Undergraduate Research at Carnegie Mellon

At Carnegie Mellon, undergraduates are building mobile robots, creating documentary films, investigating cultural trends, and developing new digital communication technology. These student researchers find themselves in the heart of the University intellectual community, where they discover the thrilling (and often messy) process of creating new knowledge.

We use a broad definition of research that includes appropriate activities in the arts and humanities, as well as the sciences and technical fields: "Research, scholarly, or artistic activities that lead to the production of new knowledge; to increased problem solving capabilities, including design and analysis; to original critical or historical theory and interpretation; or to the production of art or artistic performance."

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development supports student research in every field of study. We give SURG grants to cover research expenses, Summer Fellowships for full-time summer research, and Presentation Awards to support students presenting at academic conferences. In May of each year, we hold our campus-wide celebration of undergraduate research, the Meeting of the Minds.

How can we help?

• Advising: We meet with students to discuss how best to move forward on their interests and engage in undergraduate research at Carnegie Mellon
• Workshops: We offer writing workshops each semester to assist students in the proposal writing process
• Individual Meetings: We meet with students individually to review their proposals and make suggestions

So what's your idea?

Innovative approaches at CMU expand access to research for undergraduates wanting to make an impact

Information for Newly Admitted Students 

OURSD on YouTube

Community-Based Research-to-Practice Program