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. Note: You may not receive academic credit and be paid for the same research experience in a given semester.
- “Variable” refers to situations where the position type is likely to change. For example, some mentors like to accept students on a volunteer basis and after a semester of working together will consider paying the student or offering course credit.
- “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 Kim Fisher (kaw63@psu.edu) to determine if you are eligible to be awarded one.
Work Setting – Select the work setting(s) that works best with your schedule.
- “Variable” refers to situations where the work setting could change throughout the duration of the project or research. For example, some opportunities can start off in-person and be adapted to remote if circumstances were to require such a change.
Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive database of all the research opportunities available at Penn State. Please visit our Finding an Opportunity at Penn State section for other ideas for finding a research opportunity!
Mentors interested in creating an account or posting an opportunity should visit the Using the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Database section.
| Title | Description | Research Area(s) | Position Type(s) | Work Setting(s) | Updated Date | Posting Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate research in the Spatial Information and Intelligence Laboratory |
Motivated undergraduate students are encouraged to apply research positions at the Spatial Information and Intelligence Laboratory at the College of Information Sciences and Technology (E302 Westgate Building). Current onging research projects include Visual analytics: information visualization; data analytics; interactive dashboard design; analytical reasoning; Tools: Tableau, PyViz, GeoDA Geographical information analysis and retrieval: Mapping and visualizing geographical data; cartographic models; GIS analysis; Georeferencing text documents Speech-gesture recognition (using Microsoft Kinect sensors), Robotic 3D mapping: construction of 3D model of large indoor environment using SLAM... |
Information Technology and Computer Science |
Credit, Paid, Volunteer |
On campus, Remote |
December 22, 2020 | December 22, 2020 | |
| Rhetorical Criticism of Current Event or Popular Culture Texts |
This opportunity will enable undergraduate students to conduct rhetorical criticism research on a rhetorical text of their choice, using a rhetorical or communication theory to discover/create meaning and examine messages within the text. Texts can relate to current events, such as political speeches or social media pages, or may be popular culture texts, such as television shows, films, songs, play/musicals, anime, etc. Other options for texts may include museum exhibits, monuments, memorials, websites, and advertising campaigns. Undergraduate students who are interested in conducting their own rhetorical criticism research projects are encouraged to contact Dr. Valerie Schrader, Associate Professor of Communication Arts & Sciences and Coordinator of the Penn State... |
Communications and Journalism, Humanities, Visual and Performing Arts |
Credit |
Remote |
December 10, 2020 | October 2, 2020 | |
| PROSPER 2nd Generation |
The PROSPER 2nd Generation study aims to better understand how experiences in the family and at school during the early adolescent years set the stage for success in young adulthood, and how participating in school-based and family-based interventions during middle school may impact young adult well-being, family formation, and the quality of the child rearing environment. |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
Credit, Volunteer |
Remote |
December 10, 2020 | December 10, 2020 | |
| Undergraduate Student Research Assistant -- Mapping the Student Engagement Journey |
The Student Engagement Coordinator seeks two undergraduate students to assist with a large, multi-year research project around student engagement. Mapping the student engagement journey (https://mappingstudentengagement.com/) is a research project funded through the Student Engagement Network and will explore how Penn State undergraduate students discover, choose, and experience these opportunities. The student research assistants will help conduct in-depth interviews, code data, have the opportunity for presentation and publication at a local and national level, and will have the ability to design and lead their own research project around student... |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
Paid |
Remote |
September 15, 2020 | September 10, 2020 | |
| Research Experience for Seniors (REFS) Internship |
Senior Vice President for Research, Lora Weiss, in a letter to faculty on July 10th, 2020, emphasized the involvement of students intending to graduate by summer 2021 in integrated undergraduate/graduate research at Penn State. To respond, we have added a senior research experience program that will begin late fall 2020 and will run through the spring 2021 semester. This one-time program specifically targets rising seniors in need of research experience who may not have had the opportunity previously due to COVID shutdowns. For more details, visit https://sites.psu.edu/wisermurefurp/refs/. Program Details
|
Agricultural Sciences, Engineering, Environmental and Geosciences, Information Technology and Computer Science, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Statistics |
Paid |
On campus, Remote, Variable |
September 15, 2020 | September 3, 2020 | |
| First-year Undergraduate Research Program (FURP) Internship |
The PA Space Grant Research Internship Program is an exciting annual research focused program for students attending Penn State - University Park supported by the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. FURP is open to all first-year students interested in research. In summary, the internship is available to first-year students who are U.S. citizens planning to pursue a degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related field. Women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities or hardship are encouraged to apply. The program offers students a two-semester (spring and fall... |
Agricultural Sciences, Engineering, Environmental and Geosciences, Information Technology and Computer Science, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Statistics |
Paid |
On campus, Remote, Variable |
September 15, 2020 | September 3, 2020 | |
| Minority Undergraduate Research Experience (MURE) Internship |
The PA Space Grant Research Internship Program is an exciting annual research focused program for students attending Penn State - University Park supported by the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. MURE supports underrepresented minority students interested in pursuing research on campus that are in their first-year, sophomore, or junior years. Minority students are defined as African-American, Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander. Students of Asian descent are not considered minority students by NASA. The program offers students a two-semester (spring and fall semesters of one calendar year) faculty... |
Agricultural Sciences, Engineering, Environmental and Geosciences, Information Technology and Computer Science, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Statistics |
Paid |
On campus, Remote, Variable |
September 15, 2020 | September 3, 2020 | |
| Women In STEM and Engineering Research (WISER) Internship |
The PA Space Grant Research Internship Program is an exciting annual research focused program for students attending Penn State - University Park supported by the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. WISER is Open to all first-year students but focuses on supporting outstanding women interested in pursuing research on campus. The program offers first-year students a two-semester (spring and fall semesters of one calendar year) faculty-mentored internship in a research laboratory at Penn State-UP. During the internship experience, students have the opportunity to collaborate with a research team, learn the... |
Agricultural Sciences, Engineering, Environmental and Geosciences, Information Technology and Computer Science, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Statistics |
Paid |
On campus, Remote, Variable |
September 15, 2020 | September 3, 2020 | |
| The Role of Cognitive and Mathematical Structures in Problem Solving Process |
Our research group is interested in studying the cognitive role of mathematical aesthetics and strategic choices of problem solving solution methods and the relational role of item discrimination and difficulty. We examine how problem solvers’ behavior might be affected or altered by elementary modifications of problem structures. |
Education, Mathematics, Statistics |
Paid, Volunteer, Work Study |
On campus, Remote, Variable |
September 3, 2020 | August 24, 2020 | |
| Behavior, Ecology, and the Brain |
Research in the LaDage lab concerns the relationship between the brain and behavior, specifically focusing on the evolution of spatially-based behaviors and the hippocampus, an area of the brain heavily involved in learning and memory. Typically, we use non-model species (lizards, in particular) to incorporate ecological relevance into this relationship. |
Life Sciences |
Variable |
On campus |
September 1, 2020 | August 25, 2020 |