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.
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 Posting Undergraduate Research Opportunities section.
| Title | Description | Research Area(s) | Position Type(s) | Work Setting(s) | Updated Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 10 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 will shape human development into adulthood. 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 overall health outcomes. Research Assistant Benefits:
|
Life Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
Credit, Variable, Volunteer |
On campus |
October 6, 2026 |
| Part-Time Undergraduate Research Assistant |
The Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education is seeking an undergraduate research assistant to support a project to create a database cataloguing state immigration policies across the United States from 1989-2026. The RA will work directly with the study PI and a team of RAs to collect, clean, and code state legislative data. This position is for both the fall 2026 and spring 2027 semesters, with there being a possibility of extension into summer 2027. This is a great opportunity for any student interested in topics surrounding immigration, sociology, public policy, political science, and/or data science, and will allow students to gain hands-on experience with real-world research data and contribute to an active research project. |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
Paid |
Hybrid |
September 25, 2026 |
| Undergraduate Research Assistant on Biosolids and Soil Health |
Land application of biosolids on agricultural land is widely used as a practical and cost-effective strategy for returning organic matter and plant nutrients recovered from wastewater to soil. However, biosolids are complex materials that may also contain trace metals, pathogens, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Understanding their effects on soil health is important for the sustainable use of biosolids in agricultural systems. In this project, we aim to examine how land application of biosolids affects soil health. The student will contribute to a review paper by searching, reading, and summarizing published scientific literature on changes... |
Agricultural Sciences, Environmental and Geosciences |
Credit, Paid, Variable, Volunteer |
Hybrid, On campus |
September 20, 2026 |
| Pennsylvania Gambling Survey - Fall 2026 |
The Survey Research Center is collecting data for the Pennsylvania Interactive, Online Gaming Annual Study, a state-wide study to assess impacts of online gambling in Pennsylvania. The study is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. It has been designed to provide accurate, reliable, and representative data on Pennsylvanians' gambling. Residents across Pennsylvania (PA) have an equal chance of being selected to participate in this telephone survey that allows participants to share their experiences with online gambling. The project incorporates yearly data collection and includes an annual report of the findings. Since PA recently legalized online gaming, we are in a unique position to measure engagement and the impacts. This evidence will guide... |
Any, Business, Communications and Journalism, Humanities, Information Technology and Computer Science, Nursing and Health Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Statistics |
Paid |
On campus |
July 27, 2026 |
| 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 |
June 11, 2026 |
| 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. This research position is open to undergraduate and graduate students. |
Education, Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Statistics |
Paid, Volunteer, Work Study |
Hybrid, On campus, Remote |
June 3, 2026 |
| Robot and augmented-reality programming for sensorimotor neuroscience research |
This project involves programming a robot in Simulink and MATLAB for sensorimotor neuroscience research. The robot is called the KINARM Endpoint robot (KINARM LAB/) and it is widely used in the field of sensorimotor neuroscience to understand brain function. The robot is programmed so that healthy adults and children as well as patients with neurological disorders can manually interact with it by grabbing a manipulandum. The robot applies gentle forces and participants have to react to those forces. This work will be done in the Sensorimotor Neuroscience and Learning Laboratory in the Department of Kinesiology. The laboratory director is Dr. Tarkesh Singh. The laboratory is in the basement of the... |
Engineering, Life Sciences |
Credit, Variable, Volunteer |
On campus |
June 3, 2026 |
| Fanship Leisure, Loneliness & Social Wellbeing |
Lab: Tourism & Leisure Lab (ACURA)
Description:
Remote Opportunity: |
Any |
Credit, Variable, Volunteer |
Hybrid, On campus, Remote |
April 14, 2026 |
| Game of Thrones Fanship and Virtual Tourism to UNESCO World Heritage Site |
Lab: Tourism & Leisure Lab
Description: Benefits:
|
Any |
Credit, Variable, Volunteer |
Hybrid, On campus, Remote |
April 14, 2026 |
| Ecology of Plant-Insect or Plant-Slug Interactions |
We are interested in interactions between plants and plant-feeding insects and slugs. Plants may be rooted to the ground, but they are far from helpless victims and use a remarkable array of tactics to defend themselves from insects and other attackers. We study different aspects of plant-herbivore interactions, using a combination of laboratory and field work with both agriculturally important crop plants and native plant species. We are interested in the biology and life cycles of these animals as well as the responses of plants to their feeding. Our research tools tend to include behavioral bioassays, feeding trials, and analyses of plant chemistry. The ultimate goal of our lab is to better understand how populations of plant-feeding insects and slugs are regulated so that we... |
Life Sciences |
Credit, Volunteer |
On campus |
February 19, 2026 |