Research
Getting Involved in Undergraduate Research
Getting Started
Starting to look for a research project can be a daunting task. Here are some tips to make the process easier!
Ask yourself the following questions before you look for a research project:
- What kind of research is interesting to me?
- What do I hope to gain from doing research?
- How much time can I comfortably commit per week?
Now that you have an idea about what you want to get out of your research experience, it is time to start looking for a project!
Common Terms
You’ll probably encounter these terms when looking for research. Here’s what they mean.
NSF: National Science Foundation. An independent federal agency that promotes science and research. NSF grants fund many research opportunities for undergraduates.
PI: Principal Investigator. The lead researcher for a project.
REU: Research Experience for Undergraduates. Commonly used for summer programs with 10 or more undergrads working on research programs at a host institution.
SURF: Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship. Similar to an REU.
Published on August 31st, 2021
Last updated on August 28th, 2023