Undergraduate Research

Did you know that Carleton offers many opportunities for undergraduate students to conduct their own research and to be awarded for doing great things with it? Undergraduate research provides students opportunities to work with a professor in their field and gain experience with the research process and be awarded for noteworthy work.

Reading: Celebrating Undergraduate Research – The Provost’s Perspective.

Undergraduate Research at a Glance:

Students posing for a picture in a science lab

What do I gain from Undergraduate Research?

There are many advantages to performing research during your undergrad. Here are a few:

  • conduct research in your field of study
  • gain hands on research experience
  • resume building for future research
  • work alongside a professor
  • Provost Scholar Award is granted to a select number of students each year

How can I get involved in Undergraduate Research?

The Discovery Centre offers I-CUREUS as an initiative that supports students in their undergraduate years to conduct beneficial research that may inspire them to continue into graduate studies. For more information visit the I-CUREUS page.

Commencing in 2017, the Discovery Centre in collaboration with each faculty, is promoting the Carleton Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. CUROP will allow students to conduct research in their field of study during summer months for a maximum of 13 weeks.

Students who participate undergraduate research and strive to be active in different ways can be nominated by their faculties for the Provost Scholar Award. Check out the accomplishments of 2014-15 and 2015-16 Award recipients.

For Faculty

Tell us your stories about the research you are doing with undergraduate students. We know they’re doing extraordinary work inside and outside the classroom and want to profile the work they’re doing to enhance their university experience. Please contact discovery.centre@carleton.ca.

Carleton Professors and Research

Carleton professors are also engaged in a wide array of research projects in varying academic fields. Explore what’s going on in each faculty:

Carleton University Faculty members also conduct research projects beyond the scope of each of the research centres. To learn more about individual projects and meet the professors involved visit Carleton’s research success stories page.

Undergraduate research testimonial

For a fully keyboard-accessible alternative for this video, either view it in Chrome or any Android or iOS device, view in Firefox with the YouTube ALL HTML5 add-on installed, or disable Flash in Internet Explorer.

Transcript

Recommended Reading

Friday, March 16, 2018

Carleton Students Present at Inquiry@Queens 2018

On March 8 and 9, 2018, the 12th annual Inquiry@Queens conference was held at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. Eight Carleton undergraduate students were selected to present their research. Normally considered the domain of postgraduate students, more and more undergraduate students are participating in research during their studies. To... More

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Apply To CUROP

Just a reminder that Carleton Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program - CUROP Applications are due on April 10th. Please see generic and faculty-specific information here and contact us if you have further... More

Monday, March 13, 2017

Profile: Architectural Conservation and Sustainability Engineering Student

Arlin Otto is an I-CUREUS participant in the Architectural Conservation and Sustainability Engineering program. She says: My research was in structural fire safety engineering under the supervision of Dr. John Gales. My role in this research was to create the test plan, make the test samples, and perform and analyze the results from the... More

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Introducing CUROP!

We are pleased to announce a new opportunity for undergraduate students looking for funding to enhance their research experience! Supported by the Office of the Provost and Vice President (Academic), the Office of the Vice President of Research and International and the Faculties, the Discovery Centre is pleased to promote the Carleton... More

Thursday, February 23, 2017

CUROP Application Form

Please be sure you have read and understood all requirements for CUROP before... More

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Undergraduate Research by Radio

Interested in learning more about undergraduate research without reading a word? Why not listen to Ashley Fleischer in interview with CKCU: The Passionate Friar on February 15, 2017. The Discovery Centre Administrator discusses the success and growth of Carleton's I-CUREUS program, the annual US National Conference on Undergraduate Research and... More

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Apply Now to NCUR 2017

Each year the Office of the Provost and Vice President (Academic) through the Discovery Centre sends a handful of students to represent the Carleton and Canada at the US National Conference on Undergraduate Research. This year's conference in Memphis, Tennessee from April 6-8, 2017. Students who apply through the Discovery Centre are considered... More

Monday, January 25, 2016

Profile: Food Science and Nutrition Student

Stephanie Defillipe is an I-CUREUS participant in the Food Science and Nutrition program, assisting in Dr. Avis’ research in the field of food microbiology. She says: I-CUREUS has allowed me to learn and experience new things at school outside of the typical classroom setting! My project was based on extracting and identifying certain... More

Friday, January 8, 2016

Profile: Biochemistry and Biotechnology I-CUREUS Participant

The I-CUREUS Research Internship is an opportunity to take learning out of the textbook and gain hands on experience in a research environment. I had the opportunity to work under the supervision of Dr. William Willmore from the Biochemistry department. In Dr. Willmore's lab I have worked with DNA, protein, bacterial cells, and mammalian... More

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Profile: Neuroscience I-CUREUS Participant

Natalie Prowse, a third year Neuroscience student shares her I-CUREUS experience. Please outline your role as an I-CUREUS participant (what research support were you providing?) I was tasked with finishing and documenting a program which uses a suite of software called EEGLab for the Neuroscience of Imagination Cognition and Emotion Research... More

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Profile: Child Studies I-CUREUS Participant

I-CUREUS participant Betül Alaca, a third-year Psychology student, shares about her experience with the Kids in Places Initiative, associated with the Child Studies department. I completed my I-CUREUS internship with The Kids in Places Initiative. As a research assistant, I was specifically involved in a cultural exchange between children in... More

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

A Social Science student explores Carleton’s micro-fabrication facility

What do arsenic, red rooms, high heat, doodles of Mario, and computers have in common? I quickly discovered that apparently, they are all part of Carleton's micro-fabrication facility. As an African Studies and Political Science student, I was initially a little intimidated by the prospect of exploring Carleton's facility for creating silicon... More

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Four students present at NCUR 2014 in Kentucky

The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) is a forum for undergraduate students to present their research. This year Carleton sent a group of four students, supervised by Professor Stefania Maggi (Child Studies) to Lexington, Kentucky. With 4200 registrants, 18 participating countries and 47 states from the United States... More

Friday, March 14, 2014

Profile: BIT Interactive Multimedia & Design I-CUREUS participant

Profile: As a second-year Bachelor's in Information Technology (BIT) Interactive Multimedia & Design student, Taryn Laurendeau is engaged with research for Professor Audrey Girouard on flexible displays (which are bendable display prototypes that currently have sensors but no screen). Role as a Researcher: Her role has involved evaluating bend... More

Friday, March 14, 2014

Profile: Art History I-CUREUS participant

NAME: Gabi Doiron PROGRAM: Combined Honours in Humanities and Art History, fourth year FIELD OF RESEARCH: Art History 1. What have you been doing with your I-CUREUS research? Professor Michael Windover (my supervisor)  is currently working on research for a prospective exhibition on material and visual culture surrounding radio and interwar radio... More

Friday, March 14, 2014

Profile: Psychology I-CUREUS participant

Jennifer McAlister, a second year Psychology student researcher for Professor Michael Wohl gives you the need-to-knows about I-CUREUS in this Q&A session. Q: What does the lab that you work in focus on? And how are you involved? A: The lab focuses on a few different topics including gambling, social identity, and forgiveness. I... More

Friday, March 14, 2014

Profile: Cognitive Science and Psychology I-CUREUS participant

NAME: Shelby Thompson FIELD OF STUDY: Bachelor of Science Honours in Psychology with a Minor in Neuroscience, 3rd year SUPERVISOR: Professor Deepthi Kamawar (Cognitive Science and Psychology) 1. What have you been doing with your I-CUREUS research? I have been helping out a PhD student and I am almost done supporting a second big study.... More

Friday, September 20, 2013

Time to apply for undergraduate research internships with I-CUREUS!

If you are an undergraduate student interested in gaining real-life research experience by working part-time with a faculty supervisor, the Internship-Carleton University Research Experience for Undergraduate Students (I-CUREUS) is for you! It is open to students from all faculties. Students can receive up to $2250 for their faculty-supervised... More

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Hands-on historical learning with digital technologies

Technology and history have come together in Professor Shawn Graham's first year history seminar, check it out! For a fully keyboard-accessible alternative for this video, either view it in Chrome or any Android or iOS device, view it in Firefox with the YouTube ALL HTML5 add-on installed, or disable Flash in Internet Explorer.... More

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Carleton students embrace their inner child

Carleton undergraduate students are getting in touch with their inner child through the Kids in Ottawa Project (KIOP). The aim? To understand community resilience in the face of adversity, specifically the effects of adverse situations on children. Carleton students worked with Professor Stefania Maggi from the Child Studies Program and two areas... More

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Carleton wins top three spots at IDeA competition

A 3-D prosthetic hand, assistive devices for users in rural Uganda and a navigation system took the top three spots at the Innovative Design for Accessibility (IDeA) competition this past May. For further information,... More

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Students blog on presenting research on the media and HIV/AIDS

Heather McAlister shares her experiences performing undergraduate research in South Africa  with her research partner Khadija Ga'al and sharing their research at NCUR 2012. Hi, my name is Heather McAlister and I am a fourth year student in African Studies and Political Science. I was among the first group of students to participate in... More

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR)-the Student Perspective

The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) began in 1987 as an opportunity for undergraduate scholars from a variety of disciplines to present their research. The conference is held annually and it is an excellent opportunity for meeting presenters from a wide array of institutions for higher learning while also honing the skill... More

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Filming history

Students in Michael Ostroff’s fourth-year seminar are bringing history to the silver screen.  The group of sixteen students enrolled in Making Documentary History has made four short documentaries that explore diverse themes and time periods from Canada’s past. “More and more, we are seeing documentaries being produced exploring historical... More

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Recording the Cold War

When it came time to hand in his final assignment for his seminar course, Historical Representations, Joel Bandy decided to sing its praises – quite literally. Bandy, a student of classics, religion and history, wrote and recorded a song that encapsulated the Cold War era. They Call me the Fat Man interweaves imagery the... More

Monday, January 2, 2012

Undergrads capture local history

By Nicole Findlay The richest and most common source of historical knowledge is frequently the one most overlooked. Each of us is a living, breathing repository of memories and stories that define not only our personal histories, but our sense of place. Shawn Graham, assistant professor of digital humanities in Carleton University’s Department... More

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