Sandbox

Identify your research interests

To help determine your research interests, ask yourself a few questions: 

• What subjects or classes are most interesting to me? Why? 
• What big issues am I passionate about (e.g. protecting the planet, youth mental health, civic discourse, etc.)? 
• What questions or curiosities do I have? 
• Is there a Cascades Lab that I’d like to join? 
• When talking to faculty about their research, what interests me most? 
• What skills are you looking to further develop?

Now, look over your responses and see if there are any common themes. Did the same topic come up more than once? Are any of the topics closely related or linked? These are your research interests!

Find Research Opportunities

Search for faculty that are researching in your area of interest! 

• Look at Ways to Engage in Research
• Explore OSU-Cascades Research Labs 
• Review faculty profiles and academic major websites to learn more 
• For first and second year students, URSA Engage is recommended! 

How to contact faculty

Once you have narrowed down a list of faculty members, it’s time to contact them: 

• Contacting research faculty doesn’t have to be scary! You can talk to faculty before/after class, attend office hours, or send an email inquiring about opportunities.  
• When you email the research faculty member(s), make sure to express your interest researching with them. Consider your email as the first step to an interview; be sure that your email reflects your best effort. 
• Schedule a time to meet with the research faculty member. 

How to earn money or scholarship for research

Ways to get academic credits for doing research: 

• URSA Engage Program: Participate in the URSA Engage program, which pairs students with faculty mentors for research projects that can be taken for academic credits. 
• Cascades Research and Scholarship Fellowship: Once you have a Cascades faculty mentor, you can apply for the Cascades Research and Scholarship Fellowship. Talk with your Cascades Faculty mentor about the application process. 
• DeLoach Scholarship for honors students 
• Look for paid summer opportunities at other universities 

How to get credits for research

Ways to get academic credits for doing research: 

• Independent Study Research Courses: Enroll in designated research courses (e.g., 401) with a specific faculty member in your program or another program to earn credits. These may count toward electives in your major, and/or toward your total credits for graduation. Faculty approval is required. Talk to faculty or your academic advisor for more information. 
• Honors College research-based thesis: Honors College students can complete a research-based thesis project and earn credit through a series of courses that support the thesis process. 
• Capstone course: Some majors have senior capstone projects that include research components. Review major requirements to see if you can earn credits for capstone projects. 
• Transcript notation: You can receive “zero credit” transcript notation for research. This means your research project will be noted on your transcript and diploma after you graduate. You will also be eligible to wear a royal blue honor cord during your Commencement ceremony.  
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU): Worldwide research experiences and internships through the U.S. National Science Foundation. Experiences include paid opportunities to expand your skills and knowledge in science and engineering.  
• Reseach Abroad: Research-focused study abroad and internship options are available through IE3 Global. 
• Advising and Departmental Approval: Consult with academic advisors and secure departmental approval to understand credit options and ensure compliance with academic standards for research credits. 
• Summer Research Programs: Enroll in research courses linked to summer research programs, allowing students to earn credits for structured summer research experiences.