Undergraduate Research Opportunities Database
Our database is a great resource in helping students find exciting undergraduate research opportunities at Penn State.
To get the best results, we recommend that you select all of the research areas that interest you. We also recommend that you conduct multiple searches.
Campus – Select the campus(es) where you would be interested in participating in research. Depending on the time of year when you are using the database, consider whether your location changes. For example, do you spend your summers closer to a different campus than where you regularly attend school?
Research Area – Select the area(s) of research that interest you most, keeping in mind that research is often interdisciplinary so it might be appropriate to select more than one area. For example, if you are interested in health you might want to search for opportunities in the physical sciences, life sciences, and nursing and health sciences, because these research areas could all be relevant to your interest in health.
Position Type – Select the position type(s) that are most appealing to you. If you prefer whether you earn credit versus being paid, be sure to narrow down the search results using this field.
- “Work Study” is only available to students who have received a federal work-study (FWS) award. You can verify if you have an FWS award by visiting LionPATH and reviewing your "Financial Aid Summary.” If you do not have a federal work-study award, your mentor can also inquire with the Office of Student Aid - 814-865-6301 - to determine if you are eligible to be awarded one.
Mentors interested in creating an account or posting an opportunity should visit the Posting Undergraduate Research Opportunities section.
| Title | Description | Research Area(s) | Position Type(s) | Work Setting(s) | Updated Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behavioral Coding Research Assistant Positions in the Cognition, Affect, and Temperament Lab |
The Cognition, Affect, and Temperament (CAT) Lab, led by Dr. Koraly Pérez-Edgar, is seeking undergraduate research assistants (URAs) to assist with behavioral coding for our Parent-to-Child Anxiety Transmission (PCAT) Study for the Summer Regular Session. The PCAT Study examines how parent-child interactions affect children's socioemotional development. Behavioral coding involves taking video data and systematically defining observable behaviors throughout the video. Onboarding is expected to begin in the late Spring and training is expected to begin in early Summer. No experience in coding is required for this position, however, we are looking for students who have strong communication skills and can follow instructions well. To learn more about the... |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
Credit, Volunteer |
On campus |
May 6, 2025 |
| Bird Nest Box Checks (Summer 2025) | The Hermann lab is looking for undergraduate students interested in gaining experience in biological research with a focus on field biology and ecology. The project focuses on bird nest-building behavior and diet preferences. |
Agricultural Sciences, Environmental and Geosciences, Life Sciences |
Volunteer |
On campus |
May 1, 2025 |
| The Child Health Study |
Study Purpose: The primary purpose of this study is to learn more about the different ways in which the environment and biology can affect a person’s health over their lifetime. Children beginning at the age of 8 along with one of their caregivers spends a day visiting The Center for Healthy Children at Penn State to help us learn about their different life experiences and environments and how these shapes human development. The information we gather during these visits will help us achieve our long-range goal of understanding more about children, adolescents, and their families to improve health outcomes. Research Assistant Benefits:
|
Communications and Journalism, Life Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
Credit, Variable, Volunteer, Work Study |
On campus |
April 28, 2025 |
| Undergraduate Research Assistant in Finance and Economics |
Work with Penn State finance faculty members and advanced doctoral students on cutting-edge research projects in the areas of finance and economics. Recent topics of interest include:
|
Business, Engineering, Environmental and Geosciences, Information Technology and Computer Science, International Relations, Political Science, and Law, Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Statistics |
Volunteer |
Hybrid, On campus, Remote |
April 25, 2025 |
| Data Collection Research Assistant Positions in the Cognition, Affect, and Temperament Lab |
The Cognition, Affect, and Temperament (CAT) Lab, led by Dr. Koraly Pérez-Edgar, is seeking undergraduate research assistants (URAs) to assist with data collection for the Parent-to-Child Anxiety Transmission (PCAT) Study for the Summer Regular Session. The PCAT Study examines how parent-child interactions affect children's socioemotional development. The study examines patterns of brain and behavioral synchrony in parent-child pairs as they complete puzzles together and other social activities over the span of 2 years. To do this, we collect data using fNIRS, EEG, ECG, mobile eyetracking, and video recordings. Participating families visit the lab 3 times to complete a series of parent-child tasks and independent tasks while wearing the equipment mentioned earlier... |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
Credit, Volunteer |
On campus |
April 16, 2025 |
| Summer Research Opportunity in a Cutting Edge Neuroscience/Human Genetics Lab |
We are diverse group comprising of bioinformaticians, cellular biologists, human geneticists and biochemists studying neurodevelopmental disorders. We are particularly interested in understanding how genetic background affects the variable neurodevelopmental phenotypes we observe within the same family. We use different models ranging from primary cell lines from patients, cortical organoids to mice models for studying behavior. We use several cutting edge techniques like CRISPRi and CRISPRa gene editing. Graduate students in the lab are collaborative, highly skilled with a strong passion for mentoring. We have several Schreyer Honors Scholars graduating with their Honors Thesis this spring. Many of whom are headed to MD programs at prestigious... |
Life Sciences |
Credit |
On campus |
April 15, 2025 |
| Development, Risk, and Resilience Lab Research Assistants |
In the Development, Risk, and Resilience Lab, our goal is to understand when and under what circumstances developmental trajectories of children begin to diverge from normative trajectories among families who are struggling with substance abuse and related issues (e.g., mental health symptoms; caregiving unpredictability). The Development, Risk, and Resilience Lab is interested in how prenatal and early adversities shape the development of children’s self-regulation; how these associations may be mediated or moderated by parenting quality; and applying this understanding to prevention. We are also working to understand protective factors that promote resilience in children in the face of early adversities. Our research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National... |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
Credit |
On campus |
April 8, 2025 |
| Summer Research Internship for Credit |
Summer research internship, with fieldwork experiences within an interdisciplinary Socio-Ecological Research We are looking for an undergraduate student for a credit base summer research internship, which includes an international fieldwork component in African settings. The successful candidate will engage in both ecological and social data collection: · participate in empirical ecological data collection, including vegetation and biodiversity surveys, soil sample collection, etc. · observe and conduct semi-structured interviews, including understanding what are and how to do key informants’ interviews and focus group discussions · observe and conduct household surveys ... |
Agricultural Sciences, Environmental and Geosciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
Credit |
Community-based |
March 26, 2025 |
| Paid undergraduate research opportunity in water quality (field/lab-based) |
Research interests: Water quality, stream pollutant transport, watershed management, nutrient biogeochemistry, conservation practices, ecohydrological modeling The Valappil Research Lab in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (University Park) primarily works on integrating field and modeling-based research to study stream water quality, pollutant transport and cycling, and the impact of conservation practices on stream health. Our field-based projects involve testing for pollutant concentrations (nutrients and sediments) in various locations around Centre County, PA, as well as conducting tracer studies (injecting salts in streams and tracking their transport) to estimate nutrient uptake and its variability. Our projects also have a key Extension... |
Agricultural Sciences, Engineering, Environmental and Geosciences, Physical Sciences |
Paid |
Community-based, On campus |
March 5, 2025 |
| Paid undergraduate research opportunity in water quality (field/lab-based) | The Valappil Research Lab in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (University Park) is looking for an undergraduate student to work on a research project studying the impact of conservation practices on stream water quality. The project involves testing for pollutant concentrations (nutrients and sediments) in streams adjacent to properties that plan to implement management practices (eg: a new barn, vegetated stream buffer, etc.). By testing for water quality variables in the field and testing the samples in the lab over a long period of time, we aim to analyze the impact of these practices in improving water quality. In addition, we will conduct tracer studies (injecting salts in streams and tracking their transport) in various streams to estimate the nutrient... |
Agricultural Sciences, Engineering, Environmental and Geosciences, Physical Sciences |
Paid |
Community-based, On campus |
March 5, 2025 |