Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring aims to spark personal reflection and professional growth in undergraduates by encouraging students to engage in undergraduate research and pursue national or international fellowships. Penn State students leverage these experiences to attend graduate school, join the scholarly community, become educators, contribute to business and industry, and more.
Key responsibilities of this office include:
- help students discover research and fellowship opportunities that match their goals and interests
- provide competitive funding for students to complete undergraduate research experiences
- educate students about all aspects of the research process, from selecting a project to presenting their findings
- provide opportunities for students to present their research findings to their Penn State peers, and support students in traveling to conferences to share their work with the broader scholarly community
- advise students through the entire fellowship application process, from written application to interview, and educate students on the profile of a competitive candidate
Highlights
- The Undergraduate Exhibition is held every year in April and is an opportunity for students to share their research with the Penn State community and be considered for a variety of awards.
- The Erickson Discovery Grant allows students to receive support during the summer to complete a collaborative research project with a faculty mentor.
- Penn State consistently ranks as a ‘Top Producing Institution’ for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
The Erickson Discovery Grant, Undergraduate Exhibition, and Undergraduate Conference Presentation programs are administered through the Office of the Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education. If you have specific questions on these programs please contact Jojo Sugg (jks5427@psu.edu) or Dr. Alan Rieck (ajr83@psu.edu).