University-wide Research Opportunities

The CMU Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development (OURSD) is a valuable resource for undergraduate and graduate students as they navigate their research interests, potential scholarship opportunities and overall scholarly growth. OURSD provides guidance in two areas: undergraduate research and scholarships. The remainder of this article focuses on research funding opportunities for undergraduate students at CMU. A second article expands on scholarship opportunities, which are available to undergraduates, graduate students and alumni.

The OURSD team works with students, providing continued support and advising as they engage in these pursuits. While students of any major can utilize the office, this is an especially valuable resource for Dietrich students.

“We have humanities and social sciences students doing seriously amazing things, and I want Dietrich students to know that the research and scholarship opportunities we have in our office are for them,” said Paige Zalman, associate director of OURSD. “It is truly a treat to be able to work with students in those areas, and we want them to feel welcomed.”

Exploring undergraduate research 

OURSD is dedicated to helping students identify opportunities to support research or creative interests of any discipline by providing guidance through several mechanisms.

1. Advising sessions allow students to meet with an expert and discuss how to explore their interests and maximize their research strategies.
2. Workshops and programmatic opportunities are offered throughout the semester to assist students with proposal writing and research-oriented professional development.
3. Individual meetings with OURSD staff are available to work one-on-one on proposal materials. Schedule an individual meeting by filling out an OURSD intake form.

Undergraduate research opportunities

OURSD offers various programs and awards for undergraduate research endeavors.

1. Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeships (SURA) provide tuition-free variable credits to students with little to no research experience who are conducting remote or in-person summer research with a faculty member. Students interested in participating in SURA and need help finding a faculty mentor are encouraged to sign up for an advising appointment with OURSD. 
2. The Small Undergraduate Research Grants (SURG) program provides $500 to individuals and $1000 to groups for materials and supplies to support research in any field of study during the fall, spring or summer. Interested students can make an appointment with an OURSD advisor to work on proposal materials. The SURG website contains a list of deadlines for the application process. 
3. The Highway to Undergraduate Research in the Academic Year (HURAY) program provides funded research fellowships during the fall and spring semesters to eligible students with Federal Work-Study, a form of federal financial aid, and with little to no prior research experience. Available HURAY research positions are advertised annually by email over the summer.
4. Presentation Awards are given to undergraduate students or groups to help fund travel and expenses when presenting their work at an academic conference ($250 per student with a cap of $1,000 for four students). Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
5. The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) awards $4,500 to undergraduate students for 8–10 weeks (37.5 hours per week) of summer research on campus in any discipline. OURSD offers an annual SURF Proposal Writing Session to assist students with the application process.

OURSD undergraduate research resources are available to all CMU undergraduates. There are also a number of research funding opportunities and programs offered at the college level.