questions, and goals. Team up with other Stanford scholars to learn how different disciplines approach the research process. A good relationship with a faculty mentor is the cornerstone of all successful undergrad research and independent projects.
Benefits of Undergraduate Research. Studies show students who participate in research earn better grades, are more likely to graduate and are better equipped for graduate school or careers ...
The first is applying to a research internship programme and the second is by emailing professors directly. Both methods have pros and cons. Finding research internships. Applying to internships. Emailing academics. Usually takes place over summer or in winter. You can email at any time of the year.
Build your project. Learn about past work on your topic and build a foundation for your project. Develop a central idea. Meet with your faculty mentors to seek feedback on your ideas and guidance for next steps. (You will need to do this more than once as you develop your ideas and plan further.) Create a project plan and evaluate your ideas.
6. Assessing Undergraduate Research. The optimal context for students to engage in undergraduate research and creative scholarship is one that combines the settings outlined in student development theory with the structure described in the research skills development framework. A way to align the principles of these two theories is to create a ...
Some students even stay on campus to take summer courses and keep working on their passion projects. Research Experiences for Undergraduates For the past several years, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has been designated as a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).
The release of the second edition of the Council of Undergraduate Research's Characteristics of Excellence in Undergraduate Research, planned for August 2024, and the publication of the findings of the Council's Transformations Project earlier this year, demonstrate its members' growing interest in implementing undergraduate research ...
From science to the arts, students from departments across the University of Denver gathered this spring to present their research projects at the annual Undergraduate Research Showcase.The Undergraduate Research Center awarded many of these students grants to conduct their research, which culminated in a diverse display of creative and engaging projects. The research represents the advancing ...
The Office of Undergraduate Research recommends that you attend an info session or advising before contacting faculty members or project contacts about research opportunities. We'll cover the steps to get involved, tips for contacting faculty, funding possibilities, and options for course credit.
When it comes to research, Murphi is interested in chemical biology, more specifically, looking into proteins involved in important biological problems. "One of my major projects is developing and characterizing a potential inhibitor for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis," Murphi says.
The NSF's support of UI research projects increased 56% for a record high of $18 million, including a new $1.2 million project to advance the personalization of hearing aids. The lead investigator on the project is Octav Chipara, a professor in the Department of Computer Science. Funding from the Department of Defense (DOD) totaled $18 million.
The Colorado Project seeks to reduce polarization, strengthen democracy and find solutions to the tough issues facing Colorado by harnessing the power of civil discourse. This year-old initiative is housed in the Douglas and Mary Scrivner Institute of Public Policy at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. In early March, the Project released a report proposing a strategy for ...