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In many lists of colleges, research universities are listed or ranked separately from other schools that focus exclusively on the undergraduate experience, like liberal arts colleges. Why? What's the point?

In this article, I’ll list the main characteristics of research universities, give you some information about what life is like at a few different schools, and help you decide whether a research university is the right choice for you.

What Is a Research University?

As you may have guessed from the name, research universities are universities where the main focus is on the research of professors and graduate students.   These universities may be less oriented towards undergraduate teaching, but they can still provide excellent experiences for students who are willing and able to seek out the resources they offer.

Here are some of the main characteristics of research universities:  

More Interaction with Graduate Students

Since all research universities have graduate programs associated with them, you’ll have more opportunities to interact with grad students as an undergraduate.  This may give you insight into your future or lead to collaboration on research projects conducted by more advanced students.  

State-of-the-Art Research Facilities

The main mission of a research university is to produce new and exciting research, and to do that it needs to provide the best equipment to its students and professors.  This is a big plus for students focused on the hard sciences because large research universities will usually have access to the latest technology.    

Wide Variety of Majors 

Research universities, due to their size and diversity, offer a wide range of majors to students.  Although it’s sometimes more difficult to change your major or create your own major at these universities due to a large bureaucracy, you’ll have lot of choice in the first place.  

Larger Class Sizes with Less Individual Attention

For most research universities, large class sizes, particularly at the introductory level, are common.  You may find yourself in lecture halls with more than 100 students, which means less attention and personalized feedback.

However, most of these large classes are split off into discussion sections taught by graduate students, so you'll get a chance to interact with other students and TAs.  Also, a s you take more advanced classes, class sizes will shrink.  Many of these universities also offer honors programs to qualified students where the environment is more like that of a small college.  

Distinguished Faculty

Research universities attract well-known faculty because of the resources and opportunities they offer.  You'll have the chance to network with very important people in fields that interest you. You may even be able to work side by side with high profile researchers on lab projects and become a coauthor on published research.   

International Reputation

Research universities have better reputations on a global scale than smaller teaching colleges. Since big discoveries and scientific breakthroughs often take place at research universities, they get more recognition abroad than other colleges that might have excellent undergraduate programs but less robust research capabilities.

Advantages for Future Graduate Students

Spending four years as an undergraduate at a research university can give you a leg up in the competition for graduate school admissions.  You can get letters of recommendation from top researchers in your field that will encourage other universities to accept you based on reputation. 

What Is the Student Experience Like?

The learning environment at a research university will be different from  the learning environment at a small college in most cases.  Here are a few examples of research universities along with some details on what the student experience is like. All student quotes are from the  Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 :

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Learning at MIT is based on research and hands-on experimentation.  Students in electrical engineering and computer science have the option of pursuing a five-year degree , meaning they obtain a masters upon completion of their studies. One student says, “The average MIT student can be characterized as having a passion and singular drive for what they really want in life.” 

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program facilitates student/faculty research projects and allows students to earn course credit and stipends for research. There are nine Nobel laureates on the MIT faculty at present.

MIT is home to many, many different research facilities. Currently under construction is a $350 million facility called MIT.nano, which will provide resources for students to do research in the exciting new field of nanotechnology. 

University of Colorado - Boulder

At UC Boulder, the 45,000 square foot Discovery Learning Center has 12 labs where engineering students can work on different technological challenges with high-tech capabilities and video conferencing.  A student says that “professors and graduate student instructors alike have taken a keen interest in students’ progress, success, and learning, making themselves available to students as a valuable resource for extra assistance with class concepts and assignments.” 

Programs such as the Special Undergraduate Enrichment Program and Presidents Leadership Class give high-performing students the ability to stand out from the crowd.  Students say that “It’s such a large, broad campus that just about any sort of student can be found” and  “every student, teacher, and department always has something new and exciting going on. It would be very hard to get bored here.”

Washington University in St. Louis

Students say that Washington University in St. Louis is “a place to grow and learn while having an unbelievably fun time.”  Undergraduates enroll in one of five schools: arts and sciences, architecture, art, business, or engineering , and the University also accommodates interdisciplinary majors and double majors.  

The medical school runs a faculty exchange program with the undergraduate biology department , giving biology majors the opportunity to conduct advanced lab research.  A program called the University Scholars Program allows students to apply for both undergraduate and graduate admission before entering college.

Unlike some research universities, Washington University in St. Louis gives students the chance to have one on one mentoring relationships with impressive faculty members.   According to one student, “one of my classes was a 150-person lecture class, and another was a 12-person seminar...despite these disparate class sizes, I was on a first-name basis with both of the professors.”

Should You Consider a Research University?

You may still be unsure about whether a research university is the right choice for you.  If these characteristics apply to you, you should consider research universities as options in your college search:

You Plan to Go to Grad School

As mentioned above, many research universities have programs that will put you on track for a strong graduate school application or even provide extended five-year programs that allow you to graduate with a masters.  These schools offer a more streamlined path to graduate school considering their reputable faculty and research opportunities. 

You’re Interested in the Sciences

The advanced facilities and resources at research universities will make the most difference to students who are interested in the sciences. Th e most cutting-edge scientific discoveries are occurring at these universities , so you'll have many opportunities to meet people who are leaders in their fields (and even collaborate with them on projects).

Libraries at research universities are excellent, but at most colleges you'll be able to get the resources you’re looking for in the humanities. If you’re interested in science, however, other colleges might not give you access to the same high tech equipment available at research universities. 

You Want to Do Research as an Undergraduate 

It should come as no surprise to you that research universities are the best places to do research!   This goes hand in hand with a desire to continue your education past an undergraduate degree.  If you plan on going on to grad school (particularly in the sciences), you will almost certainly be expected to do research as an undergraduate for your thesis and other projects. 

If you fit these characteristics, a research university may be the right choice for you, but it’s not necessarily the only good choice.  There are many small colleges that will afford you similar opportunities on a slightly smaller scale and may give you more one-on-one time with professors and a stronger advising system.  Students sometimes have to be very independent at research universities since the focus is not explicitly on undergraduate teaching.  However, these schools offer great opportunities to gather hands-on experience in the subject areas that interest you and connect with the brightest minds in any field.

What's Next?

Still trying to decide what type of college you want to attend? One factor you might consider besides a school's research capabilities is its status as a public or private institution. Read this article to find out which is a better fit for you.

If you're thinking of attending a research university, you may be looking at schools that are far from your home town. Learn more about the pros and cons of going to school out of state.

Not sure whether a large university is the right choice for you? Take a look at this article to see whether a big or small college will be a better fit for you.

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What is the Difference Between R1 and R2 Universities?

Posted by Shelly Quance on 11/30/22 8:08 AM

At R1 institutions, research study spans the academic spectrum, engaging grad students with research opportunities from the creative arts and humanities to the social sciences and applied sciences.

R1 universities are at the forefront of research and innovation, and they receive federal and/or private funding specifically for their academic research.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Higher Education has classified approximately 146 U.S. institutions as having R1 status. In other words, R1 institutions are recognized as the best research universities in the country — and West Virginia University is one of them (and the only R1 institution in the state of West Virginia).

But what is the difference between R1 and R2 universities? Are they really that much different? Is it really worth choosing an R1 institution over one with R2 status? Let's talk about it.

Here's the difference between R1 and R2 universities.

There is a significant difference between the level of research and therefore, academic innovation that comes out of R1 universities as opposed to R2. Here are three specific (and significant) differences you should take note of. 

R1 institutions graduate more doctoral students than R2 institutions.

Research conducted at the graduate level cultivates a more comprehensive and cutting-edge knowledge base. Graduate programs offered at R1 institutions also foster a community that focuses on experimental learning and expands upon research , rather than solely focusing on existing facts in the field. In this way, R1 status universities help graduate students engage in cutting-edge research typically associated with PhD candidates. 

PhD candidates find that conducting research at an R1 institution greatly benefits their academic and professional path because they are actively engaged with the most recent findings coming out of their respective fields. For this reason, R1 institutions actually graduate more doctoral students than any other universities, including R2 status institutions. 

R1 institutions receive significantly more funding than R2 institutions.

R1 institutions are awarded significantly larger amounts of funding in comparison to R2 institutions. R1 institutions are required to have minimum funding of $43.8 million per academic year. R2 institutions have a much lower minimum funding requirement.

And because R1 institutions also employ research-driven faculty who are passionate about research and who are dedicated to staying at the forefront of innovation, most R1 universities actually bring in significantly more than the minimum funding requirement.

For instance, by the end of 2020, WVU's total sponsored expenditures for research funding was $172 million , and by the end of 2021, WVU was granted $203 million in external funding for research and other sponsored programs.

R1 institutions produce more accomplished researchers than R2 institutions.

Graduate students at R1 institutions are investigating new frontiers — looking at what has been discovered and making their own new discoveries.

With a graduate degree from an R1 university, research-driven students can expect to go out and be a leading scholar in their area , and they will be on the forefront of the next generation of people who are discovering great new ideas and changing and shaping the world.

At WVU specifically, you will go through a huge transformation , where you’ll move from being the student to being the professional — and then you’ll be ready to make a mark on the world.

Learn more about WVU's R1 status — connect with us!

At West Virginia University, you have the valuable opportunity of joining one of the best research universities in the United States. At an internationally recognized R1 institution , you will learn with and from a community of driven, research-focused professionals who are making a positive impact across industries.

West Virginia University offers many excellent graduate programs designed to prepare you for a successful career. For a list of current programs, visit our graduate programs page .

As you consider your next academic venture, we invite you to take advantage of a few of our resources:   read more stories ,   subscribe to our podcast , and   visit our resource library   to learn more.

Learn more about obtaining a graduate degree at one of the best research universities in the U.S. — download WVU's Research Collaboration Guide!

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Posted by Shelly Quance

Shelly Quance has spent almost 20 years working in higher education marketing communications. She currently serves as Director for West Virginia University’s Office of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment where she works collaboratively with College leadership to develop, implement, and evaluate creative and effective comprehensive communication and marketing plans to increase graduate student enrollment.

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What Is a Research University?

In my last blog post I complained that too many high school students pick schools based primarily on size. And most of these students only want to look at schools that are large. Here is where I vented: Do You Know the Difference Between A College and University? What’s more important, I argued, is a school’s mission. Today, I want to explore a bit about what the mission is for large research institutions.

Research Universities

The prime mission of private and state flagship research universities is to generate research and produce graduate students. Schools like Yale, UCLA, MIT, University of Wisconsin and the University of Texas attract professors who enjoy stellar credential in their fields of study. Undergraduates foot much of the tab for these expensive graduate programs and for star professors who rarely ever teach. While producing graduate students is labor intensive, it’s much cheaper to teach undergrads because they can be taught in large lecture halls. And guess who ends up interacting with these undergrads the most? Graduate students. Particularly in the sciences, grad students often get their degrees for free and in return they teach undergraduates. Does this arrangement mean that students who attend large universities, particularly state institutions, will be corralled into large lecture-style classes for four (or more) years? In some cases, that’s exactly what’s going to happen, but not in others. You can learn a great deal about universities by reading a book that I’ve been recommending a lot, The Thinking Student’s Guide to College , which I wrote about in a previous blog post.

Getting Personal Attention at a Research University

How do you get personal attention if you attend a research university? Pursuing a major that isn’t impacted may also lead to smaller classes. Honor colleges within state universities can be another way to avoid some monster lecture-hall courses for the brightest students.  Here is where you can learn more about honor colleges . You should also contact faculty at a university — email is probably your best bet — and ask what is the average class size for introductory classes and what is the average class size once you get into your major. You should also ask students who attend the university and/or recently graduated this question. They would have no motivation to buffalo you. Earlier this year, I met a recent UCLA graduate, who had earned an English degree.  One of the first things that I asked him was how many students were in his English classes. While the young man said his professors were smart, he shared that he had been frustrated because the class sizes were too large. Even his upper-division English classes had at least 100 students in them. Consequently, he never got to know his professors. The UCLA English major did smile, however, when he recalled the one class that he truly loved. He took a senior English seminar class with just 15 students. He said he worked so hard in that class and thoroughly enjoyed it because of the intimate setting.

Undergraduates at Harvard

You shouldn’t assume that just because you attend a private research university that your professors will be more accessible and you will be able to skip lecture-style learning. I begin my book, The College Solution , with a story that appeared in The New York Times that focused on a movement at Harvard to improve the undergraduate education. Here’s an excerpt: A curious story appeared in The New York Times one day about the university that’s the academic equivalent of the Yankees. The article captured the concerns of faculty, who worry that the teaching taking place at Harvard University isn’t meeting the school’s own vaunted standards.  In fact, a professor lamented that some undergraduates, after spending four years at Harvard, don’t know a single faculty member well enough to ask for a letter of recommendation. (Here is the link to the story: Harvard Task Force Calls for New Focus on Teaching and Not Just Research .) Hmmm. One student, who was interviewed, suggested that undergraduates ought to know that professors are too focused on research to put much effort into what happens in the classroom. “You’d be stupid if you came to Harvard for the teaching,” a Harvard senior and a Rhodes scholar told the Times’ reporter. “You go to a liberal arts college for teaching. You come to Harvard to be around some of the greatest minds on earth.” And he had more to say: “I think many people (at Harvard) spend a great deal of their time in large lecture classes, have little direct contact with professors, and are frustrated by poorly trained teaching fellows.” So what’s the bottom line? If you want an excellent academic fit, you’ll need to do a lot more than look at the size and reputation of a university. Please dig deeper! Lynn O’Shaughnessy is the author of The College Solution , an Amazon bestseller, and she also write a college blog for CBSMoneyWatch. Follow her on Twitter .

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I just wanted to reply in order to share my undergrad experience at a large public research university. I am just about to complete my undergraduate degree in Corporate Finance at Georgia State University in Atlanta, which is on the verge of being the largest school in GA this upcoming year. In my entire undergrad experience I have ALWAYS received personalized attention by the professors, TAs, and SI instructors. What most first year students and parents have to realize is that due to what I consider the flawed structure of United States higher education, undergrad students spend the first two years of their undergrad repeating high school classes. These classes are very basic and require little instruction or expertise. Once you get into your program there are almost no grad students teaching upper level courses. A lot of the grad students working in upper level courses are merely Teacher Assistants that just grade papers, answer emails, post assignments, and proctor tests. In the Robinson College where I took my upper level classes every single one of my professors were world renowned Doctors. Most of my professors had taught at Universities in places such as Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Harvard, Yale, Emory, and GA Tech. Some of this can be contributed to Georgia State working very hard to build their programs as they are such a rapidly growing school with a lot of money, so they were able to shark a lot of professors from highly ranked universities across the world. In conclusion, don’t be worried about grad students teaching basic level courses. It’s how the system works, the students do a great job, it allows for a lot of the technological advances we see today to be possible, and it allows for great opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students alike!

I am a 1st year undergrad at Georgia Tech and I do notice downsides to the large class sizes. It is difficult to know one’s professors for most, but I like to sit in the front row and talk to them after class. TA’s are a valuable resource and without them, you might need to do all your learning with the book. I like the research aspect to my university because undergrads can also participate in some important discoveries with some world-renowned professors. I plan on conducting research with these professors in the nearby future (BME major) so wish me luck! (and good luck to your college bound kids too!)

As a parent sending his first child to a 4 year college, I wish I would have known this information before my daughter chose her school. I would have sent her to a teaching college for undergraduate studies and reserved the research university for grad school. The idea of spening almost a third of my income for my daughter to be taught by grad students makes my blood boil. It is going to be a long 4 years for me and her university. I will try to help educate as many parents as possible in that 4 years so they know that their future student is nothing but a burden to professors that would rather be doing research.

Hi Jessica, Congratulations for not letting the size of Georgia Tech slow you down in getting the most out of your undergraduate education. Unfortunately, many students don’t seek out teaching assistants and professors or get get from tutoring services and that’s a shame. Lynn O’Shaughnessy

Great post on research universities. I am a graduate of Georgia Tech and I spent most of my time in huge lectures so I can definitely relate to that experience. I relied heavily on meeting with TA’s and professors in their office hours and sought help from tutoring services on campus to get extra assistance. The best part of being at a huge research institute was that there were so many resources that were available to us because of research money.

How Undergraduates Benefit From Doing Research

Undergraduate research isn't just for STEM subjects.

Benefits of Undergraduate Research

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Studies show students who participate in research earn better grades, are more likely to graduate and are better equipped for graduate school or careers.

Jessica Stewart understands from personal experience the value of doing research as a college undergraduate. In her junior year at the University of California, Berkeley , Stewart worked with art historian Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby on her book, "Colossal," researching the Suez Canal, Eiffel Tower and other massive art and engineering monuments.

She loved the research so much that she went on to get her Ph.D. in art history. Almost 20 years after working on "Colossal," Stewart now directs the program that gave her the opportunity: UC Berkeley’s Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program.

But the initial benefit of doing undergraduate research was even more practical. When she was deciding which projects to apply for as an undergraduate, she got to explore many academic disciplines. This process opened her eyes.

“From the moment I set foot on campus, URAP allowed me to see what kinds of ideas I could study,” Stewart says. “The research and credit are great, but there’s this wayfinding side, too, where students can learn who researchers are, what research looks like and fields they may not have had any exposure to.”

A long tradition at some universities, mentored research projects are now offered at undergraduate institutions around the U.S. While many programs started out focused on science, today most universities offer opportunities across disciplines, including all aspects of STEM as well as architecture, business and theater arts.

No matter the subject area, research participation is an asset for undergrads. Studies show students who participate earn better grades , are more likely to graduate and are better equipped for graduate school or careers.

“It’s often most transformative for nontraditional learners and underrepresented students,” Stewart says. “They learn to triangulate life experience and studies in ways that may not have been intuitive for them. It greatly improves academic performance, retention and persistence.”

Research Roots in STEM

Every year, 6,000 undergraduates participate in research experiences through the National Science Foundation, mostly during the summer. Projects span nearly 20 subject areas , such as astronomy and ocean sciences. Most take place in the U.S., but some research is done abroad, including a marine sciences project at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences.

Experiences like these increase students’ confidence in their research skills and boost awareness of what graduate school will be like, according to a 2018 study . They also help students identify whether they want to pursue a science career.

“It’s one of the best ways to recruit students into STEM careers and retain them,” says Corby Hovis, a program director at the NSF's Division of Undergraduate Education. “That’s why we do it. It’s an effective way to get students from classrooms into doing STEM.”

The NSF is especially interested in applications from students who might not have had past opportunities to do research, including those who are the first in their families to attend college, and Black and Latino students.

Research institutions apply for NSF grants to mentor undergraduate students and guide them through participation in an ongoing project. For students, the experience includes orientation and training, as well as a stipend and allowances for housing and travel. In most cases, students write a paper about their contribution to research and may even present at a conference or seminar.

Some opportunities require that students have specific math courses under their belts, but all focus on helping students build other skills, aside from lab or research techniques, that they’ll need for future academic work or careers.

“Communicating clearly the results of research is a skill that could carry over into any field,” Hovis says. “The teamwork and cohort experience not only encourages them to continue in science, but (is) translatable to any number of other activities they will do later on.”

Connecting With Faculty

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , research has been part of the undergraduate experience for more than 50 years. Some students choose the school specifically for this reason, and more than 90% of students participate. As at other schools, research is part of a bigger initiative around experiential learning, which also includes service learning and study abroad .

The biggest challenge for students is usually figuring out what kind of research they’re interested in.

“We depend on students to do some of that footwork,” says Michael Bergren, director of MIT's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. “There are a lot of supports, but at the end of the day a student needs to understand what they’re interested in, who's doing the work they’re interested in and what the steps are to participating in that research.”

But there is hand-holding, if needed. Before applying to work on a project, students have to approach the lead faculty member and introduce themselves.

“This is really intimidating. We don’t take that for granted,” Bergren says. “Part of life skills development is approaching a lab or faculty member and advocating for themselves.”

Peers offer tips about how to navigate that face-to-face encounter, such as find out a faculty member's office hours, send an email with a resume attached and attend a departmental event.

The networking doesn’t stop there. Get to know which graduate students work on the project, talk to other students who might be exploring the same opportunities and make sure you know what the work involves.

“As the research progresses, deliverables amp up,” Bergren says. “You may find you need to put more time into this right when finals are happening.”

The Future of Undergraduate Research

Some undergraduate researchers might share their work at academic conferences or seminars, or even be published in journals. Some might participate in the Council on Undergraduate Research annual conference , the largest symposium of its kind. Every year, more than 4,000 students attend a graduate school and career fair and present work that spans the disciplines.

Students have come to expect that they’ll get a chance to do research as undergrads, says Lindsay Currie, the council's director.

“More recent generations grew up in a different climate. They learned by doing in classrooms,” Currie says. “That, combined with a workforce that expects people to have lived experience, means students want to be able to say that they’ve already done research as part of their coursework.”

What’s next, Currie says, is universities that integrate research into coursework so that students start a project their first year and continue through their time in college. Working with a network of universities, the Council on Undergraduate Research has completed a study of how schools can modify their curricula to incorporate research from the very beginning.

“Starting as freshmen, students would work on research that would build,” Currie says. “This would be significantly more advanced projects that would be consistent across the particular department. This is how they’re going to teach, because they know students benefit from doing.”

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Hi! I've heard the term 'research university' thrown around a lot, and I'm not entirely sure what it means. Can somebody explain what distinguishes a research university from other types of universities? Does it affect the student experience in any significant ways? Thank you!

Hey there! It's completely understandable to be curious about the term 'research university.' A research university is basically an institution that not only focuses on teaching but also emphasizes research, discovery, and innovation. These universities often have a large number of graduate-level programs, and the faculty members are usually active in research in their respective fields.

Compared to liberal arts colleges or teaching-focused institutions, research universities can offer their students access to cutting-edge resources and opportunities to participate in research projects, which can be quite valuable for those interested in academia or specific career paths. The student experience might be a bit different, as class sizes may be larger, and faculty may be more involved in their research work. But remember, no two universities are the same, so it's essential to research the specific institutions you're interested in. Good luck!

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What is undergraduate research, what is research.

Research across disciplines is the  systematic production of new knowledge . The process often includes the following:

• Developing a research question(s);
• Identifying where the research question(s) fits within existing knowledge, often accomplished through a literature review;
• Designing the method of investigating the question and securing the appropriate permissions to conduct your research;
• Collecting and analyzing data/materials, drawing conclusions from that analysis;
• Writing about, presenting and publishing your findings.

You can read more about how "research" is defined nationally by the  NSF/OECD Frascati Manual  (an applicable definition across disciplines and fields)  here .

What is undergraduate research and creative inquiry?

In keeping with national definitions, CCRF defines undergraduate research as follows: 

Undergraduate research is a scholarly or creative investigation that contributes to the systematic production of new knowledge; it is a meaningful activity undertaken with the guidance of a faculty member or other research mentor(s) and is used to enrich the College academic curriculum and student experience through enhanced critical thinking skills and a greater understanding of a chosen discipline(s) and its methodologies.

CCRF joins the  Council on Undergraduate Research  in their endorsement of scholarship by Drs. Jeffrey M. Osborn and Kerry K. Karukstis who argue that four common threads must run through  every undergraduate research activity  on any campus:

• Mentorship.  A serious, collaborative interaction between the faculty mentor and student, in which the student is intellectually engaged in the scholarly problem or project
• Originality.  The student makes a meaningful and authentic contribution to the scholarly problem or project, and the work must be entirely or partially novel
• Acceptability.  Employing techniques and methodologies that are appropriate and recognized by the discipline with a problem or project that includes a reflective and synthetic component
• Dissemination.  Includes a final tangible product for which both the process and results are peer-reviewed, juried, or judged in a manner consistent with disciplinary standards

The term “undergraduate research” encompasses faculty- or discipline-expert directed scholarly research activities and creative endeavors.  CCRF recognizes that these experiences may range from historical scholarship, curatorial research, and laboratory experiences to music composition, creative writing, dramaturgy and data analysis in the social sciences. 

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The role of research at universities: why it matters.

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Teaching and learning, research and discovery, synthesis and creativity, understanding and engagement, service and outreach. There are many “core elements” to the mission of a great university. Teaching would seem the most obvious, but for those outside of the university, “research” (taken to include scientific research, scholarship more broadly, as well as creative activity) may be the least well understood. This creates misunderstanding of how universities invest resources, especially those deriving from undergraduate tuition and state (or other public) support, and the misperception that those resources are being diverted away from what is believed should be the core (and sole) focus, teaching. This has led to a loss of trust, confidence, and willingness to continue to invest or otherwise support (especially our public) universities.

Why are universities engaged in the conduct of research? Who pays? Who benefits? And why does it all matter? Good questions. Let’s get to some straightforward answers. Because the academic research enterprise really is not that difficult to explain, and its impacts are profound.

So let’s demystify university-based research. And in doing so, hopefully we can begin building both better understanding and a better relationship between the public and higher education, both of which are essential to the future of US higher education.   

Why are universities engaged in the conduct of research?

Universities engage in research as part of their missions around learning and discovery. This, in turn, contributes directly and indirectly to their primary mission of teaching. Universities and many colleges (the exception being those dedicated exclusively to undergraduate teaching) have as part of their mission the pursuit of scholarship. This can come in the form of fundamental or applied research (both are most common in the STEM fields, broadly defined), research-based scholarship or what often is called “scholarly activity” (most common in the social sciences and humanities), or creative activity (most common in the arts). Increasingly, these simple categorizations are being blurred, for all good reasons and to the good of the discovery of new knowledge and greater understanding of complex (transdisciplinary) challenges and the creation of increasingly interrelated fields needed to address them.

It goes without saying that the advancement of knowledge (discovery, innovation, creation) is essential to any civilization. Our nation’s research universities represent some of the most concentrated communities of scholars, facilities, and collective expertise engaged in these activities. But more importantly, this is where higher education is delivered, where students develop breadth and depth of knowledge in foundational and advanced subjects, where the skills for knowledge acquisition and understanding (including contextualization, interpretation, and inference) are honed, and where students are educated, trained, and otherwise prepared for successful careers. Part of that training and preparation derives from exposure to faculty who are engaged at the leading-edge of their fields, through their research and scholarly work. The best faculty, the teacher-scholars, seamlessly weave their teaching and research efforts together, to their mutual benefit, and in a way that excites and engages their students. In this way, the next generation of scholars (academic or otherwise) is trained, research and discovery continue to advance inter-generationally, and the cycle is perpetuated.

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University research can be expensive, particularly in laboratory-intensive fields. But the responsibility for much (indeed most) of the cost of conducting research falls to the faculty member. Faculty who are engaged in research write grants for funding (e.g., from federal and state agencies, foundations, and private companies) to support their work and the work of their students and staff. In some cases, the universities do need to invest heavily in equipment, facilities, and personnel to support select research activities. But they do so judiciously, with an eye toward both their mission, their strategic priorities, and their available resources.

Medical research, and medical education more broadly, is expensive and often requires substantial institutional investment beyond what can be covered by clinical operations or externally funded research. But universities with medical schools/medical centers have determined that the value to their educational and training missions as well as to their communities justifies the investment. And most would agree that university-based medical centers are of significant value to their communities, often providing best-in-class treatment and care in midsize and smaller communities at a level more often seen in larger metropolitan areas.

Research in the STEM fields (broadly defined) can also be expensive. Scientific (including medical) and engineering research often involves specialized facilities or pieces of equipment, advanced computing capabilities, materials requiring controlled handling and storage, and so forth. But much of this work is funded, in large part, by federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Energy, US Department of Agriculture, and many others.

Research in the social sciences is often (not always) less expensive, requiring smaller amount of grant funding. As mentioned previously, however, it is now becoming common to have physical, natural, and social scientist teams pursuing large grant funding. This is an exciting and very promising trend for many reasons, not the least of which is the nature of the complex problems being studied.

Research in the arts and humanities typically requires the least amount of funding as it rarely requires the expensive items listed previously. Funding from such organizations as the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and private foundations may be able to support significant scholarship and creation of new knowledge or works through much more modest grants than would be required in the natural or physical sciences, for example.

Philanthropy may also be directed toward the support of research and scholarly activity at universities. Support from individual donors, family foundations, private or corporate foundations may be directed to support students, faculty, labs or other facilities, research programs, galleries, centers, and institutes.

Who benefits?

Students, both undergraduate and graduate, benefit from studying in an environment rich with research and discovery. Besides what the faculty can bring back to the classroom, there are opportunities to engage with faculty as part of their research teams and even conduct independent research under their supervision, often for credit. There are opportunities to learn about and learn on state-of-the-art equipment, in state-of-the-art laboratories, and from those working on the leading edge in a discipline. There are opportunities to co-author, present at conferences, make important connections, and explore post-graduate pathways.

The broader university benefits from active research programs. Research on timely and important topics attracts attention, which in turn leads to greater institutional visibility and reputation. As a university becomes known for its research in certain fields, they become magnets for students, faculty, grants, media coverage, and even philanthropy. Strength in research helps to define a university’s “brand” in the national and international marketplace, impacting everything from student recruitment, to faculty retention, to attracting new investments.

The community, region, and state benefits from the research activity of the university. This is especially true for public research universities. Research also contributes directly to economic development, clinical, commercial, and business opportunities. Resources brought into the university through grants and contracts support faculty, staff, and student salaries, often adding additional jobs, contributing directly to the tax base. Research universities, through their expertise, reputation, and facilities, can attract new businesses into their communities or states. They can also launch and incubate startup companies, or license and sell their technologies to other companies. Research universities often host meeting and conferences which creates revenue for local hotels, restaurants, event centers, and more. And as mentioned previously, university medical centers provide high-quality medical care, often in midsize communities that wouldn’t otherwise have such outstanding services and state-of-the-art facilities.

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And finally, why does this all matter?

Research is essential to advancing society, strengthening the economy, driving innovation, and addressing the vexing and challenging problems we face as a people, place, and planet. It’s through research, scholarship, and discovery that we learn about our history and ourselves, understand the present context in which we live, and plan for and secure our future.

Research universities are vibrant, exciting, and inspiring places to learn and to work. They offer opportunities for students that few other institutions can match – whether small liberal arts colleges, mid-size teaching universities, or community colleges – and while not right for every learner or every educator, they are right for many, if not most. The advantages simply cannot be ignored. Neither can the importance or the need for these institutions. They need not be for everyone, and everyone need not find their way to study or work at our research universities, and we stipulate that there are many outstanding options to meet and support different learning styles and provide different environments for teaching and learning. But it’s critically important that we continue to support, protect, and respect research universities for all they do for their students, their communities and states, our standing in the global scientific community, our economy, and our nation.

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Undergraduate Research at Vanderbilt

What is undergraduate research, the council for undergraduate research defines undergraduate research as “an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline.”.

Though many people falsely assume that only professors or graduate students are involved in research, in reality research is integrated into many of our undergraduate academic courses and is featured as the capstone experience in a number of majors. Undergraduate research runs the gamut from biology research in a laboratory to music performance at a senior honors recital. While “research” may conjure images of white lab coats or stacks of leather bound library books, creative activities expand the definition of research to a modern and interdisciplinary realm. From 2D artwork to live performances to artistic historical investigations, many Vanderbilt students expand their academic experiences to a stage, a gallery, or popular media. Many of our undergraduate students also conduct interdisciplinary research across majors, fields, and schools.

Research can also take place in many places and at many times. Vanderbilt offers an exceptional number of opportunities for undergraduate students to do research over the summer, but many students also partake in research right alongside their classwork in Fall and Spring semesters. And although many students do research right here at Vanderbilt, many students also travel to other universities, other cities, other countries, or are supported by types of institutions like government laboratories or privately owned corporations and foundations. Finally, students are not limited by class year, as students from all four years regularly partake in research.

Samples of recent undergraduate research projects and creative activities include:

-Examining the relationship between speech patterns and language in music

-Traveling to New York City to study performing art as a form of activism

-Measuring lung cancer cell growth and drug response in different tissue environments

-Comparing the acoustic properties of speech for preschool students who stutter and those who do not

-Studying corruption in Latin America to predict the public’s acceptance of a military coup

-Working on an archaeological dig in Peru

-Assisting a visiting art professor build bikes with battery powered stereos

-Using an unpublished 15th century book from the Vanderbilt library collection to see how the text and images support women’s devotions in the Middle Ages

-Shadowing and analyzing the behavior of school principles in different school settings

-Creating and updating Wikipedia articles for the Vanderbilt Library Special Collections

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Announcement 2024 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM VOLUNTEERS & MODERATORS As we approach this year's Symposium, we are seeking volunteers and moderators to join in on the fun! From days before, to day of, and following up, there are many roles to help support this momentous occasion. VOLUNTEER MODERATE

What is Undergraduate Research?

What is undergraduate research.

Research is a creative and systematic process of asking questions and discovering new knowledge. Any student, regardless of major, year, or experience, can get involved in undergraduate research.

“Find what you love! The sheer abundance of research opportunities at UW can be overwhelming. Take the time to explore what you like.” Sophia Mar Biochemistry Undergraduate

Frequently asked questions about undergraduate research:

Many students who answered these questions are Undergraduate Research Leaders (URLs) with the Office of Undergraduate Research . Click here to learn about the URL program.

Do I need prior research experience(s) to participate in undergraduate research?

No! Most people don’t have any experience with research before college, so it is more than okay to reach out before you have any formal research experience. I would encourage everyone interested in research to look into professors or researchers who conduct research on topics that you are interested in and email them to ask if they have any space in their lab! – Megana Shivakumar

View Megana’s URL profile here .

You definitely do not need prior experience to start researching as an undergrad! Most professors/UW programs supporting undergrad research are more than happy to support students through their first research experience. If you have found a topic or program that interests you, your interest is enough to make you a valuable member of the research process. Also, each research project/lab/program is completely different and will be a new starting point for each person involved even if they already have research experience. – Ruby Barone

When is a good time to start research and/or apply for a research opportunity?

Everyone has a different path to research! I started in high school through a Biomedical Sciences class and continued research at the UW through a summer program before freshman year. With this being said, you do not have to start research this early on. Some students begin research after the fall or winter quarter of Freshman year while others wait until Sophomore year. Personally, I took a break from research my sophomore year and just participated in summer research through an internship. Currently, I am starting in a different lab, so don’t worry about starting later into your undergraduate year as a junior. However, I would suggest reaching out sooner rather than later, so you do not wait until your senior year because you may not have enough time to learn whether you enjoy research or not. – Nisha BK

View Nisha’s URL profile here .

Can/should I do research before I’m in a major?

Yes! I would definitely encourage students to look into getting involved with research before they’re in their major so that you can learn more about the specific topics within your major that interest you. In addition, many PIs like to work with students earlier in their college career so that you can spend more time working in their lab and specializing in your skill set. It’s never too early to start! – Megana Shivakumar

Can I do research outside of my major?

You absolutely can! I conduct research in a Microbiology lab as a Biochemistry major. My research provides me with insight into the unique workings of biochemical assays specifically used with bacteria. For example, I research DNA replication proteins and am working to determine the biochemical mechanism of action for protein-protein interactions that are unique to bacteria using both in-vivo and in-vitro assays. Additionally, many fields are interdisciplinary in their research: in my lab, I get to work with aspects of Microbiology, Virology, Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry. Having a different major from your research topic can make you a unique asset to a research group, as you may be better equipped to answer questions in ways that come from your major compared to the field of the research you participate in. If you’re passionate about the topic, I would encourage you to pursue the research opportunity! – Tara Young

View Tara’s URL profile here .

Are there research opportunities for students in arts and humanities? (Can only STEM students get involved in research?)

This is one big misconception that I have come across at UW – that research is only STEM-related. This is wrong!! UW has tons of great opportunities for research in the humanities – for example, the Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities is a summer program that supports students through an arts/humanities-centered research project based around a common theme (selected students also receive a financial award and course credit!). The Mary Gates Endowment awards research scholarships to students from all disciplines, and many UW professors in the arts/humanities are also happy to have students reach out to them with research interests that can be pursued on a more one-on-one level with a mentor or instructor. – Ruby Barone

What do research experiences look like in the arts/humanities? Do you bring ideas or is there an assigned project?

Research in the arts/humanities is a lot less structured than how lab-based research and experiments might flow – students can create a research style and project that is tailored to their individual topic and interests, which allows projects to take form as research essays, art forms, performances, video essays, and the list goes on. For research programs like the Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities, and for more individualized research that one might work with a faculty member on, you are highly encouraged to bring your own interests and passions to the table. Your mentor(s) will likely provide a basic framework for the final project you are aiming to produce, but they also allow a lot of room for creativity and your own interpretation of your research to take place. For example, my last big research project took form as both a formal research project and an art piece, which ended up being displayed in UW libraries and the UW office of research. Research in the arts/humanities is very fluid, and your project’s form will likely evolve as you learn more about your topic. – Ruby Barone

If I started a research project in high school, can I continue it as an undergraduate?

If you began a research project in high school, it is absolutely up to you and your research mentor whether you want to continue it into your undergraduate career. If you feel passionate and excited about your research, don’t feel obligated to switch topics as you enter undergraduate research. However, I would say that the transition to college can be a great time to try new things and extend yourself as a researcher to learn new skills, techniques, and about new topics! You have a lot of years to experiment with new things. Anecdotally, the research I participated in during high school in seismology is completely different from the research I conduct now in microbiology, and I really value having had that experience in gaining skills in a more “dry lab” environment. Although I now work in a wet lab, there are many skills that can carry over, and it allows you to get a better sense of what excites you as a researcher. – Tara Young

How many hours per week are undergraduates expected to dedicate to research?

It depends. Most professors in STEM fields, from my understanding, expect approximately 9-12 hours per week. That said, you can fulfill these hours whenever it works best with your schedule. Moreover, all professors understand that you are a student first. If there are weeks where you have several exams, for example, or are particularly busy with schoolwork, communicate this to your research mentor! Odds are they will understand that you can’t work on your project as much as usual and it will be totally ok. – Carson Butcher

View Carson’s URL profile here .

How long (how many terms, how many hours per week) are you expected to be in a research experience?

For research in the STEM fields, mentors usually expect 10 hours per week of time commitment. However, it does not mean that you will and must do 10 hours of work every week. You would start easy with ~3 hours per week of training, getting yourself familiarized with the research methodology and protocols. As you gain familiarity and confidence in research methods, you can be more independent and conduct more experiments based on your interest, therefore spending more time in the lab. Mentors usually expect a long-term commitment of a minimum 1 year, and it is reasonable: most of the training, whether wet lab work or computational work, would require at least a quarter of training to gain confidence. You are left with two quarters (or more) of independent research to learn, grow and contribute. – Teng-Jui Lin

View Carson’s Teng-Jui’s profile here .

Can you apply to get basic research skills even if you don’t want a project or without having a specific goal in mind?

I recently transitioned to a new lab, and I do not have a specific project I am working on. I am mostly learning basic biomedical science lab bench work even though I have prior experience. My mentor encouraged me to start from the beginning as if I had no previous experience, so I can relearn the fundamentals. If you want to develop basic research skills, I would highly recommend applying because you will spend time learning techniques in the beginning and your mentor will be there to supervise you. – Nisha BK.

How do you balance schoolwork, work, life, home-life with research?

As a student who juggles a full course load and anywhere between 5-10 extracurriculars every quarter, I understand the struggle of maintaining a healthy work-life balance! Something that has always helped me is organizing my life into a calendar and being very intentional with how I spend my time. Especially when it comes to research, I set clear boundaries with my mentors about when I’ll be working. It also helps that I love everything that I do—I get to study neuroscience, do research, direct a mentorship program, and do a communications internship. It’s so rewarding when you get to do work that you are genuinely passionate about. But of course, we can’t be productive all the time. Make sure to prioritize your health and give yourself time to rest and recharge! – Shannon Hong

View Shannon’s URL profile here .

Additional Resources

• View the UW Libraries Undergraduate Research Tutorial module: Finding Your Balance

Anyone can participate in research and the Office of Undergraduate Research can help!

If you are curious about a subject and can find a mentor who is willing to support your endeavor, you can participate in research. The Office of Undergraduate Research is here to help you find research opportunities and mentors who can help you reach your goals. Check out a variety of undergraduate research projects below!

Jasmine Mae

Jasmine did undergraduate research on the Supreme Courts of the Philippines.

Learn more!

Matthew Nguyen

Matthew is pursuing research to find novel therapy for late-stage prostate cancer.

Meron Girma

Meron conducted research on healthcare accessibility within Ethiopia.

Abi worked to understand the impact of legal discourse on Seattle’s history of racially segregated schools.

Anika Lindley

Anika studied the association between aggression and social functioning in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Daniel Piacitelli

Daniel studies cosmological emissions in metal spectral lines as an Astronomy and Physics student.

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• College-Bound Colorado

What does undergraduate research really look like?

When people say, “research”, what do they mean? A quick search on the internet, usually. But in college, research takes on a whole new meaning.

Jason Keller February 22, 2019

When people say “research,” what do they mean? A quick search on the internet, usually. But in college, research takes on a whole new meaning. At its core, research is looking for the answer to a question that someone else hasn't already answered, building on the body of human knowledge. It's a key part of graduate programs and many career fields — so it's especially valuable to start getting research experience as an undergraduate.

Undergraduate research experience can look like a number of things, according to Janice Dickensheets, faculty fellow in the Office of Undergraduate Research at UNC. It can range from formal, clinical studies, to helping run a publication (like UNC's PUGS or UAP ), to creative works and beyond.

Research seeks to answer questions you can’t look up on your own or to develop things not yet created.

Research should present falsifiable claims and findings that haven't been uncovered yet. A falsifiable claim is a claim that can be disproven by countering studies or statements. As the blog Explorable puts it:

Falsifiability is the assertion that for any hypothesis to have credence, it must be inherently disprovable before it can become accepted as a scientific hypothesis or theory.

Basically, the more a piece of research can stand up to scholarly critiques, the more compelling the research. It should have some mechanism which might allow others to disprove it. This is an important part of the scientific method. Creative work, naturally, is an original piece, and might not be falsifiable.

Every research topic looks different.

The research approach for undergraduates differs depending on the field and focus of research, Dickensheets says. Some common types include working with faculty on their research, enrolling in a research program and conducting your own studies, or even creative endeavors. The actual nature of your research could carry you to the lab to conduct experiments and dissections or across the world to study poaching of endangered animals.

A lot of the time, it’s interdisciplinary.

Undergraduate research can cross disciplines. A student studying cello techniques of the 19th and 20th century might also need to conduct statistical analyses to understand which notes appear most often. Or a doctor trying to figure out if a medicine works could not only take detailed blood samples, but also ask the subjects how the medicine made them feel and then write up a paper on it.

Research can be artistic.

In some institutions, research might look like a manuscript, a book of poems or a sculpture. More traditional types of research include qualitative research (finding answers about the quality of something, such as by interviewing someone about their experience being raised by their grandparents) and quantitative research (using numbers to find answers, such as by conducting a survey where people answer questions about being raised by their grandparents "on a scale of 1-7").

It’s possible to get grants or even get paid.

Some research institutions, such as UNC, provide funds to help facilitate research, fund studies and present at conferences. In some institutions, it might even be possible for undergraduate researchers to take a paid research position in lieu of a job, earning them research experience and also payment. UNC offers stipends and grants to its undergraduate researchers.

Research can be a great way to improve critical thinking…

According to both Dickensheets and a paper written at Samford University by John K. Petrella and Alan P. Jung, undergraduate research can help students understand how the scientific method works or aid them in their ability to answer difficult or abstract questions.

“I think the biggest benefit to undergraduate research is the ability to be a critical thinker. It is one of the places where a student can’t just get away with memorizing and regurgitating answers. They have to think about the question at hand. Figure out what research the world has already done, and posit a solution, interpretation or summarization (generally) of that research, often providing answers or other questions that can become the impetus for additional research.” – Janice Dickensheets

Meet mentors…

Undergraduate research likely will require you to have a faculty member standing by to help you conduct and refine your research or answer any questions you might have. Often times the student will be asked to go and find their own faculty mentor, so it’s important to find one that aligns with your research interests. 

…or position yourself well for graduate school.

“You go to graduate school to do research, so they want to know that you can do research and that you’ll be good at it,” says Matthew Paoletti, then a graduate student studying for his doctorate in physics, in a 2007 Sciencemag.org article . According to the article, 74 percent of graduate students in chemistry had some research experience prior to grad school. A good GPA isn’t nearly as impressive to admissions counselors as a published paper is, according to the University of Illinois press . 

Interested in researching at the undergraduate level? Come visit UNC, and visit the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Honors Program .

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Student Research

What does research mean at rochester.

No matter your passion, Rochester is a great fit if you’re interested in doing research. Not only is the University a major research institution with world-class scholars, scientists, libraries, and laboratories, but it also has a long-standing commitment to making these resources fully available to undergraduates. As a result, you’ll find our student researchers working throughout our humanities, social sciences, natural and applied science disciplines. Whether in the lab or in the field, independently or with industry partners, in our local communities or all over the world our students make the world ever better.

How to fund research

The University’s  Research and Innovation Grants (RIG)  are awards that make research possible for students in the College. RIG helps get you involved in experiential activities that:

• Stimulate your mind
• Broaden your perspectives
• Expand your intellectual and social networking
• Strengthen your connections to the University community and the research and creative communities throughout the world

RIG provide research funding of $3,500 for undergraduate students working with a faculty sponsor. Only students applying to the College are eligible for these grants. Eligible sponsors are faculty members holding any type of appointment (including clinical, emeritus, adjunct, research associate, instructor, etc.) in any part of the University.

In addition to RIG, students can apply to other University of Rochester research grants and awards, such as the  Discover Grant, the  Barth-Crapsey Award or Meliora Scholars Program. 

Reimagine the world

Confronting the status quo

The University of Rochester is one of the country’s top-tier research institutions and attracts more than $400 million in research funding each year. With world-class facilities and a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio, Rochester is an ideal place for students to team up with professors to challenge current theories and thinking.

{Code} like a scientist

Making robots smarter, and more user-friendly

Computer science major Steven Broida is helping to bridge the gap between people and robots. He’s building a program that not only understands human speech and acts on human commands, but also learns its environment and becomes smarter as it works with people.

Eyes on the skies

Saving the Earth from asteroids

NASA has commissioned researchers to develop imaging technology to spot asteroids and other objects in space in time to divert them before they reach Earth’s orbit. This technology, known as NEOCam (Near-Earth Object Camera), uses infrared sensors that are being tested in a Rochester lab with the help of undergraduates like Diarra Bell, a double major in physics and astronomy, and computer science.

University of Missouri

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Undergraduate Research

What research means to me.

What research have you done? 

“At the University of Missouri, I have worked on an undergraduate research project in the soil physics lab for the last two years. My project focuses on how biofuel crop production may influence the speed at which water moves through soil, the amount of water retained in the soil, and the bulk density of the soil (dry soil per volume). I have primarily focused on this topic while here at the university, but prior to that, while in high school, I was very active in the FFA agriscience competitions. That informal research focused largely on pollinator preservation and identifying natural, pollinator-friendly insect repellents.” 

In your own words, what is the significance of research? What does it mean to you?

“Research is incredibly significant because it is how our species has continued to progress throughout history. It is research that first spurred the concepts of farming, building and medicine thousands of years ago, as these ideas had to be tested at some point. Research continues to change how we interpret even the most mundane things every day. To me, research is the answer to many of the growing issues we face today. Be it climate change or the coronavirus, research is the only way to fully understand what problems we currently face, what is yet to come, and how best to deal with it. Research is the key to finding answers to a multitude of questions, such as sustainably feeding our already overpopulated world or producing lifesaving vaccines.”

Do you think people have misconceptions about what research is?

“I feel there is a large disconnect between how people view research and how broad it really is. Some people see it as a this “notebook and pencil” image when in truth most people conduct research every day. Whenever someone takes a different path home from work, searching for a quicker way, that person is in that moment testing a hypothesis. When engineers are given an artsy design for a future structure, they often research a new way of building this unique structure in order to maintain its longevity and safety. When designers sew a new clothing design, plant breeders cross a new combination of genetic lines, or whenever one tries an old family recipe with a little more ground pepper, research is conducted. “

How has research informed/changed your education experience?

“Participating in research hasn’t as much changed my educational experience as it has enriched it. Conducting research has helped me to better understand my studies, making me a better student and future job applicant. Research has left me more disciplined and skilled, preparing me for advanced academic pursuits in graduate school and later in the workforce. For me, the best thing about my research experience has been the advice provided me by my adviser, Dr. Stephen Anderson. His insights on how to conduct research have been one of the richest learning experiences of my life.”

What do you plan on doing after college? Has your experience with research influenced what you want to do with your life?

“After graduating in May, I plan to attend graduate school, pursuing a PhD in Soil Science. Prior to conducting research, I had no further educational plans past receiving my bachelor’s degree and now I am on a path to achieving one of the highest academic titles in my field. As a first-generation student, I owe a great deal to the McNair Scholars Program for encouraging my involvement in undergraduate research. Thanks to my experiences as an undergraduate researcher, I have found my passion and identified future career goals as a researcher.”

The Power of Research Projects in College Admissions

Janos Perczel , former Harvard research fellow and co-founder of Polygence , discusses how research projects and working with mentors can help students stand out to universities, and the role IECs can play in this effort.

How research shaped my academic path

I was fortunate to have a physics teacher in high school, who took an early interest in mentoring and nurturing me as a researcher. We dove deep into the strange world of relativity and quantum mechanics and read original texts from Einstein and Heisenberg about space-time manifolds and Schrödinger’s cat. Under my mentor’s guidance, I wrote early research papers that allowed me to explore these topics in depth and hone my abilities as a researcher. These early experiences set me up for success as a researcher in college and led me to pursue research in quantum physics during my doctorate at MIT and while a research fellow at Harvard. 

Research is a critical product of higher education

The DNA, the radar, game theory and the Google search algorithm were all discovered at top research institutions, such asCambridge, MIT, Princeton and Stanford. Research at these top universities (so-called R1s) is a collaborative effort between professors, graduate students and undergraduates. This is why these schools look for students who are capable of doing high-quality independent academic work when evaluating prospective applicants. It is important to note that even at predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs) students engage in serious research, because such an open-ended activity cultivates creativity, persistence, and team spirit in students.

Research helps students stand out

According to the U.S. News and World Report , “High school students who have an impressive personal project they are working on independently often impress colleges, because their commitment to a successful solo endeavor conveys initiative, self-discipline and originality”. 

The reason for this is simple. High school grades are often terrible predictors of future success (Sir John Gurdon, Nobel Prize winner in Medicine ranked last out of 250 in his year group at biology). Similarly, test scores, AP exams and summer camps with a set curriculum give students little opportunity to showcase their academic creativity and intellectual rigor. This makes it difficult for colleges to identify the most promising students, especially if they have a non-traditional background. 

In contrast, a research project is by definition a unique and highly personal achievement that allows students to showcase their intellectual abilities at their best. This is why colleges encourage students to distinguish themselves through independent projects. For instance, MIT even has a creative portfolio section for all students to upload a significant research project as part of their application. Independent projects are gaining even more importance as college admissions are shifting away from standardized test scores (e.g. the University of California recently decided to phase out SAT/ACT scores completely).

How to find a research mentor

Few high school students ever get the chance to connect with a mentor at a deep level and get the attention and guidance needed to pursue an impactful research project. One potential remedy is to encourage students to reach out to researchers through their personal networks or via cold emails. However, often even the most experienced educational consultants are unsure how to help their students do this. While best practices vary depending on the field, general advice can be summarized as follows:

• Identify someone with the right expertise Surprisingly often students reach out to a researcher whose research area is only tangentially related to what the student wants to pursue. The more relevant the student’s proposed project to the researcher’s field, the less effort it will be to provide mentorship, making a positive response more likely.
• Show demonstrated interest Many students claim interest in advanced fields like AI, astrophysics or WWII history, but few students make the effort to explore these fields in depth despite the wealth of available resources online, such as edX, Khan Academy and even Wikipedia. Researchers do not have the bandwidth or interest to teach students the absolute basics and will likely only engage with students, who would genuinely benefit from guidance with advanced topics.
• Articulate what help is needed Researchers often have very busy schedules and fear taking on additional responsibilities that involve a lot of handholding. If a student clearly states what kind of help she wants to receive (e.g. identifying relevant papers to read, understanding a particularly challenging concept or getting feedback on a journal submission draft) the researcher can better estimate how much time commitment the mentorship will involve.

It is important to note that students can do a research project even without a mentor. It just takes resilience and focus to push through the inevitable tough patches without getting discouraged. Educational consultants can play a key role in ensuring that students stay motivated throughout the process. By definition a research question has not been answered before and a student cannot be sure whether they will succeed in finding the result they are looking for. Research is also a relatively slow process (the relevant time scale is months), which is often daunting to students who are used to quick feedback loops, such as getting an A in a test they sat last week. 

How to showcase a project

Students working on a project by themselves also need additional support and encouragement to find the right avenue to showcase their work. Educational consultants can assist students by making them aware of high school journals (e.g. the Journal of Youths in Science or the Concord Review ), science competitions (like the Regeneron ISEF Competition ) and other creative outlets (like Spotify ) for showcasing their work. Each journal, competition and publishing platform has its own formatting requirements for submissions and it is important that educational consultants instruct students to follow the submission guidelines closely to ensure successful publication.

A research academy for high schoolers: Polygence

Some students may find it helpful to find a research mentor through the online research academy, Polygence , which I co-founded with Jin Chow , a comparative literature scholar from Stanford University. Students at Polygence work with an academic mentor one-on-one for 3-6 months to develop an in-depth research project. Mentors guide them from idea to execution and presentation. Polygence students have done projects ranging from using AI to detect gender bias in the media and modelling the spread of infectious diseases , to studying privacy law violations by tech companies and exploring 20th century fashion history. Upon project completion, students publish papers in high school journals, create podcasts and present at leading scholarly conferences.

In Conclusion

Regardless of whether a student finds a research mentor through a cold email, personal connections, Polygence , or with the support of their education consultant, the key to success is for students to find joy in what they are doing and to keep going despite inevitable challenges. Thus educational consultants can set up their students for success by encouraging them to pursue a topic that they find genuinely interesting and by keeping them going through constant encouragement and feedback.

Janos recently joined the CollegePlannerPro team for a live webinar to discuss this topic at length. 

Watch the full recorded webinar below:  

How to write a rockstar blog post, the recipe for success for the independent educational consultant.

College of Biological Sciences

What Does Undergraduate Research Look Like?

At UC Davis, undergraduate students can conduct hypothesis-driven research under the direction of a faculty member. College of Biological Sciences faculty are exploring many topics across a range of disciplines in the life sciences, from untangling the complexity of the plant circadian clock, to investigating the microbiomes that make up our guts.

“Research experience helped me debunk many of my preconceived notions of what scientific research is truly like,” said Ben Mallory, ’18 B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. “ The biggest benefit for me was finding that my true passion was research, with my undergraduate research experience converting me from a pre-med direction to a Ph.D. route.”

Undergraduate student researchers use the scientific method to help perform tests, conduct experiments and collect data, typically under the guidance of a graduate student or postdoctoral researcher. As a College of Biological Sciences student, you'll be  an active part of the scientific community on campus, but keep in mind that it usually takes a long time to make research advances and breakthroughs. The process requires patience and commitment, as well as follow-through.

“Students love reading about concepts and discoveries in their courses, but actually conducting real research is very different than reading about it in a textbook," said Mark Winey, dean of the College of Biological Sciences. "Labwork can be repetitive, and it takes tenacity when it comes to verifying findings and making new discoveries.” 

The most common settings for undergraduate research

Not all research looks the same, but there are three primary types of environments you’ll work in as a student researcher:

Laboratories where organisms, chemicals, drugs or other biological samples are tested. Wet labs make up the majority of on-campus labs in the College of Biological Sciences. In addition to our college, many other faculty have wet labs across UC Davis.

Dry Labs: 

In a dry lab, researchers rely on computational or mathematical analysis, as well as sophisticated electronic testing equipment. These labs may also perform experiments on human subjects, evaluating brain, muscle or heartrate data. “In my lab, we look at the neural mechanism of attention, so we’re looking at how people pay attention in space and what pathways in the brain allow that to happen,” said Kelsey Klein, '18 B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior. “I’ve been lucky enough to be able to be on the side of helping design the experiment with my faculty mentor to actually collecting the data from people and learning how to do the analysis part.”  

This type of research is ideal if getting outdoors if you think you might enjoy collecting data outside a lab environment. While the methods and approaches of fieldwork vary, the goal is the same: you’ll observe, count and quantify the natural world.

Clinical research:

For pre-med students, clinical research will allow you to study and evaluate preventative measures, diagnoses and treatments for patients. This might be a valuable option if you are interested in healthcare.

Internships:

Outside of academia, internships can help you get other kinds of professional experience, especially if you want to learn first-hand how a business or organization operates.

Choosing a research environment

Now that you know a bit more about what to expect as an undergraduate researcher, it’s time to build a list of topics that you are interested in. With hundreds of research faculty across campus, you’ll have plenty of options and opportunities to pursue. Take some time and create an inventory of your skills and passions. By doing that, you’ll gain a better understanding of how to find your ideal research experience.

“I would suggest reading recent papers and reading the principal investigator’s (PI’s) bio on the UC Davis faculty page,” said Bita Shahrvini, ’18 B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. “ I chose the lab I did because I liked the PI, the lab offered me the chance to work and learn directly from the PI, I was able to have my own projects from the start and because I was intrigued by the research topics."

Nevada Today

Faces of the pack: micah woodruff, a q&a with the recipient of the sam lieberman regents’ award for student scholarship.

Recipient of the Sam Lieberman Regents’ Award for Student Scholarship, Micah Woodruff, is a senior at the University of Nevada, Reno.

A senior majoring in both neuroscience and biochemistry and molecular biology, Micah Woodruff aspires to be a physician-scientist. Woodruff excels in the classroom, helps his fellow students and volunteers in his community. In recognition of his accomplishments, the standout student was recently awarded the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Sam Lieberman Regents’ Award for Student Scholarship.

Woodruff has been making his mark not only on Wolf Pack grounds, but wherever he goes. Whether it’s working as a CNA at the local hospital; volunteering in his community; helping hundreds of students as a teaching assistant, peer instructor and program coordinator; or delving into several research projects, Woodruff has striven to succeed using a balanced approach to his academic career, all the while keeping an admirable humble attitude.

Woodruff hopes to be uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and improved patient outcomes. In his future career, he plans to become a physician scientist, pursuing a residency in neurological surgery and focusing his research on neurological regeneration. During his time at the University, he has cultivated and demonstrated his passion for medicine, science, leadership and service to his community.

Q&A With Micah Woodruff

Q: What does receiving this scholarship/award mean to you?

A: To receive this award is truly an honor and an acknowledgment of the people in my life who have sacrificed and invested in me. I think of my parents, my wife, my mentors and so many different people who have all put so much time and effort into seeing my success. So really, this award is not something that I see as just my own accomplishment, but more an accomplishment of everybody around me.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine and science in general?

A: In high school, I was very adamant about pursuing athletics, particularly baseball. However, during my senior year, I tore my ACL, which introduced me to medicine. I've been on a journey of exploration to discover what medicine truly is, and how that relates to my desire to serve other people. I think medicine is a very unique field that can facilitate my ability to serve people in a very personal and meaningful way. Built off of that desire, as I discovered what it meant to be a physician, I found its roots in science. Ultimately, I fell in love with science and the underpinnings of medicine.

Q: What makes you proud to be a member of the Pack?

A: I feel like what makes this university special is its small-town atmosphere, yet rigorous standards and in-depth experiences and opportunities. It all feels tight-knit. I've seen the impact of that with small cohorts for different degrees. For example, for my biochemistry degree, I've had the opportunity to be pretty close with several of my classmates, because it's such a small major.

Q: Why did you choose the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources to further your education?

A: I began as a neuroscience student when I transferred. I decided to add my biochemistry and molecular biology degree because of the research opportunities it provided. I think my decision largely stemmed from the opportunities that the major presented to me, but more broadly, in terms of the support the college offered to allow me to pursue my interests. The college is very focused on research, and that's definitely what I wanted to cultivate and develop.

Q: Why do you choose to research Parkinson's disease in the Dagda Lab?

A: I began my time here knowing that I wanted to get involved in research, specifically in molecular neuroscience. So, I searched for labs that had that focus. The Dagda Lab stood out in terms of what they were doing and the very clear connection to human disease. Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a mini-symposium in which my professor was a part. It was particularly meaningful to meet some of the people that this type of research could one day impact. Seeing that connection between the research that I was doing and the patients that hopefully it'll eventually help was inspiring. I enjoy the research that I'm doing currently and the scale at which it's happening. Hopefully, one day I will get to see the impact that it might have.

Q: What do you hope to achieve in your investigation of Parkinson's disease? And could you expand on exactly what it is you're doing with your research?

A: Absolutely. Currently, my research is focused on a protein called PINK1, mutations of which are associated with Parkinson’s disease. We're trying to understand what role this protein has in healthy neurons. Ultimately, the goal of our research is to develop a treatment option for Parkinson's disease. That's what my PI's lab has been largely focused on. My piece of the puzzle is rather small in comparison to the overall goal of the lab, but my project is working toward establishing some of the regulatory pathways that PINK1 functions in to understand the underlying processes for possible Parkinson's disease treatments.

Q: Can you explain what neurological regeneration is and why you want to focus your research on that?

A: Yeah, so that's something that has piqued my interest as I've explored and learned more about the field. Obviously, I'm not an expert in that area as an undergrad. But what draws me to the field is the ability to find something novel that has an impact on patient outcomes in severe diseases. So, we talk about neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, but we can also talk about things like strokes. We all have a finite number of neurons. Once you lose them, they're usually gone for good because they don’t regenerate in the way other cells do. If we're able to find ways to rejuvenate or circumvent that process, we could see a drastic increase in treatment options for debilitating diseases. Ultimately, that is what I'm interested in.

Q: What achievement are you most proud of thus far in your studies?

A: I made it a priority to maintain my grades while balancing the other areas of my life. I feel like this is one of my greatest achievements. 

Q: How do you want to incorporate your passion of teaching others into your future?

A: During my time at the University, I've been a teaching assistant for the greater part of five semesters, and it's been very rewarding. I've found that I really love teaching, and so as I move forward in my career, I definitely see it playing a large role in my life. Obviously, I don't know exactly how that will play out, but there are always opportunities to be able to teach your peers as well as those who are maybe a step behind in terms of their own journey. Whether it's lab members or other classmates, leadership in teaching can take so many different roles that I'm looking forward to developing further because it's something that I'm very passionate about.

Q: How do you balance your academics, volunteering ventures, and social life while keeping yourself mentally and physically healthy?

A: Yeah, it's not easy, and I don't do great at it all the time, as my wife will testify to. However, I ultimately believe that it stems from my relationship with God. For me personally, I find that my convictions, my dedication to what God has for my life, ultimately lends itself to an ability to prioritize and value different areas of my life while not neglect others.

Q: Who or what helped shape your service-focused leadership philosophy?

A: One of the best role models I've had is my father. There are multiple ways to lead, but the one that I resonate with most is that of servant leadership. Ultimately, that ties back to my faith and my belief in what it means to serve and sacrifice for others. This naturally leads to leading by example, bringing people along with you to share in success. My father has been a wonderful example for me. There are also mentors like Dr. Sandstrom who I've seen show this type of leadership, specifically in her dedication to her students.

Q: Do you have advice for students following a similar path as you in the future?

A: One of the biggest things that I've learned throughout my college experience is to stay committed to the small things, and the bigger things will take care of themselves. If you stay calm and grounded to what you believe, and pursue those in sincerity, the bigger questions in life generally fall into place. It's not always a smooth ride, by far. But being able to persevere and focus on the small things, helps you overcome trials and difficulties.

Q: Do you have any other comments or thoughts that you want to share about this scholarship you’ve been awarded?

A: I'm incredibly grateful for the people who have surrounded me, for the support system that I've had, and for the opportunities that the university has provided to me. There are so many students like me, and so I am incredibly grateful to be the one who's been acknowledged through this award. I am sure that there are many others who can attest to how the university has provided them the opportunities to succeed.

Impact & Student Success

Makerthon competition has students design products to address challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness

Team Mathemusicians takes home $2,000 prize for ‘c-kube,’ a secure storage solution

Sagebrushers season 3 ep. 2: Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Melanie Duckworth

President Sandoval welcomes new leader who will guide university efforts to enable inclusive excellence for students, faculty and staff

The University of Nevada, Reno Orvis School of Nursing ranks as top nursing program in the country

2023 National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX®) nursing graduate passing rates place the University at the top of the charts in the state and country

Faces of the Pack: Arnie Glassberg and Hinako Akeyama

Members of the Honors College Career and Community Mentorship Program

Editor's Picks

Earth Month events focus on increasing campus sustainably, gardening, thrifting and more

Anthropology doctoral candidate places second in regional Three-Minute Thesis Competition

A look at careers of substance and impact

NASA astronaut Eileen Collins shares stories at Women in Space event

Center for Urban Water Conservation celebrates 30 years of research

Public invited to tours, presentations and native plant sale

Reno/Sparks selected to be part of Urban Heat Mapping Campaign

The summer 2024 effort will involve community volunteers and is supported by the National Institutes of Health, NOAA, Climate.gov and Heat Watch

Join Extension to celebrate Arbor Day with a tree planting ceremony

Registered attendees will have the opportunity to learn from arborists and win a prize

Journalism school hosts 59th Scripps Dinner and Lecture, honors four students with scholarships

Steven Waldman, founder and president of Rebuild Local News, was this year’s Scripps lecturer

Wilderness medicine program director leads a life of adventure

Wilderness and sports medicine specialist Arthur "Tony" Islas, M.D., wields his expertise on and off the path

Grand opening of new School of Public Health building

Ribbon cutting ceremony marks the new home of the School of Public Health at the Edna S. Brigham Building

Classical Tahoe returns to the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe

Celebrate music and the beauty of the natural landscape from July 7-August 4

Ask the Professor: Which bees will my garden attract?

A recently published article outlines the relationship between bee nutrition and flower visits

Rural, Suburban, Urban Campus Settings

Find the right college for you., which is right for you.

One consideration in finding the right college for you is deciding what type of campus setting you prefer. Rural, suburban, and urban campuses have different advantages. The key is to find the setting that will allow you to make the most of your college experience.

Rural Campuses

Rural campuses are located in the country, often near farms and wilderness areas and usually near a small town. Here are things to consider about rural campuses :

• Most rural campuses are self-contained, and a majority of the students live on campus. This can increase a college’s sense of community.
• Rural campuses can provide access to outdoor learning opportunities, particularly in fields like agriculture or environmental science.
• Many rural colleges bring entertainment to their students and provide free events. Comedians and bands may perform on campus during college tours.
• Most rural colleges provide on-campus transportation options, such as buses, for students.
• The landscape of rural campuses can vary widely. For example, a rural campus in Ohio will be much different from a rural campus in Alaska.

Rural campuses are located in the country, often near farms and wilderness areas and usually near a 

Suburban Campuses

Suburban campuses are in small cities, large towns, or residential areas near cities. Here are things to consider about suburban campuses :

• Suburbs often combine some of the best features of urban and rural areas.
• Suburban campuses usually offer access to nearby cities and outdoor activities.
• Suburban colleges are frequently self-contained, which can create a strong sense of community.
• Suburban colleges often have connections to the towns in which they’re located. This can provide opportunities such as jobs and entertainment.
• Public transportation may be available in addition to a college’s transportation options.

Urban Campuses

Urban campuses are located in cities. Here are things to consider about urban campuses :

• Some urban campuses are spread throughout a city, while others are self-contained within a specific part of it.
• Many urban colleges offer off-campus learning experiences. These include opportunities to explore the work world through cooperative classes and internships.
• Students can find entertainment options─museums, concerts, and plays─on and off urban campuses.
• Cities usually offer strong public transportation options.

Check out other options to consider. Begin your search here .

Related Articles

Michigan football gets punished by NCAA. What does it mean for this year, Sherrone Moore?

The Michigan football program has officially been handed a punishment after it admitted to NCAA violations involving its football program as part of a negotiated resolution that was announced Tuesday afternoon.

The terms, which the NCAA said Michigan has agreed to in its announcement, include three years of probation, an undisclosed fine and recruiting restrictions. In addition, five current or former football employees have agreed to one-year show-cause orders.

Now, there's one major question left: What does it mean for 2024, with the Wolverines scheduled to kick off their national title defense against Fresno State on Aug. 31?

WHAT DID WARDE SAY: Michigan AD Warde Manuel: Football program can 'move forward' after NCAA sanctions

The short answer is somewhere between we don't know yet and not all that much, at least on the field. For starters, probationary terms can vary, but typically they aren't dire for a program.

There are currently five other football programs across the nation currently on probation: Tennessee, Florida State, South Florida, Air Force and Baylor. Other than Baylor, all of those schools had winning records last season, including FSU, who would have likely played U-M in the Rose Bowl had quarterback Jordan Travis not suffered a season-ending injury a few weeks prior.

Terms of probation can range anywhere from serious punishments, like vacated wins and missed postseason games (neither of which are happening for U-M), to minor slaps on the wrist like educating coaches on NCAA compliance and telling all potential prospects about the terms of the probation.

The next portion of the infraction is a fine. Though the exact financials were not disclosed as part of the agreement, U-M's athletic department had an operating budget of more than $229 million dollars last season , so presumably it will be a pain, but there's no reason that should impact the on-field product in any way.

The final part, the recruiting restrictions, is perhaps the place where Michigan could be the most impacted.

It's not yet clear what that will look like, however, even if there were scholarship limitations, there are still ways to indirectly circumvent that. Perhaps a student on scholarship opts to take a walk-on spot if they know that they can make up for it elsewhere in NIL deals and marketing.

Part of the agreement meant U-M acknowledged Harbaugh both “demonstrated a head coach responsibility violation” and “failed to meet his responsibility to cooperate with the investigation.

In a text message to the Free Press, Harbaugh's attorney Tom Mars said he “filed a lengthy response to the (Notice of Allegations) on behalf of Coach Harbaugh, which unfortunately hasn’t been made public and will probably never see the light of day. That concluded Coach Harbaugh’s participation in the case.”

FULL BACKSTORY: Michigan football handed three-year probation, recruiting penalties and fine by NCAA

Harbaugh still faces a Level I charge after he was deemed to have misled investigators. While Harbaugh has maintained his innocence, U-M's athletic department is officially separated from the matter any further.

“Today’s joint resolution pertains to the University of Michigan Athletic Department and several former and current employees," Manuel said. "We are pleased to reach a resolution on this matter so that our student-athletes and our football program can move forward."

This news does not mean U-M is out of the woodwork entirely as it pertains to looming NCAA investigations.

Harbaugh was suspended for three games twice last season. The first was a self-imposed suspension after U-M after failed to reach a negotiated resolution with the NCAA for the COVID-era violations discussed above.

The second time, however, was by the Big Ten Conference for an alleged sign-stealing scandal, spearheaded by former low-level recruiting staffer Connor Stalions. Harbaugh has never been shown to have any affiliation to that plot, nor has any current or former staffer not named Stalions.

Michigan has not received a draft letter of the notice of allegations for that alleged impropriety, which is still in the discovery phase.

Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

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Changing Partisan Coalitions in a Politically Divided Nation

Party identification among registered voters, 1994-2023, table of contents.

• What this report tells us – and what it doesn’t
• Partisans and partisan leaners in the U.S. electorate
• Party identification and ideology
• Education and partisanship
• Education, race and partisanship
• Partisanship by race and gender
• Partisanship across educational and gender groups by race and ethnicity
• Gender and partisanship
• Parents are more Republican than voters without children
• Partisanship among men and women within age groups
• Race, age and partisanship
• The partisanship of generational cohorts
• Religion, race and ethnicity, and partisanship
• Party identification among atheists, agnostics and ‘nothing in particular’
• Partisanship and religious service attendance
• Partisanship by income groups
• The relationship between income and partisanship differs by education
• Union members remain more Democratic than Republican
• Homeowners are more Republican than renters
• Partisanship of military veterans
• Demographic differences in partisanship by community type
• Race and ethnicity
• Age and the U.S. electorate
• Education by race and ethnicity
• Religious affiliation
• Ideological composition of voters
• Acknowledgments
• Overview of survey methodologies
• The 2023 American Trends Panel profile survey methodology
• Measuring party identification across survey modes
• Adjusting telephone survey trends
• Appendix B: Religious category definitions
• Appendix C: Age cohort definitions

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to explore partisan identification among U.S. registered voters across major demographic groups and how voters’ partisan affiliation has shifted over time. It also explores the changing composition of voters overall and the partisan coalitions.

For this analysis, we used annual totals of data from Pew Research Center telephone surveys (1994-2018) and online surveys (2019-2023) among registered voters. All telephone survey data was adjusted to account for differences in how people respond to surveys on the telephone compared with online surveys (refer to Appendix A for details).

All online survey data is from the Center’s nationally representative American Trends Panel . The surveys were conducted in both English and Spanish. Each survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, age, education, race and ethnicity and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology , as well as how Pew Research Center measures many of the demographic categories used in this report .

The contours of the 2024 political landscape are the result of long-standing patterns of partisanship, combined with the profound demographic changes that have reshaped the United States over the past three decades.

Many of the factors long associated with voters’ partisanship remain firmly in place. For decades, gender, race and ethnicity, and religious affiliation have been important dividing lines in politics. This continues to be the case today.

Yet there also have been profound changes – in some cases as a result of demographic change, in others because of dramatic shifts in the partisan allegiances of key groups.

The combined effects of change and continuity have left the country’s two major parties at virtual parity: About half of registered voters (49%) identify as Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party, while 48% identify as Republicans or lean Republican.

In recent decades, neither party has had a sizable advantage, but the Democratic Party has lost the edge it maintained from 2017 to 2021. (Explore this further in Chapter 1 . )

Pew Research Center’s comprehensive analysis of party identification among registered voters – based on hundreds of thousands of interviews conducted over the past three decades – tracks the changes in the country and the parties since 1994. Among the major findings:

The partisan coalitions are increasingly different. Both parties are more racially and ethnically diverse than in the past. However, this has had a far greater impact on the composition of the Democratic Party than the Republican Party.

The share of voters who are Hispanic has roughly tripled since the mid-1990s; the share who are Asian has increased sixfold over the same period. Today, 44% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters are Hispanic, Black, Asian, another race or multiracial, compared with 20% of Republicans and Republican leaners. However, the Democratic Party’s advantages among Black and Hispanic voters, in particular, have narrowed somewhat in recent years. (Explore this further in Chapter 8 .)

Education and partisanship: The share of voters with a four-year bachelor’s degree keeps increasing, reaching 40% in 2023. And the gap in partisanship between voters with and without a college degree continues to grow, especially among White voters. More than six-in-ten White voters who do not have a four-year degree (63%) associate with the Republican Party, which is up substantially over the past 15 years. White college graduates are closely divided; this was not the case in the 1990s and early 2000s, when they mostly aligned with the GOP. (Explore this further in Chapter 2 .)

Beyond the gender gap: By a modest margin, women voters continue to align with the Democratic Party (by 51% to 44%), while nearly the reverse is true among men (52% align with the Republican Party, 46% with the Democratic Party). The gender gap is about as wide among married men and women. The gap is wider among men and women who have never married; while both groups are majority Democratic, 37% of never-married men identify as Republicans or lean toward the GOP, compared with 24% of never-married women. (Explore this further in Chapter 3 .)

A divide between old and young: Today, each younger age cohort is somewhat more Democratic-oriented than the one before it. The youngest voters (those ages 18 to 24) align with the Democrats by nearly two-to-one (66% to 34% Republican or lean GOP); majorities of older voters (those in their mid-60s and older) identify as Republicans or lean Republican. While there have been wide age divides in American politics over the last two decades, this wasn’t always the case; in the 1990s there were only very modest age differences in partisanship. (Explore this further in Chapter 4 .)

Education and family income: Voters without a college degree differ substantially by income in their party affiliation. Those with middle, upper-middle and upper family incomes tend to align with the GOP. A majority with lower and lower-middle incomes identify as Democrats or lean Democratic. There are no meaningful differences in partisanship among voters with at least a four-year bachelor’s degree; across income categories, majorities of college graduate voters align with the Democratic Party. (Explore this further in Chapter 6 .)

Rural voters move toward the GOP, while the suburbs remain divided: In 2008, when Barack Obama sought his first term as president, voters in rural counties were evenly split in their partisan loyalties. Today, Republicans hold a 25 percentage point advantage among rural residents (60% to 35%). There has been less change among voters in urban counties, who are mostly Democratic by a nearly identical margin (60% to 37%). The suburbs – perennially a political battleground – remain about evenly divided. (Explore this further in Chapter 7 . )

Growing differences among religious groups: Mirroring movement in the population overall, the share of voters who are religiously unaffiliated has grown dramatically over the past 15 years. These voters, who have long aligned with the Democratic Party, have become even more Democratic over time: Today 70% identify as Democrats or lean Democratic. In contrast, Republicans have made gains among several groups of religiously affiliated voters, particularly White Catholics and White evangelical Protestants. White evangelical Protestants now align with the Republican Party by about a 70-point margin (85% to 14%). (Explore this further in Chapter 5 .)

In most cases, the partisan allegiances of voters do not change a great deal from year to year. Yet as this study shows, the long-term shifts in party identification are substantial and say a great deal about how the country – and its political parties – have changed since the 1990s.

The steadily growing alignment between demographics and partisanship reveals an important aspect of steadily growing partisan polarization. Republicans and Democrats do not just hold different beliefs and opinions about major issues , they are much more different racially, ethnically, geographically and in educational attainment than they used to be.

Yet over this period, there have been only modest shifts in overall partisan identification. Voters remain evenly divided, even as the two parties have grown further apart. The continuing close division in partisan identification among voters is consistent with the relatively narrow margins in the popular votes in most national elections over the past three decades.

Partisan identification provides a broad portrait of voters’ affinities and loyalties. But while it is indicative of voters’ preferences, it does not perfectly predict how people intend to vote in elections, or whether they will vote. In the coming months, Pew Research Center will release reports analyzing voters’ preferences in the presidential election, their engagement with the election and the factors behind candidate support.

Next year, we will release a detailed study of the 2024 election, based on validated voters from the Center’s American Trends Panel. It will examine the demographic composition and vote choices of the 2024 electorate and will provide comparisons to the 2020 and 2016 validated voter studies.

The partisan identification study is based on annual totals from surveys conducted on the Center’s American Trends Panel from 2019 to 2023 and telephone surveys conducted from 1994 to 2018. The survey data was adjusted to account for differences in how the surveys were conducted. For more information, refer to Appendix A .

Previous Pew Research Center analyses of voters’ party identification relied on telephone survey data. This report, for the first time, combines data collected in telephone surveys with data from online surveys conducted on the Center’s nationally representative American Trends Panel.

Directly comparing answers from online and telephone surveys is complex because there are differences in how questions are asked of respondents and in how respondents answer those questions. Together these differences are known as “mode effects.”

As a result of mode effects, it was necessary to adjust telephone trends for leaned party identification in order to allow for direct comparisons over time.

In this report, telephone survey data from 1994 to 2018 is adjusted to align it with online survey responses. In 2014, Pew Research Center randomly assigned respondents to answer a survey by telephone or online. The party identification data from this survey was used to calculate an adjustment for differences between survey mode, which is applied to all telephone survey data in this report.

Please refer to Appendix A for more details.

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What Does Ryan Montgomery's Commitment to Georgia Mean for Julian Lewis?

The Georgia Bulldogs just earned a commitment from a quarterback in the class of 2025. How will this effect their recruitment of Julian Lewis?

• Author: Christian Kirby II

The Georgia Bulldogs earned their first quarterback commitment in the 2025 recruiting cycle this week as Ryan Montgomery recently announced his commitment to the team. Montgomery, a 4-star from Findlay, Ohio is the prototypical build for an NFL quarterback. He stands at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, and possesses high-level arm strength that is more than adequate to compete in the SEC. 

The commitment of Montgomery is excellent news and indicates that the Bulldogs are going to be in for another strong recruiting class in the 2025 cycle. However, it has raised a question for some Georgia fans. “What does this mean for Julian Lewis?”.

Lewis, a 5-star quarterback from Carrolton, Georgia has been highly recruited by Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs for a handful of years now. Unfortunately for the Dawgs, Lewis committed to the USC Trojans in August of 2023. But, despite his commitment to the Trojans, the Bulldogs have maintained a strong relationship with Lewis and have actively been working on flipping him to their 2025 class. 

Montgomery’s commitment to the Bulldogs may cause a snag in Georgia’s ability to flip Lewis. The 5-star is less likely to join a recruiting class where a quarterback is already committed. However, this does not mean that Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs will be recruiting Lewis any less. Should Lewis decide to flip his commitment from USC, Georgia would happily take two quarterbacks in their 2025 recruiting class. 

Georgia Bulldogs 2024 Football Schedule

• Aug. 31 - vs Clemson (Atlanta, Ga.)
• Sept. 7 - vs Tennessee Tech
• Sept. 14 - @ Kentucky
• Sept. 21 - BYE
• Sept. 28 @ Alabama
• Oct. 5 - vs Auburn
• Oct. 12 - vs Mississippi State
• Oct. 19 - @ Texas
• Oct. 26 - BYE
• Nov. 2 - vs Florida (Jacksonville, Fl.)
• Nov. 9 - @ Ole Miss
• Nov. 16 - vs Tennessee
• Nov. 23 vs UMass
• Nov. 30 vs Georgia Tech

Other Georgia News:

• Will Georgia Have a 1,000-yard Rusher in 2024?
• Georgia Football Practice Notes From Day 2 of Spring Ball
• Has Wide Receiver Ladd McConkey Done Enough to Become a First-Round Selection in the 2024 NFL Draft?

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