Undergraduate Research
Participating in faculty-mentored undergraduate research provides numerous benefits for students, including:
- developing research skills
- gaining a deeper understanding of their field
- clarifying future academic paths
- enhancing their career prospects
- building strong professional networks
- contributing to new knowledge through hands-on research experience, all while receiving valuable guidance from a faculty expert.
Finding a Research Mentor
Students interested in participating in faculty-mentored undergraduate research should start by finding a faculty member to serve as their research mentor.
Course Credit
Students are encouraged to sign up for course credit (typically CRSS 4960 or CRSS 4960R) when they participate in faculty-mentored research. This allows them to document their experience on their transcript.
Generally, students spend at least 45 hours working on their research for each credit hour that they are registered for. This equates to three hours a week for each credit hour.
Here's a quick reference comparing CRSS 4960 vs. CRSS 4960R:
| CRSS 4960 | CRSS 4960R | |
|---|---|---|
| Students conduct research under the supervision of a CRSS faculty member | YES | YES |
| Students meet with the faculty member overseeing their research project on a regular basis | YES | YES |
| Students conduct experiments and gather data | YES | YES |
| Students analyze, synthesize, and interpret data | SOMETIMES | YES |
| Students write a formal report | SOMETIMES | YES |
| Students present their work (usually a poster) | TYPICALLY | YES |
| Counts as a student's Experiential Learning Experience | NO | YES |
Interested in Getting Paid While Doing Undergraduate Research?
Please note that for all the opportunities listed below you must first meet with your research mentor and determine the details of your proposed research.
CAES Research Initiative
The CAES Research Initiative is a program where students and their faculty research mentors can apply for $1000 for student wages plus $500 to cover research related costs.
Deadlines for this program:
- Applications for research done during the Fall semester are typically due in early September.
- Applications for research done during the Spring semester are typically due in mid-January.
CURO Research Award
Each year the CURO Research Award provides 500 scholarships of $1,000 each to outstanding undergraduate students across campus to actively participate in faculty-mentored research in any discipline.
Deadlines for this program:
- Applications for research done during the Fall semester are typically due by July 15th.
- Applications for research done during the Spring semester are typically due by November 1st.
- Applications for research done during the summer are typically due by April 15th.
CURO Summer Research Fellowship
CURO awards Summer Research Fellowships to support UGA undergraduates interested in pursuing intensive, immersive, faculty-mentored research during the summer. In addition to financial support, Summer Fellows enjoy collaborative workshops, lectures, and other events with their cohort. Summer Fellows receive a total of $3,000 as a scholarship. The deadline to apply for this Fellowship is typically mid March.