Research
What discoveries will you make?
From year one at DePauw, students are encouraged to partner with faculty and peers to put ideas and theory into practice. While working in a science lab is often the stereotypical example of research, DePauw students also routinely conduct research across the humanities and social sciences. Here, students don't wait behind graduate students or Ph.D. candidates for opportunities.Ìý
Faculty Mentorship
Students participating in research are joined by a faculty mentor who leads or guides the exploration. Alternatively, students might contribute to an ongoing student-run project or seek answers of their own through faculty sponsorship. Whether in collaboration with others or pursued independently, research develops in students a better understanding of their interests and the fascinating world they inhabit.Ìý
Student-Faculty Research Examples
Research benefits
- Through research, students are applying the breadth of their knowledge to a topic they find deeply interesting. They learn how to read and understand primary literature and develop critical thinking and analytic skills that benefit professional work after graduation.
- Employers and graduate programs value an applicant’s ability to work independently and as a member of a team. Undergraduate research projects provide an excellent training ground, while at the same time cultivating relationships with faculty mentors who can provide recommendations for opportunities outside DePauw.
- Students grow personally and try out potential interests through the undergraduate research process. Working on a research project often leads to a greater sense of purpose, accomplishment and personal satisfaction for having tackled difficult questions and finished a project.Ìý
Diverse opportunities on and off-campus are available throughout the school year and summers. Some students join Honor Scholar and Fellows Programs with built-in research components, but opportunities are available to every student regardless of program affiliation, major or class. Whenever possible, Â鶹Çø seeks to provide either academic credit or monetary compensation to students who work collaboratively with faculty on research, scholarly and creative activities.Ìý
Apply your learning to practice.
Research at DePauw, Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Funding is available for students who present at conferences. The Hubbard Center and some departments also maintain small pools of funding for students who wish to attend a conference without presenting. SeeÌýthe funding section of this website for more details.Ìý
You might be thinking research is restricted to upperclassman. It's not! As a DePauw undergraduate, you may do research at any pointÌýduring your time here. Some projects are better suited to different times during your education, but it’s not always obvious from the outside. Don’t rule anything out without having conversations with mentors and advisers.
Yes. While programs like theÌýexpandedÌýScience Research FellowsÌýprogram provide a scaffolded pathway to help students develop research skills, you may want to get involved in research without completing a full fellows or associates program.
Research opportunities like summer research or winter term research teach DePauw undergraduates how to manage an independent research timeline, troubleshoot methodological challenges and produce original work under deadline. These are critical skills for graduate programs.Ìý
No! Even though working in a science laboratory is the example of research that comes to mind for most people,Ìýundergraduate research can be done in any discipline including the humanities. You should consider what your interests are and investigate options in the most likely areas. You can reach out to faculty members in your major or to faculty and staff across campus to work on interdisciplinary projects.
Research at DePauw
Learn more about the opportunities available to you through The Asher Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity.
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