Undergraduate Research and Scholarship
Undergraduates who participate in research projects and the development of original scholarship build valuable skills that can be applied throughout their education and professional careers.
These proficiencies range from research-specific skills such as developing a testable hypothesis, evaluating source material, interpreting results, analyzing data and synthesizing conclusions to professional skills such as organization, critical thinking, time management, teamwork, problem solving and effective written and oral communication.
- SUPPORTING STUDENT RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP
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Center for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research
The Center for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research (CUFR) provides GW undergraduates and alumni with information, guidance and support as they learn about and apply for research opportunities and national fellowship competitions.
Visit the Center for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research website
School-Based Opportunities
Schools and departments across the university support undergraduate research and scholarship. The following links provide more information about undergraduate research opportunities and/or highlight areas of research within each school. OVPR encourages interested students to contact faculty mentors directly to discuss opportunities to get involved.
- Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
- School of Engineering and Applied Science
- School of Business
- Graduate School of Education and Human Development
- Elliott School of International Affairs
- GW Law
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences
- School of Nursing
- College of Professional Studies
- Milken Institute School of Public Health
Academic Commons
Academic Commons provides consultation and guidance for project-level work in statistics, econometrics, geographic information systems, programming, software development, and digital scholarship. Consultations are intended for academic, research, and personal projects.
Visit the Academic Commons Website
University Writing Center
The University Writing Center offers members of the GW community opportunities to receive dedicated attention to their writing and research projects at all stages of the writing process. Trained writing consultants work with writers, including undergraduates and other trainees. The Writing Center works to help visitors strengthen their abilities as writers and to become stronger editors of their own work.
The center also links to a number of online writing resources, citation guides, grammar resources and helpful sites for student writers in engineering and the sciences.
- FUNDING FOR STUDENT RESEARCH
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GW Undergraduate Research Awards
The GW Undergraduate Research Award gives promising undergraduates the opportunity to engage in a well-defined research project under the guidance of a faculty member in their chosen fields of study. GW undergraduate research fellowships provide an award of $5,000 meant to support the student’s research-related expenditures, which may include living expenses, travel, materials, and equipment. Faculty mentors receive a stipend of $1,000. Faculty can opt to take this money as supplemental salary or ask that the funds be transferred to a departmental account (e.g., supporting travel, equipment, supplies, etc.).
The GW Undergraduate Research Awards are administered by the Center for Undergraduate Fellowship and Research and supported by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and the Office of the Provost.
Visit the GW Undergraduate Research Awards website
Additional GW-Funded Research Fellowships
The Center for Undergraduate Fellowship and Research maintains a list of undergraduate research fellowships that support intensive research experiences under the mentorship of university faculty.
Read more about GW-funded research fellowships
ORAU-Funded Undergraduate Student Research Opportunities
If you are an undergraduate looking for multidisciplinary research opportunities that will open doors to a wealth of practical, hands-on experience, browse ORAU’s undergraduate educational support programs. The programs provide real-world research experience, generally within ORAU laboratories or federal agencies.
- RESEARCH SHOWCASES AND PRIZES
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GW Research Showcase
GW Research Showcase invites GW students to present their work and compete for prize money. This annual event is dedicated to highlighting the breadth of research and discovery on issues of major disciplinary, cross-disciplinary and global significance being done at GW through poster sessions, presentations and guest speakers.
Visit the GW Research Showcase website
SEAS R&D Showcase
Graduate and undergraduate students from the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) compete in three separate competitions throughout the day—the R&D Showcase, the SEAS Innovation Challenge, and the AccelerateGW I-Corps Site Program grants. Displays will be open to the public in the afternoon when students will be available to explain and describe their posters and research.
Visit the SEAS R&D Showcase website
Julian Clement Chase Prize for Undergraduate Research Writing
This annual $1,000 prize recognizes exceptional research writing projects focused on the District of Columbia in all undergraduate classes and in all disciplines at the George Washington University.
Washington DC is the primary focus of the Julian Clement Chase Prize. Therefore, engagement with DC plays a critical role in the judging process. Writing from social sciences or humanities might engage DC in terms of place, history, neighborhoods, and cultures; students from arts might engage DC in terms of its artistic expressions, or research related to art that they have created representing DC; students from sciences might submit research projects that address quality of life issues in DC. Collaborative or team projects are welcome, with a clear explanation of how entrants worked together.
Visit the Julian Clement Chase Prize website
The Eckles Prize for Freshman Research Excellence
This annual prize recognizes students who produce a research project in their freshman year that demonstrates significant and meaningful use of library services and collections at the George Washington University. First year students are encouraged to submit a research project of any length or format, along with an essay summarizing how they used library resources to complete the project. Prizes are awarded for the top 3 submissions.
- FINDING RESEARCH POSITIONS
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GW Student Research Commons
Students and trainees can search GW Student Research Commons for research opportunities across disciplines.
Visit GW Student Research Commons
GW Student Employment
Explore the GW Student Employment talent management portal to find paid research positions. Positions can be searched and filtered by “Time Spent on Research.”
Search the GW Student Employment database
- ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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New Venture Competition
The GW New Venture Competition (NVC) provides every GW student, faculty, staff, and alumni with a real-world educational experience in developing, testing, and launching their own startups, business, and social ventures.
- PUBLISHING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
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GW Undergraduate Review
GW Undergraduate Review is a student-led peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting undergraduate research on GW’s campus.
Visit the GW Undergraduate Review website
GW Undergraduate Law Review
The George Washington University Undergraduate Law Review is a student-run and published legal journal that examines internationally significant issues concerning law, policy, philosophy, ethics, and politics.
Visit the GW Undergraduate Law Review website
The George Washington University Historical Review
The George Washington University Historical Review is the History Department's undergraduate journal. The Review was founded in the spring of 2017 to provide an online platform for students to publish historical scholarship in an easily accessible forum.
- STUDENT-LED RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS
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GW Undergraduate Review
GW Undergraduate Review is a student-led peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting undergraduate research on GW’s campus.
Visit the GW Undergraduate Review website
GW Student Research Forum
The GW Student Research Forum is a student-run organization that offers support and guidance to undergraduate researchers throughout the research process. Throughout the year, the organization holds workshops and presentations to help students develop skills which will serve them in their academic careers.
Visit the GW Student Research Forum website
Other Student Organizations
Visit GW Engage for an up-to-date list of research-related student organizations.
If you would like your student-led research organization listed here, please send a brief description and a link for more information to [email protected].