Student Research

What are the benefits of doing undergraduate research?

• Learn in depth about the latest technologies and information
• Work closely with scholars in your area of interest
• Gain hands-on experience of value to your future career
• Build stronger, lasting relationships with faculty members
• Gain skills and experiences that will help you gain admission to more prestigious graduate schools
• Share the excitement of making new discoveries, writing original prose or poetry, designing a new or improved product, or generating research outcomes that are actually used
• Opportunity to get published as an undergraduate
• Ability to earn money or credit while conducting research
• Augment your critical thinking, leadership, and other skills

The college administers three grant programs for undergraduate students: the Academic Year Undergraduate Research Grants (one in spring and one in fall) and the Summer Research Fellowship Grant. These programs are designed to provide additional incentive for student involvement in faculty research projects. Annually, each student is eligible for grants totaling $2,600. The students are required to go through a formal proposal process, including selection of a faculty mentor, development of a research project, composition of a formatted proposal, and a review process at the school and college level.

Archived Academic Year Undergraduate Research Grants

Archived Summer Research Fellowship Grants

If you think that you are interested in a particular field of research study, talk to your advisor, one of your faculty members, or the staff of the Chancellor’s Office. They will help you to identify faculty members who are conducting research or other scholarly activity in your area of interest. The next step is for you to meet with the specific faculty member to determine how to proceed:

• Is the faculty member willing to be your research mentor?
• Where do I look for funding?
• How do I get started writing a proposal?
• Should I do the work for credit, as an independent study, senior project, or as a work-study activity?

The lists of faculty member Teaching Specialties and Research Interests and Research, Creative Accomplishment, and Scholarly Activity on the faculty research Web page may be helpful in locating and selecting a potential faculty mentor.

Once you determine a faculty mentor you must complete and submit an application form:

• Spring Semester Undergraduate Research Grant Application Form
• Fall Semester Undergraduate Research Grant Application Form
• Summer Research Fellowship Grant Application Form

The college, in conjunction with the University’s Office of Undergraduate Education and International Programs, will consider requests for student travel to present posters or oral presentations at professional meetings. Up to two-thirds of the costs are covered. Annually, more than 100 students travel to conferences with this support.

Students must submit all requests for travel via an Undergraduate Research Travel Request. Final approval is dependent on availability of funds, with a $300 maximum per student (up to one-third of the total) from both the college and from University Park.

This program recognizes students who have made research an integral part of their undergraduate education. Faculty members from each of the college’s four academic schools nominate students. The nomination process and subsequent selection process provide feedback to the students regarding both the quantity and quality of their research efforts. Students receive cash awards of $200.

Nomination Form

Past Recipients

The Penn State Behrend-Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference provides an opportunity for students to present their research and creative accomplishment results in a public setting. Many students use this regional conference to practice their presentations prior to presenting them in a national or international setting. Students present their results either by poster or by oral presentation. The college also invites students from other regional colleges and universities to participate.

The 2012 Conference, held on April 14, featured 160 posters and oral presentations involving 129 faculty members and 269 students representing eleven colleges in Pennsylvania. The Abstract Books indicate winners and runners-up for oral presentations and posters.

Conference Abstract Book Archives

The 2013 conference will be held in April 2013. A call for abstracts will be issued.

All senior students in the School of Engineering conduct team-oriented capstone design projects sponsored by industry. Students work in tandem with faculty and industrial representatives to formulate and implement solutions to an actual design or manufacturing problem. Each spring the students showcase their work by presenting these projects at the Richard J. Fasenmyer Engineering Design Conference.