Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate research extends learning beyond the classroom, providing students with exciting opportunities to investigate pressing questions in science. At the heart of the Smith experience is active engagement, driven by faculty-mentored research across a wide variety of academic disciplines. About half of Smith’s STEM majors conduct research with Smith professors. By joining a research lab, students gain authentic experience applying the scientific method, are exposed to the greater scientific community and contribute to long-term discovery.
Ways to Pursue Research
Before getting started in research, consider why you are hoping to do research. Research is a great way to get hands-on experience working in research teams, but it can also be a substantial time commitment. There are different ways to conduct research on campus—for example, as a volunteer in a lab, for academic (special studies) credit, as a work-study job, or as a summer (SURF) or senior year thesis project.
Additionally, the CITI Program is available to all students and offers multiple certifications in the responsible conduct of research, including human subjects and animal use research. Learn more about creating an account with the CITI Program.
Types of Research
| Type of Research | Description |
|---|---|
| Research scholarships | The AEMES and STRIDE programs at Smith provide a limited number of funded research opportunities on campus to incoming students during their first and second years. |
| Volunteer | Volunteering is a good lower-commitment way to explore whether research in a particular lab is a good fit for you and to get to know the topics and process in that lab. |
| SURF | Smith students can apply to conduct 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) in research labs across campus. |
| Special Studies | Smith offers 1-4 credits for supervised independent research projects during the academic year. Research students conduct special studies research in labs across campus. |
| Work-Study | A limited number of work-study paid research opportunities are available for eligible students in select labs. |
| Senior Honors Thesis | A senior thesis is a yearlong project that allows students to engage in all aspects of the research process at length. These projects are often the culmination of research started in the sophomore or junior year, and/or summer SURF research. Students with financial need can apply to the McKinley Honors Fellowship Program. |
