Office of Undergraduate Research
Legare 126
Phone: 803-777-1141
Email: our@sc.edu

1. What is undergraduate research?
2. How do research or creative learning opportunities outside the classroom benefit me?
3. Do I have to do research in my major?
4. How do I get started?
5. What questions should I ask faculty?
6. What is work study, and how can I become a work-study student?
7. I would like to present my research. What opportunities are available?
8. I’ve been involved in undergraduate research. How can I use this to get a job or get into graduate school?
9. What is CUR?
10. What is NCUR?

• This is an opportunity to participate in intellectual discovery and creative applications of the knowledge gained in the classroom
• It’s all about applying what you learn and expanding your learning environment
• This means it is for anyone who wants hands-on experience (NOT just the sciences)
• Any student who is working on a research project, whether funded or not or credit/no credit, is considered part of the Undergraduate Research Initiative and the Office of Undergraduate Research is ready and willing to help you

• Learn to apply what you have learned in the classroom
• Gain real-world experience – very important for employers
• Gain experience for graduate or professional schools (highly recommended by competitive schools/programs)
• Work more closely with faculty
• Build your resume and gain resources for recommendations
• Produce a stronger background to become a more attractive candidate for many competitive scholarships and fellowships
• Enhancement or improvement of various skills and abilities that strongly correlate with future success, including:
  
  • Intellectual curiosity
  • Communication
  • Ability to think logically about complex materials
  • Understand research findings
  • Synthesize and use information from diverse sources
  • Solve problems independently, without supervision
  • Approach problems creatively
  • Work as part of a team
  • Maintain openness to new ideas
  • Possess clear career goals
  • Adapt to changing technology
  • Understand ethical implications of issues

Do I have to do research in my major?

• Absolutely NOT!
• While research in your major can certainly help in applying the things you have learned, research in any area of interest will provide you with valuable skills and abilities that will benefit you during your academic career and beyond, whether you choose graduate school or not.

How do I get started?

• Start looking for research opportunities right away!!
• Take the initiative to discover your interest areas – what classes or topics most interest you.
• Find out what faculty are doing – start with the USC Research Database. This searchable database will allow you to find faculty members by department or keywords and will list the research interests of each of the faculty members that the database pulls up. Tips and hints on searching are located on this page as well.
• Seek out faculty or other professionals (on or off-campus) who are doing work that interests you.
• Get to know your professors and advisors – they are great resources!! Go by office hours, ask questions, etc. As you get to know your profs, ask them about research, they may have something available or know who you should talk to. Remember: if a prof doesn’t know you, he/she can’t write you a recommendation.
• Talk to friends and upperclassman about research. They may have suggestions on faculty you should work with.
• Talk to your advisor about receiving credit through independent study, etc. for your scholarly work.

What questions should I ask faculty?

• Do you have a research project that needs an undergraduate student's help?
• How did you get involved in this particular area of research?
• Why is your particular area of research important?
• Where does funding come from for your research?
• What does an undergraduate working with you typically do?
• What are some projects previous students have worked on?
• Are there any particular skills or characteristics you expect an undergraduate to have before beginning a project with you?
• What are your expectations of undergraduate researchers?
• Are there any specific classes you suggest I take?
• Are there any books or research articles you suggest I read?
• Do you have suggestions for other faculty members for me to talk to?

What is work study, and how can I become a work-study student?
The Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program provides funds for part-time jobs which allow students to earn money needed to pay for educational expenses. Work-Study awards are a form of federal financial aid. To see if you qualify, contact the Financial Aid Office.

The amount of money earned through work-study is fixed. Once a student has earned this amount, he/she must stop working unless the money is supplemented by another fund. If you receive work-study, it is important to plan your schedule at the beginning of each term to figure out how long it will take to earn the total award. The formula is: Work-Study Award Amount / Hourly Pay Rate / # Weeks in term = Hours per week.

I would like to present my research. What opportunities are available?
Discovery Day is USC’s opportunity for undergraduates to present their research. To find out more about Discovery Day, click here. In addition, there are a number of discipline specific “research days” on campus. The Office of Undergraduate Research will periodically need undergraduates to present or discuss their research to visiting VIPs, at open houses, or to prospective students. If you are interested in additional opportunities to share your work or talk about your research experience, contact the Office of Undergraduate Research.

The South Carolina Academy of Science invites research papers for its Annual Meeting from all scientific and mathematical disciplines. The Academy also invites papers regarding education and teaching in science and mathematics. The papers may be 15 minute oral presentations, including question and answer time, or may be in poster format. Oral presentations are eligible for various awards. Their annual meeting is held in the Spring, usually in March or April and abstracts must be submitted before the end of January. For more information, visit http://www.scacadscience.org/.

Two national organizations provide opportunities for student presentations. The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) holds an annual "Undergraduate Research Posters on the Hill" event in late March or April for students in scientific and mathematical disciplines. Sixty competitively selected student posters are displayed on the U.S. Capitol during a late afternoon reception. In the morning of the same day, there is an orientation session, followed by visits from students and their faculty mentors to their Representatives and Senators' offices. To learn more visit www.cur.org or contact us. The National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) hosts a three-day annual conference. This gathering welcomes presenters from all institutions of higher learning, from all corners of the academic curriculum, and draws more than 2,500 undergraduates, faculty, and administrators to hear and discuss undergraduate creative and scholarly work by means of the following:

• Topical sessions of 15-minute oral presentations
• Interdisciplinary poster sessions
• Artistic performances and visual art exhibits

• Make sure to put this on your resume and/or graduate school application
• Ask your mentor for a recommendation letter
• If you are in the sciences, join the Council on Undergraduate Research registry: www.cur.org/ugreg.  This registry is at no charge to the student and facilitates matchmaking between undergraduates with research experience who wish to pursue an advanced degree and graduate schools seeking high quality students who are well prepared for research.

What is CUR?
CUR stands for the Council on Undergraduate Research and is a professional organization/network that aims to support and promote high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship. CUR provides publications, sponsors conferences and workshops, and provides leadership related to involving undergraduates and faculty in shared research experiences. For more information, visit the web site at www.cur.org.  CUR actively seeks individual memberships from faculty and administrators interested in the benefits of undergraduate research.

CUR has established a Registry of Undergraduate Researchers with the purpose of facilitating matchmaking between undergraduates with research experience who wish to pursue an advanced degree and graduate schools seeking high quality students who are well prepared for research. Currently the Registry is open to students and graduate schools/employers in nearly all the fields of science that are supported at NSF. CUR recommends registering in your Junior year. Information can be updated at any time to include new information such as summer research experiences or information about Senior Theses and test scores. The undergraduate registry can be accessed at www.cur.org/ugreg. There is no charge to you. Student information records will be made available only to graduate schools that contract with CUR for this service. Organizations or companies seeking the students' information for other marketing purposes will not be granted access. This program has benefited students, graduate schools, and employers by narrowing the search for the right match.

What is NCUR?
The mission of the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) is to promote undergraduate research scholarship and creative activity done in partnership with faculty or other mentors as a vital component of higher education. This is accomplished through the sponsorship of a 3-day annual conference open to all undergraduates from all disciplines; publication of the proceedings of its conferences; establishment of a national network of faculty, students, administrators and others who are interested in developing and strengthening programs devoted to such activities; assisting in the planning and evaluation of undergraduate research programs; and special projects on issues relating to the goals of the association. For more information, visit the web site at www.ncur.org.