Research Opportunities

Getting Started: Charlotte and Beyond

The first place to look for a research project is in your own department’s course catalog. Many courses include semester-long class projects or term papers that are ideal for presenting in a poster or even oral format at the conference.

• Alternatively, you can approach faculty (make an appointment) who conduct research or teach courses in subjects that interest you and ask if they have an independent study project that you could complete for them and present at the Conference.
• If you already have a particular project, essay or paper you have completed, approach the faculty member for whom you completed the project and ask them if they would help you to turn it into a presentation for the Conference.
• Finally, there are competitive research opportunities external to Charlotte (see below), some of which even pay. You can participate in these and then present the work at the Conference. Again, make sure that you consult a faculty member here to help you with preparing your presentation.

Research involving humans or vertebrate animals requires the approval of an appropriate review panel (either IRB or IACUC) before research can begin. So consult early with your advisor about the forms and procedures necessary to do these projects. If you are unsure if your project might need IRB or IACUC approval, please call the Office of Research Compliance at 704-687-1876.

Note to faculty: If you would like to post your research opportunity here, please email undergradresearch@charlotte.edu.

Resources

• Other research opportunities
• External funding

You can check out your department’s website at Charlotte or talk to your research advisor to see what types of courses and research different faculty participate in, and what opportunities there are for undergraduate research in your department.

Many external organizations sponsor Undergraduate Research Opportunities both throughout the school year and in the summer. Below are information and links to external programs and organizations offering both paid and unpaid Undergraduate Research opportunities.

Council on Undergraduate Research

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) and its affiliated colleges, universities, and individuals share a focus on providing undergraduate research opportunities for faculty and students at all institutions serving undergraduate students.

National Science Foundation (NSF): Research Experience for Undergraduates

The National Science Foundation sponsors research programs in a variety of disciplines at Universities all over the country. The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. Application Deadlines and additional information can be found at the REU homepage.

Blueprint Earth

This organization’s mission is to preserve Earth’s environments through scientific research and education. It works to accomplish this through cataloging individual environments, providing hands-on research opportunities for students, and gathering knowledge to create big-picture terra-engineering projects for the future. Field-based environmental research is done in the Mojave Desert.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA has compiled a list of Learner Opportunities that includes summer programs and scholarships for undergraduates:

North Carolina Academy of Science

The North Carolina Academy of Science offers opportunities for students to present their research in a State-wide venue and also to have it published in their quarterly peer-reviewed journal. They also offer good advice for students getting started with their research projects.