Research Opportunities
Why Do Research?
Conducting research as an undergraduate is an excellent way to gain experiences and skills that will benefit you both academically and professionally. In addition to exploring your areas of interest in-depth, undergraduate research develops skills in collaborative learning and critical thinking. For students interested in pursuing grad school, undergraduate research is a way of expanding your education outside of the classroom and better preparing yourself for the rigors of graduate study. Even if you are unsure about graduate studies, conducting undergraduate research is a way of exploring your research interests and testing the suitability of a research career to your interests.
How to Prepare for Undergraduate Research
Taking on research in addition to your regular course load requires excellent time management skills. We recommend that freshman students wait a year before applying to a summer research experience and for applicants to have at least a year of science and one year of college level mathematics completed.
Please Note: The application process for each campus offering an opportunity for conducting research will vary.
Some questions to ask yourself as you plan your research are:
- How much time can I commit to conducting research?
- Will I need financial support to conduct research throughout the summer and academic year?
- What kind of research work interests me?
- What do I want to gain from my research experience?
- How can I best prepare myself academically and professionally to do research?
- What safety courses will I need to take to do research in my field or lab?
The better you plan your academic coursework, the better you will be able to organize your time for research. Whatever your future professional and academic plans, gaining experience in undergraduate research will enhance your application and your preparedness for more self-directed research.
Applicants should note that most application deadlines fall between February – March every year.
Down below are a myriad of websites that offer additional resources and undergraduate research opportunities.
This is your time to take advantage of the multitude of opportunities you have through applying for various research and internship opportunities!
- RECOMMENDATION LETTER REQUEST FORM 2017– This handout is intended to assist students on how to ask faculty and/or staff letters of recommendation.
- *National Science Foundation – Research Experience for Undergraduates(REU)*
- Cal Poly Pomona REU UAV Technology – Due January 31st, 2019
- NSF NEON Summer Research Program– Due Early February 2019
- Cal Poly Pomona REU Big Data Security– Due February 2nd, 2019
- University of Hawai’i, Manoa REU– Open Late November- Due February 1st, 2019
- Cal State Fullerton URE 2019– Due February 28th, 2019
- Summer Biomedical Research– Open from November 15th-March 1st, 2019
- USIBR at UC Irvine– Due Spring
- UC San Diego STARS Program– Due January 30, 2019
- Transfer to Excellence Research Program at UC Berkeley- Due February 1st, 2019
- CAMPARE Summer Research Program-Due Spring
- Cal Tech Physics Summer Research Experience– LIGO SURF Program- Open November 1st, 2018-February 1st, 2019
- SURF Program at Scripps Research Institution– Due Spring
- Cal State Fullerton Undergraduate Research Experience 2018– Due Spring
- CSULB BUILD Scholars Program(Fall 2019 Transfers)- TBD- Announcement in November
- CSULB Research Preparation Programs
- Yale CRISP Research Experience– Materials Science and Engineering Center- Check November 2018 for deadline
- CURE REU Energy Program– Due Spring
- Summer Research Opportunities- Deadlines Vary
- Take a look at CSU Fullerton Natural Science and Math Department Research Resources
- Pathways to Science
- University of Washington Undergraduate Summer Research
- Physics Society for Student (Research)
- The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
- American Mathematical Society
- The Nucleus
- UCI’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
- CCCP SCHOLARS PROGRAM at UCLA
- Volunteer at St. Jude Medical Center
- NASA Student Opportunities
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