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Undergraduate Research

Explore your ideas in a world brimming with limitless discoveries at DSU.

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Our unique opportunities allow students to work with faculty to produce original contributions to the knowledge or activity of a particular academic discipline. Our mission is to establish services and programs that support students and faculty mentors in their pursuit of inquiry, creativity, scholarship, and research.

We encourage you to become involved in undergraduate research and scholarship, no matter what year you may be in your program. It takes time, effort, and collaboration to discover a research project, so the sooner you start the better!

As a researcher, you’ll engage in experiences that lead you to new knowledge, improve your ability to solve problems, think critically, result in new theory, create new art, or artistic performances. Faculty members are also at your service, as they will work closely with you or monitor your milestones throughout your research process.

Interested? We thought you might be!

To get started, follow these steps:

Find a subject that interests you – was there anything in your classes that left you wanting more? Was there a topic you enjoyed learning about?
Find a faculty mentor – make an appointment with faculty members and share your idea(s), prepare for your meeting by outlining your idea and your question, ask for advice and guidance
Identify funding opportunities – brainstorm with your mentor to identify grants, awards, or scholarships that may benefit your project
Develop a plan of action – including goals, steps, timelines, budgets, and objectives
Attend the annual DSU Research Symposium – every March or April, we host a research fair; plan to attend or present
Have fun! – your research is an invaluable investment in your education and future career. Having fun throughout the process will make it even more memorable

Expanding upon research

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As a researcher, you can enhance your learning and critical thinking, develop an understanding of research methodology, improve collaborative working skills, explore and expand areas of interest, build communication skills, and develop other numerous skills that will play an important role in your career.

Every spring, we host the DSU Research Symposium. This allows students to share their discoveries and showcase their work through oral presentations, fine arts exhibits and performances, poster presentations, and more.

This event is an excellent way for students to sharpen their presentation skills and gain confidence.

Unlock resources and support

All DSU students have the opportunity to become a member with the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) for free with an institutional membership. CUR offers a unique network of opportunities that students can utilize to develop their research skills at DSU and through CUR’s resources. Take advantage of the resources, shared knowledge, and support of the broader CUR community.

For those who are already in the CUR system, your email address will automatically link to the institutional membership. New faculty, mentors, administrators, and staff looking to unlock their benefits can create an account by visiting CUR.org/Membership and clicking “Activate Enhanced Membership Benefits” on the left sidebar. Explore the new benefits at CUR.org/Welcome.