Academic Affairs

Office of the Provost

Preparing for undergraduate research

Where to begin

Meet with us

Not sure where to start on your undergraduate research endeavours?

Schedule an advising meeting with us by signing up for a time online.

Before undertaking an undergraduate research project, there are a few steps you should take.

Define your interests

  • Is there something you feel passionate enough about to explore?
  • What are your favorite courses?
  • Have you had a class assignment or paper that you can expand upon?
  • What previous experience or skills do you have that can be useful in research?
  • Use the Explore VCU Research website to identify faculty who are conducting research in your area of interest

Explore undergraduate research opportunities

  • Research and creative inquiry happens in every department at VCU, from the School of the Arts to the Department of History to the School of Medicine. All departmental websites feature faculty webpages with a description of their research interests. Go to the department webpages in your areas of research interest and search for faculty conducting research that appeals to you.

Search for current opportunities using Student Opportunity Center

Pause for a moment before contacting faculty

  • Approach faculty with respect and be mindful of their time. Visit during office hours or email to schedule an appointment.
  • Read faculty profiles on departmental website pages to learn about their research and publications. Make sure that you can talk about your research interests, and ask questions about their research.
  • If your initial communication is by email, use a respectful tone. Address the faculty member as Dr. or Professor. Include information about yourself and your research interests.
  • Don’t send out mass emails with a general statement, such as “I’m looking for a research project. Do you have one?”

Be realistic

  • Think about your availability to do research. Be realistic about the amount of time you have to devote to a research experience. The number of hours may vary from situation to situation, but you should expect to spend at least 8-10 hours/week.

Be professional

  • Faculty members are looking for students who are not just high achievers and interested in their research, but who are also reliable.
  • Don’t get discouraged if you can’t find a research opportunity right away. If a faculty member doesn’t have a position for you, he or she may be able to recommend another faculty member.
  • The objective is to find a good fit between your interests and abilities and those of a faculty member.
  • You may want to prepare yourself with one or more courses to make ready for a productive research experience. Ask faculty for advice on how to prepare yourself to be of use in their type of work.

Be prepared

  • Complete your free Responsible Conduct of Research certification online. Create a new profile with your VCU email address. Choose “Virginia Commonwealth University” as a participating institution. Select “General RCR” from the list of online modules.
  • Have you read recent academic publications in your area of interest? Talk to your advisor or mentor about professional publications to become familiar with.
  • Do you need specialized safety or other training to do research in your area of interest? Talk to your advisor or faculty mentor about what it takes to be certified safe.

Before you contact someone about a research opportunity you may want to put together the following information to provide to them:

  • Your year of study (freshman, sophomore, etc.)
  • Your major
  • A brief summary of your background, which indicates any research-related courses you have taken, and any research experience you have already had.
  • A statement that articulates why you want to participate in research with the specific faculty mentor you have identified. What is it about their area of research that appeals to you?

So you want to do research with human participants?

Getting involved in the research enterprise at VCU can be both exciting and daunting, especially if you want to get involved in research with human participants (also known as Human Subjects Research (HSR)). When researchers involve people or people's private information in their research projects, there are ethical considerations as well as rules and regulations that must be followed in order to protect human participants and the researchers who work with them. This page will help introduce you to the basic information you need to know when considering pursuing a research project that will involve humans. Watch the brief videos below to learn:

The additional resources document will point you towards websites and other resources where you can learn even more about the exciting world of human research!

If you have questions or would like to meet with a Human Subjects Research Educator, contact us at urop@vcu.edu.