northwestern undergraduate research

• Research Opportunities

Start your undergraduate research

Undergraduate research is open to every undergraduate in any discipline.

But you can do so much more than conduct research. That's just the starting point for experiences that can connect you to students and faculty around the University, country and world. 

• Attend or present at the Undergraduate Research and Arts Expo
• Apply for an Undergraduate Research Grant
• Publish findings in the Northwestern Undergraduate Research Journal
• Submit your work to the Undergraduate Awards , an international pan-discipline awards program
• Contact the Office of Fellowships to see if you qualify for a fellowship

OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

What direction will your research take you?

As an undergraduate at Northwestern, not only do you have the option to engage in scholarly research, regardless of your school, but your options for undergraduate research are almost endless. Here’s where it’s taken six of our undergraduates.

I’m working on a research project to develop the chemical vapor deposition of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides for applications in nanoscale photonics and solid-state devices.”

Spencer Park McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science Dual-Degree Program: Trumpet Performance & Materials Science and Engineering; Business Institutions Program minor

I recently had an Undergraduate Research Grant to research indigenous language maintenance within the Lepcha community of India. My research advisor is helping me put my research into the bigger picture of language revitalization work.”

Steffi Brock-Wilson Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences Economics major; Certificate in Civic Engagement

I’m working in a lab with Dr. Beverly Wright. I am being considered a peer among faculty members. It's an amazing opportunity to get started on research very early in my undergraduate experience.”

Simran Chadha School of Communication Communication Sciences and Disorders major; Global Health and/or Political Science minor

I worked with a professor to research and edit a textbook on social media. Also, I spent several quarters working with the professor who founded “The Youth Project,” a Medill-run publication centered on issues of social justice.”

Carter Sherman Medill School of Journalism Journalism and International Studies double major

• Parents & Families
• Faculty & Staff
• Academic Calendar

Northwestern University

Knowledge for a better world..

Office for Research

Administrative and Operational Support

Offering an integrated portfolio of expert services and resources, the Office for Research (OR) partners with stakeholders across the University to provide critical strategic and operational support to Northwestern’s research community. From research safety and compliance to innovation, translation and sponsored funding, the Office is a catalyst for research excellence. OR also oversees Northwestern’s core facilities—shared laboratory spaces with cutting-edge instrumentation and PhD-level staff.

90 school-based research centers

35 university research institutes and centers

$1B+ in annual sponsored research (FY22)

• Northwestern's Research Ecosystem

University-wide Research Centers and Institutes (URICs)

Our 35 interdisciplinary research institutes and centers are the engines that fuel our pathbreaking discoveries..

Spotlight on Sustainablity

Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy

Trienens Institute researchers advance global sustainability and energy solutions through transformational research, interdisciplinary education, and public engagement.

Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy website

Spotlight on Synthetic Biology

Center for Synthetic Biology

CSB researchers build new biological systems to tackle societal challenges such as providing sustainable manufacturing, advanced materials, and targeted therapeutics.

Center for Synthetic Biology website

Spotlight on Artificial Intelligence

Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA)

CIERA researchers collaborate across disciplines to find AI solutions to the challenges of modern astronomy.

CIERA website

Research News

Curriculum enhancements will build awareness of ethics in technology and add language practice opportunities

Three to receive Alumnae of Northwestern University’s annual curriculum innovation award

Dirt-powered fuel cell runs forever

New tech harvests energy from microbes in soil to power sensors, communications

Unstable ‘fluttering’ predicts aortic aneurysm

With 98% accuracy, new metric predicted aneurysm development on average three years prior to occurrence

• More Research News

Translational Research

From idea to commercialization.

Northwestern features a vibrant entrepreneurial culture, both for faculty and students. Much of the infrastructure and many of the resources for our success in this arena involve INVO, the University’s Innovation and New Ventures Office. INVO manages our researchers’ intellectual property and helps faculty turn their ideas into companies. Among the assets INVO oversees is the Querrey InQbation Lab, an on-campus technology accelerator designed to turbocharge innovation.

INNOVATION & NEW VENTures OFFICE (INVO)

Undergraduate Research

At northwestern, student research starts on day 1..

The Office of Undergraduate Research awards funding to hundreds of students each year; a majority of these students are engaged in independent research and creative projects.

• Office of Undergraduate Research

Research in Practice

8 libraries. More than 6 million titles and 341 TB of digital content (and counting).

Explore our libraries

Innovative thinking across every discipline and in every program.

Innovation at Northwestern

Academic Catalog

2023-2024 Edition

Undergraduate Research

Fellowships.

northwestern.edu/fellowships

Northwestern undergraduates win an array of national and international fellowships. Such awards fund study, research, and service opportunities in the United States and around the globe. The Office of Fellowships works with students in group and individual advising sessions to identify fellowships that fit their educational, professional, and personal goals. The office offers guidance on the preparation of written applications and conducts practice interviews.

Independent Study (399)

Many departments offer seminars and independent studies for qualified undergraduates. An independent study, typically numbered 399, in any department enables a student to engage in individual special study and research, which may involve work in a laboratory or library, fieldwork outside the University, or the creation of a work of art. The maximum credit a student may receive for 399 (or equivalent independent study) during any quarter is 2 units.

Support for Undergraduate Research Endeavors

undergradresearch.northwestern.edu

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) awards more than $1.5 million annually to students pursuing research and creative projects across all fields of study.  OUR uses an advising-centric model that focuses on helping students learn how to get started and how to write successful grant proposals; OUR advisors meet one-on-one with more than 500 students a year, totaling over 1,200 advising appointments.

OUR has three core programs. The Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP) allows faculty to apply for funding to hire students to help with their own projects in a formal mentoring environment designed to foster rapid development. The program focuses on assisting students just getting started in research and prefers disciplines where funding for undergraduates is hard to get, such as in the humanities or creative arts.  The Undergraduate Research Grant (URG) program funds independent research and creative projects across all disciplines.  The 35+ member faculty review committee is currently charged with offering a strictly merit-based review of grant proposals.  This process means that the committee can fund any and all projects that they feel are worthy.  If a student has a solid idea, works with faculty mentors, and uses the Office’s advising to learn how to write a successful grant proposal, then the competition is not between students, but rather challenges the individual student to discover what is needed in a field and create a project to potentially address this need to gain funding.  These grants regularly transform a student's experience of college and beyond.  Finally, OUR runs the Undergraduate Research and Arts Exposition, an annual showcase of student work through oral presentations, posters, and a Creative Arts Festival.  For all participants, OUR runs workshops designed to help students develop strong and effective communication skills, specifically for an audience that isn’t already familiar with their field of interest. 

Other OUR grants provide support for intensive language study or for conference travel. An annual $9,500 award—the Circumnavigators Travel-Study Grant, jointly funded by Northwestern University and the Circumnavigators Club ­Foundation—enables one undergraduate researcher to undertake around-the-world travel during the summer before their senior year.  OUR recently launched the Emerging Scholars Program, a 15-month funded program specifically for students who identify as first generation, lower income, people of color, and/or marginalized.  This grant focuses on providing opportunities for students to get started in research and/or creative activities in the arts, humanities, journalism, and social sciences, and this program is focused on supporting research and creative art that speaks to issues of social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, OUR maintains a comprehensive website full of resources for students looking to get started in research.

The Office of Undergraduate Research also collaborates with a variety of student organizations committed to supporting research, including the Northwestern Undergraduate Research Journal (NURJ) , the Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium (CAURS) , and TEDx Northwestern . 

Print Options

Print this page.

The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

PDF of the 2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog.

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

• Undergraduate
• Research Opportunities

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Political science research.

It can be hard to know where to begin with research. This video, courtesy of  Northwestern’s Office of Undergraduate Research , outlines research paths in Political Science.

• What ideas interest you when you think about politics?
• How can you convert an interest into a project?
• How do you ask for faculty mentorship?
• Is there a research method that would best fit your project's goals?

Take advantage of several exciting research opportunities, ranging from collaboration with faculty to engaging in your own research.

Political Science Department Opportunities

Farrell Fellowship In our competitive research mentorship program, Political Science majors work alongside professors on faculty-generated research projects. As paid research assistants, Farrell Fellow receive in-depth research training and learn the process of conducting academic research from faculty mentors.

Ginsberg Undergraduate Research Grants Have an idea of your own for a research project? Ginsberg Grants support student-initiated projects conducted in the collaboration with a Political Science faculty member.

Honors Thesis Did a class or experience inspire you to think more deeply about a topic? Paired with a faculty advisor, conduct your own research and write an honors thesis in the political science honors program.

Additional research opportunities

Northwestern offers a range of opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved in conducting research. Political Science students are encouraged to explore the variety of research opportunities available throughout Northwestern. Some of the research opportunities and resources that Political Science students commonly purus include:

• Opportunities and resources offered by the Northwestern Office of Undergraduate Research: t he Office of Undergraduate Research offers the Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP) for students to gain research experience through working with faculty; research grants during the summer and academic year for students to pursue their own research; and advising and resources on finding research opportunities or working on your own research project.
• Research programs offered by other departments and research centers, such as the Institute for Policy Research's Summer Undergraduate Research Assistant Program and the Chabraja Center for Historical Studies' Leopold Fellowship .

DEPARTMENT OF EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCES

• Undergraduate

Undergraduate Research

The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS) provides a wide range of undergraduate research opportunities that develop professional experience before graduation. With a faculty advisor, students may undertake field work in local to remote locations, collect and analyze research samples and instrumental data, or utilize a range of computational and/or analytical methods. Analysis methods and training include high-performance computing clusters, mass spectrometers, and seismometers. Undergraduate research can be pursued to gain valuable experience, or in support of a senior honors thesis . EPS undergraduate research projects are often published in top-ranked peer-reviewed journals. If you are interested in undertaking a research project, we encourage you to contact a faculty member, or the Director of Undergraduate Studies, as soon as possible. The earlier a project begins, the greater the research potential.

Some examples of past undergraduate research experiences:

Karalyn Berman

Karalyn Berman ’18 is an Earth and Planetary Sciences and Environmental Sciences double major. She worked in Professor Axford’s Quaternary Sediment Lab for almost four years. Karalyn employed both geochemical and paleobiological techniques in her research, which investigated the timing of postglacial isostatic emergence of the southwest Greenland coast and developed a paleobiological reconstruction of environmental change there throughout the past 8000 years. She presented her thesis project at the NU Undergraduate Expo and at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. In addition to pursuing this geological research, Karalyn also explored her interest in the intersections between environmental science and policy as a Doris Duke Conservation Scholar in the Western U.S. during the summers after her sophomore and junior years.

Katie Braun

Katie Braun is working with EPS professors Daniel Horton and Matt Hurtgen, along with Ethan Theuerkauf of the Illinois State Geological Survey, on quantifying the amount of carbon in a rapidly eroding Illinois wetland. Previous studies of carbon movement through coastal wetlands have overlooked the export of carbon through shoreline erosion. Katie’s field site at Illinois Beach State Park is particularly interesting because this wetland has experienced massive erosion in the past few years of high lake level; the shoreline stepped back over 5 meters in the summer of 2017 alone. This rapid erosion likely means large quantities of carbon have been released into Lake Michigan, where the carbon can return to the atmosphere and contribute to greenhouse warming. To quantify this carbon loss, Katie gathers sediment cores and GPS data from her field site and analyzes those cores in the Sedimentary Geochemistry Lab and the Quaternary Sediment Lab on campus. By combining the carbon content of the cores with ArcGIS analysis of GPS data and historic aerial photographs, she will create a mass balance model of wetland carbon. Katie has been awarded a Northwestern Undergraduate Research Grant to complete this work and aims to determine whether this wetland currently functions as a sink or source of carbon. 

Michael Campbell

Michael Campbell is currently working with Donna Jurdy to reinterpret seismic reflection lines underneath Lake Superior, mapping subsurface structures and determining subsurface velocities to understand the tectonics of the midcontinent rift. Using magnetic, gravimetric, and stratigraphic data, Michael is working towards characterizing an anomalous area near Isle Royale. Previous studies either ignore this feature or classify it as an “accommodation zone,” pointing towards a possible active fault or fault zone. Michael has also worked with Seth Stein and graduate student Leah Salditch, working to explain Cascadia earthquake probability models to general audiences. This has been combined with sports analogies and presented as a teaching tool at the Geological Society of America Fall 2017 Meeting and the American Geophysical Society Fall 2017 Meeting. He is also a co-author of, “Is the Coast Toast? Exploring Cascadia Earthquake Probabilities” published in GSA Today.

Hannah Dion-Kirschner

Hannah Dion-Kirschner is working with Maggie Osburn and Yarrow Axford to investigate lipid biomarker paleoclimate proxies. Specifically, she is aiming to better constrain these proxies for their use in high-latitude lacustrine environments. The long-chain lipids that coat the leaves of plants are well-preserved in sedimentary records, making them useful biomarkers, and their carbon chain lengths and isotopic compositions can reveal information about past hydrology, ecology, and climate. However, numerous factors complicate the use of these lipid characteristics to reconstruct climate. Hannah is working to deconvolute the effects of plant type, plant physiology, and climate in the creation of particular lipid biomarker signatures, and she is creating a calibration that is specific to the Arctic, where a short growing season, characterized by cool temperatures and continuous light, adds further potential complications. Her calibration will also enable a highly accurate reconstruction of recent climate using a lacustrine sediment core from western Greenland.

Chris Callahan

Chris Callahan is an environmental science major working with Dr. Daniel Horton to determine the influence of climate change on extreme air quality events. The occurrence of extremely poor air quality is strongly influenced by meteorological conditions. Low wind speeds, a lack of precipitation, and vertical temperature inversions impede pollutant dispersal, and their co-occurrence with harmful pollutants can lead to hazardous air quality conditions. Determining whether climate change has altered the occurrence, duration, or intensity of these meteorological conditions in events such as Beijing’s January 2013 “airpocalypse” requires analyzing large sets of observational data, climate model simulations, and statistical analyses that separate climate change trends from underlying weather noise. This research constitutes Chris’s senior honor’s thesis and will be presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in December 2017.

Monica nhi ha

Monica Nhi Ha worked with Professor van der Lee on mapping the deep subsurface beneath the eastern third of North America. The map would reveal where Proterozoic lithosphere ends, where oceanic lithosphere begins, how much and what type of Phanerozoic lithosphere underlies the Appalachian Mountains and eastern seaboard of the USA, and how this might affect the dynamics, seismicity, heat flow, and morphology of that area. To do so, she looked at a lot of squiggly lines of seismograms (time series of ground motion caused by distant earthquakes) on a lab computer with a decent screen, and aligned them by similarity. She also runs various scripts and programs written in unix and Python to prepare the data for the alignment and to analyze the results afterwards. Older lithosphere has cooled longer, which makes it stiffer and thereby more efficient at propagating seismic waves, which were recorded into seismograms by Earthscope-USArray seismic stations. Monica’s alignments measure how efficiently the wave propagated.

John M. Hayes

EPS and ES major John Hayes has been studying the organic geochemistry of the reservoir Lake Decatur in Illinois. Reservoirs, as a group, have been recognized as globally important sites of C-sequestration and methane production because of their large number (~20 million worldwide). Lake Decatur is in the Sangamon River watershed and is part of the NSF-supported Intensively Managed Landscape – Critical Zone Observatory, which seeks to understand how landscape engineering shapes biogeochemical cycling. John is using a novel broad-spectrum biomarker approach to deconstruct the history of organic C inputs to the lake since its creation in 1922. Using a combination of lipid and lignin biomarkers coupled with carbon isotope information, an evolution from local vegetation upon initial valley flooding, to eroded soils from agricultural fields, to finally algal production resulting from eutrophication of the lake can be discerned in the lake sediments. This type of information will be valuable for constraining the behavior of reservoirs in global C-cycle models. John has received a WCAS Undergraduate Research Grant for summer support.

Laura Beckerman

Laura Beckerman worked with EPS graduate student Maya Gomes to explore the relationship between the geochemical cycles of carbon and sulfur in the Cretaceous Period. More specifically, she investigated the possible role that massive volcanism may have played in driving widespread oxygen deficiency in the oceans (Oceanic Anoxic Event 2). This work involved cutting and crushing sedimentary rocks, performing a host of chemical extractions in the laboratory in order to isolate distinct chemical phases, and then utilizing an isotope ratio mass spectrometer to measure the carbon and sulfur isotope composition of various chemical phases. Laura was awarded a Northwestern Undergraduate Research Award to complete this work and presented the results at the 2013 Northwestern Undergraduate Research and Arts Exposition.

Nora Richter

EPS and ISP major Nora Richter has been conducting paleoclimate and geochemical research in EPS labs since her freshman year at Northwestern.

Early in her career, Nora worked in the Organic Geochemistry Lab. For one project, she extracted leaf wax lipids from plants collected by graduate student Rosemary Bush along a transect across the U.S. For another, she examined lipids in the sediments of an Icelandic lake, with the goal of identifying periods of soil erosion in Iceland. More recently, Nora used the microscopes in Yarrow Axford's Quaternary Sediment Lab to analyze insect (Chironomidae) remains in lake sediments from Greenland. Insect species assemblages provide a valuable method for reconstructing past climate changes in the high Arctic. Nora's research on a northwest Greenland lake was part of Dr. Axford's ongoing collaborative research aimed at understanding how the extent of the Greenland Ice Sheet has varied over the past ten thousand years as a result of climate change – and by inference, how the vast ice sheet (and thus global sea level) might respond to future climate change. This summer, Nora expanded her expertise as a polar researcher by conducting fieldwork on the arctic island of Spitsbergen, having successfully applied to a National Science Foundation-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program there. As a senior, Nora will follow up with lab investigations of samples she collected on Spitsbergen.

Kristen Bartucci

Working with Dr. Yarrow Axford, Kristen studied past Arctic climate through paleolimnology—the study of lakes and lake sediments. Kristen researched sediment cores from a lake on the southwest coast of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS). This research focuses on the recent geologic past—the last 10,000 years or so of the Earth’s history. Analyzing the abundance of certain fly larvae, or midges, from lake sediment cores is a good indicator of past temperatures. Certain species only live in certain temperature ranges. Therefore, knowing the magnitude of species at different times makes it possible to recreate temperature profiles of the area. At the current melt rate of the GIS, understanding how sensitive it is to changes in temperature is crucial in order to predict what may happen with future warming.

It is then possible to decipher the relative sensitivities of the ice sheet to temperature changes by comparing rates of glacial retreat and past temperature. The midge data they hope to find are crucial to determining the response of the Greenland ice sheet to current warming, as the ice sheet is 2 miles thick and is capable of a rise of 22 feet in sea level if melted completely.

Alexa Socianu

Alexa's research, "Reconstructing p CO2 values during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum," focused on a novel method of calculating paleo- p CO2 levels using pedogenic carbonate nodules in conjunction with leaf wax n -alkanes from paleosol horizons in the Big Horn Basin, WY dating back approximately 57 Ma. This time period, referred to as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, represents a period in Earth’s history when global surface temperatures had warmed by up to approximately 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Analysis of paleo-pCO2 levels allows us to understand the causes for this dramatic warming event. Current soil carbonate proxies used to estimate paleo- p CO2 rely on bulk organic matter δ13C values, however this method of calculation is flawed. By refining the method for calculating paleo-pCO2 levels, she hopes to more accurately assess and understand paleoenviornments as well as gain a better understanding of the effects of quantifiable increases in CO2 on global temperature change.

Joseph Walkowicz

Joseph's research, entitled R econstruction of an Ordovician Megalograptus from Virginia , revolved around the identification and classification of an extinct group of arthropods called eurypterids. Although these ancient "sea scorpions" lived hundreds of millions of years ago, their phylogenetic characterization pertains to modern horseshoe crabs and scorpions, among other arthropods such as insects. Collaborating between many institutions, including the University of Illinois, Chicago and the Field Museum of Natural History, Joseph's research intends to reconstruct and identify a particularly rare eurypterid from its fossilized remains.

• Faculty Intranet

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

• Undergraduate

Undergraduate Research

Northwestern is a top research university and our undergraduates often play a role as research assistants in advancing the frontiers of knowledge.

Most students who work as research assistants are hired by professors who have had them in class. Successful candidates for research assistant positions have generally taken some level of econometrics, and it is often useful to have some background in coding.  However, this is not universal for all projects.

Options for research within the Economics Department:  

EconLab (read more below)

• Honors in Economics
• ECON 399 Independent Study

EconLab is a space for undergraduates to engage in part-time research and work closely with an Economics faculty member.  Undergraduate students can participate in EconLab in two ways:

• Become an EconLab research assistant  and work for a professor between 10 and 20 hours per week during the quarter.
• Join the   general research assistant database   to perform tasks in a more sporadic fashion. While this would not allow you to dig as deeply into a project, these opportunities are more flexible.

Learn MOre - FAQs

Insights From Participants

Sara johns '17.

“I worked as a research assistant with Professor Mar Reguant on a project assessing the cost of increased renewable generation on the grid, specifically comparing empirical results to engineering estimates. At the same time, I was also working on my senior honors thesis with Professor Reguant as my advisor. It was incredibly helpful to see first-hand how Professor Reguant approached the research process and to apply those skills to my independent work. The experience also helped me decide to pursue a PhD and research as a career. After graduation, I took a two year research fellowship in economics and this fall I am starting a PhD program at University of California, Berkeley's Agricultural and Resource Economics department to study energy economics.”

Helen Burkhardt '19

"I worked as a Research Assistant through EconLab for Professor Matt Notowidigdo during my Junior year. As a RA, I studied how changes in government employment affected local labor markets. The opportunity exposed me to the research process and gave me a chance to really dig into some data. The technical skills and appreciation for research cultivated during the experience proved very useful when writing my senior thesis and during my work as an RA for the Chicago Fed."

Michael Cahana '18

"I joined the EconLab when I was a junior at Northwestern, working as a research assistant for Prof. Mar Reguant. I worked with Mar on a variety of research topics, ranging from renewable energy policy in California to real-time electricity pricing in Spain. Getting exposure to rigorous economics research in such variety was a fantastic learning experience; I developed skills in coding, data analysis, and research management that I still turn back to after graduation. The research environment really fostered my growth - I had freedom to come up with my own solutions to problems, was encouraged to try things I hadn’t done before, and was given the resources and attention I needed to thrive. Mar was (and remains) a terrific mentor who always made time for me; someone interested in my personal growth as well as my professional development. She ended up serving as the advisor for my senior thesis. Thanks in large part to my experience working with Mar in the EconLab, I ended up joining a research lab focused on energy & environmental policy after graduation."

Matthew Stadnicki '18

"As an EconLab research assistant, I helped Prof. Mar Reguant with a project on the effects of wind volatility on adjustment costs in Spanish electricity markets. This experience was incredibly valuable in developing my skills in Stata, data visualization, and causal inference, and I learned what it takes to conduct rigorous economics research. Whereas my econometrics coursework primarily used very clean data to illustrate concepts in data analysis, real world data can be very messy. By working as a research assistant, I gained experience in applying what I learned in my econometrics classes to messy, real data. My time in the EconLab helped me decide to pursue economics research full time after graduation as a research assistant, and I continue to rely on the skills I gained there on a daily basis. Most importantly, I met some really awesome people at the EconLab. Whether it was getting career advice from Mar as I prepared for graduation, or learning about machine learning clustering methods in our weekly staff meetings, the people I met taught me a lot, prepared me for my first job post graduation, and serve as strong mentors to this day."

Professor Mar Reguant

“It has been very rewarding to share the research process with undergraduates while teaching them tools that complement the classroom materials. Several of my students have gone into a research path, and I like to think that their experience at the EconLab has given them insights on how to navigate the process. The EconLab has also been very helpful in pushing my research forward.”

Other Research Options at Northwestern

There are several other ways of getting involved with research throughout the University.  One is with Northwestern's   Institute for Policy Research   (IPR), which has opportunities to work on faculty projects during the summer.  Some students also find research work with   Kellogg faculty .  There are funding resources and guidance on conducting research both in the summer and academic year through the   Office of Undergraduate Research .

• Summer Undergraduate Research Grant  for independent work (supervised by a professor)
• Undergraduate Research Assistant Program  (to work in a project that the professor is conducting)
• Kellogg School of Management RA/TA opportunities in behavioral research and computing

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

• Undergraduate

Why pursue research as an undergraduate?

Undergraduate Research is a great way to gain experience, prepare for graduate studies, work at the forefront of knowledge and discovery, deepen your understanding of a specific field, make connections with graduate students and faculty members, and boost your resume. 

To learn about research opportunities in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, visit our research opportunities page. Click here for an overview on faculty research areas.

For in-depth information on all of the research groups in the Physics department, go to the research page.  See also Departmental Honors.

Undergraduate Research Grants

Get started at the Office of Undergraduate Research .

Learn more about applying for an Undergraduate Research Grant .

The most common grants among physics students are:

• Illinois Space Grant Research
• Summer Undergraduate Research Grant
• Academic Year Undergraduate Research Grant
• Conference Travel Grant
• Weinberg Grants for Undergraduate Research 

For more information, email the Director of Undergraduate Studies at [email protected] . 

For advice from Current/Former Physics Majors, join the Facebook Group.

Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences

Department of molecular biosciences.

• Transportation and Directions
• Building Tours
• Support and Sponsorship
• Featured Research
• Research Centers
• Research Facilities
• Funding Resources
• Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program
• Masters in Quantitative and Systems Biology
• Undergraduate
• Affiliated Graduate Programs
• Graduate Training Programs
• Core Faculty
• Teaching Faculty
• Affiliated Faculty
• Emeritus Faculty
• Research Faculty
• Administrative Faculty
• Postdoctoral Researchers
• Alumni Registration
• Past Events
• After-Hour Emergencies
• Emergency Response Plans
• Emergency Freezer
• Supply/Reagent Centers
• Northwestern Links
• Career Development
• Job Searching
• DEI Committee & Submitting Concerns
• Code of Conduct
• Resources & Affinity Groups

• Internal Resources
• Diversity & Inclusion

Undergraduate Research

• Programs Home
• Summer Research and Outreach Programs

Research Resources

• Biological Sciences Major
• Research Mentors
• Science Research Workshop

Why participate in undergraduate research?

• Through the challenge of state-of-the-art research opportunities undergraduates receive training that develops and improves their scientific skill set.  
• Personalized mentored research at the undergraduate level provides undergraduates with training and experience to go on to competitive professional/graduate schools and career positions in research laboratories.  
• Undergraduates who take on research projects become full members of an active research laboratory, enriching their educational experience and providing them with opportunities for major scientific discovery.  
• Society benefits through such discovery and Biological Sciences majors become active participants in this process.

Mentored Research Opportunities in the Department

• Faculty with active research programs in a variety of scientific disciplines offer undergraduates opportunities for multi-year participation in the laboratory.  
• In addition to overall guidance from the principal investigator, undergraduates are matched with day-to-day research mentors to guide their development as young scientists.  
• Finding the right laboratory can be facilitated through participation in Northwestern University’s Science Research Workshop or simply by emailing Faculty Research Mentors to determine if there are openings, and to request in-person interviews.

Summer Research Grant Opportunities

Several sources are available for undergraduates to land research grants that allow them to start or continue their projects full time over the summer.  Applications are due during Spring Quarter. 

• Northwestern University Undergraduate Research Grants
• Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
• The Program in Biological Sciences

Academic Year Research Grants 

Undergraduate research grants to offset the cost of research for the host laboratory are awarded by the Undergraduate Research Grants Committee throughout the academic year.

Award-winning Undergraduate Research

Research by undergraduates in the Department of Molecular Biosciences is recognized through numerous summer research grant opportunities and research prizes.

Research prizes are awarded to Biological Sciences majors who have achieved excellence in their research projects and have written up their results into a Senior Thesis as part of the Honors Program requirements. These prizes include:

The David Shemin Research Prize

The Constance Campbell Research Prize

The Emanuel Margoliash Research Prize

The Irving Klotz Research Prize

• News & Events
• Contact & Visit
• Faculty & Staff
• McCormick Advisory Council
• Departments & Institutes
• Diversity Data
• Faculty Journal Covers
• Areas of Study
• Bachelor's Degrees
• Music & Engineering
• Combined BS / MS Program Collapse Combined BS / MS Program Submenu
• Murphy Scholars Program Projects
• Undergraduate Honors
• Certificates & Minors Collapse Certificates & Minors Submenu
• Integrated Engineering Studies
• Engineering First® Program
• Theme Requirement
• Research Opportunities
• Personal & Career Development
• Global Opportunities
• Existing Groups
• McCormick Community
• Transfer AP/IB Credits
• ABET Course Partitioning
• Enrollment and Graduation Data
• Full-time Master's
• Part-time Master's
• MS with Interdepartmental Minors
• Application Checklist
• Application FAQs
• Financial Aid
• International Students
• Student Groups
• Career & Professional Development
• All Areas of Study
• Departments & Programs
• Apply to Northwestern Engineering
• Faculty Fellows
• Office of the Dean
• Administration, Finance, Facilities, & Planning
• Alumni Relations & Development
• Career Development
• Corporate Engagement
• Customer Service Center
• Faculty Affairs
• Global Initiatives
• Graduate Studies
• Information Technology
• Marketing & Communications
• McCormick Advising System
• Personal Development StudioLab
• Professional Education
• Research Offices
• Undergraduate Engineering
• Newsletter Signup
• Information for the Media
• Tech Room Finder

Undergraduate Undergraduate Research Opportunities

As a McCormick undergraduate, you can take part in the kind of unique and forward-looking research that defines Northwestern University and advances our understanding of today’s complex engineering challenges.

Browse this section for information, links, and resources about applying for grants and conducting undergraduate research at McCormick, including:

• How to Get Started on Research Get information about when to begin, how to find a lab, and how to approach professors
• Frequently Asked Questions Explore our undergraduate research FAQs on topics like time commitment, pay, honors, advising, and more
• Summer Research Programs How to apply to a variety of Northwestern, non-Northwestern, and study abroad summer research programs
• Research Grants & Awards How to apply for various research grants and the McCormick Summer Research Award program
• Peer Advising in Research How to connect with a fellow undergraduate in your field who can advise you on the undergraduate research experience at McCormick
• Responsible Conduct of Research Get information about conducting responsible and ethical research through Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training

How to Get Started on Research

Jump to a Section

When to Begin

• How to Find a Lab That Suits Your Research Interests

How to Approach Professors for Research Opportunities

Some students get involved in research as early as their freshman year, although the student's responsibilities may be limited. A background of coursework is helpful, so we generally advise students to start research once they've developed a strong interest in a particular field and will have time to thoroughly commit to a lab.

Students often begin to think about doing research in their junior year by taking 399 Independent Study.

Advisers may be more willing to take you on after you have completed more of the relevant coursework. However, underclass students may also be attractive candidates, as they could potentially commit two to three years of research.

Return to Top

How to Find a Lab that Suits Your Research Interests

Finding a lab that best suits your research interests can be difficult. While it can take time for undergraduates to understand what research entails, here are some tips for finding the right research lab for you:

• Browse the research sections of the departmental websites . This can provide some understanding of the broad research goals and the laboratories working in those fields.
• Visit individual laboratory websites , which often provide understandable summaries of their research.
• To get the clearest idea of what is done in that particular lab, look through the most recent publications listed on the lab website.
• Pay attention to departmental news that focuses on research breakthroughs and accomplishments by faculty.
• Watch the bulletin boards around the “Tech” building and surrounding science buildings for current research posters and flyers. It’s always useful to have an idea of the research work conducted by your professors.
• Remember, you can also target labs outside your department. For example, BME students often work in the Feinberg School of Medicine and EE students often work in BME labs.

Once you have found several professors (i.e., principle investigators) you are interested in working for, send each one a personalized email describing your objective and interest. Do not send bulk emails.

Showing a clear understanding of their research conveys that you have read up on their work and are interested in joining the lab. Again, reading publications will drastically improve your understanding of the lab's research.

Here are two guides to help students approach professors in an appropriate way for research opportunities.

• SRW Guide to Emails and Interviews Written by the Science Research Workshop, this guide provides helpful tips to writing emails and preparing for interviews.
• Professor Pinto's Guide to Finding Research   This document provides a professor's point of view on how students can successfully find research opportunities in the life sciences.

More in this section

• Research FAQs
• Summer Research Programs
• Research Grants & Awards
• Peer Advising in Research
• Gateway Research Awards
• Engineering Home
• Undergraduate

Related Links

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Corporate-Sponsored Research
• Research Offices / RA website
• Northwestern Research Opportunities
• Northwestern Office of Research
• Undergraduate Study
• Academic Departments
• Faculty Directory
• Tech Building Map / Room Finder

Contact Info

Wesley Burghardt Associate Dean for Undergraduate Engineering

McCormick Office of Undergraduate Engineering Phone: 847-491-7379 Fax: 847-491-5341 Email Undergraduate Engineering

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

• Undergraduate
• Research Opportunities

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Undergraduate students have many opportunities to become involved in conducting psychological research in our department. PSYCH 397 and 399 allow students to do research for course credit . Some students have work-study positions in psychology labs. Northwestern University, Weinberg College, and the Department of Psychology all provide funding to support student research conducted under the guidance of members of our faculty. These include both academic-year grants and summer fellowships, both awarded on a competitive basis. Students can also apply for funding to present their work at professional conferences.

Northwestern Research Opportunities for Undergraduates

BAKER PROGRAM IN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

Baker program in undergraduate research, funding for student research.

Supporting undergraduate students in independent research, creative work, and presentations at academic conferences

The Baker Program in Undergraduate Research at Weinberg College offers grants to support undergraduate students in independent research, creative work, and presentations at academic conferences. These grants are funded by the Weinberg College Dean’s Office and Weinberg College alumni, including the Baker family , whose support makes these undergraduate research grants possible. Learn more

Types of Student Research & Grants

The chance to deeply explore an issue or question of great consequence alongside a renowned faculty member is increasingly becoming a defining learning experience.

Working as a Research Assistant

Grants for Student Research

Research through Independent Study

Support undergraduate research.

Learn how to establish a scholarship, fellowship, or grant. Explore different types of research grants at Weinberg College.

Research Grants

Meet the Bakers

Research has played a pivotal role in their lives..

Heather ’92 and Felix Baker believe that the intellectual challenge of doing academic research at the Northwestern University Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences can be transformative for undergraduate students.

• Contact Info

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

• Undergraduate

Research and Opportunities

Independent Study

To Enroll in MATH 399-0 Independent Study with a Faculty Member:

• Consult with the faculty member, and submit a Petition for Independent Study .  

Not a Math Major or Minor (yet)?  You can schedule an advising appointment with the DUS by contacting our UG Program Assistant:

• Jenima Lyon: Lunt 106A or [email protected]  

For Calculus advising , contact the Director of Calculus .

For MENU advising , contact the Director of MENU .

Current Mathematics Majors and Minors can schedule advising appointments through ConnectNU.

Undergraduate Research at Northwestern

• Undergraduate Research Projects in Mathematics
• Sample Summer Undergraduate Research Grant Proposal in Mathematics
• WCAS Undergraduate Research Grants  

Undergraduate Research at Other Institutions

• Research Experience for Undergraduates Summer Programs (AMS)
• REU Sites: Mathematical Sciences (NSF)
• Penn State Mathematics Advanced Study Semesters (MASS)
• Los Alamos National Laboratory Undergraduate Student Internship Program

Directed Reading Program

Daniil Ozernyi

by vls0546 | Apr 4, 2024 | Student Feature

Daniil M. Ozernyi

Conference Travel Grant

Please provide the tile and a brief summary of your research/conference presentation. See the titles of several presentations below; my research has to do with language assessment, second language acquisition, and generative syntax.

What made you initially interested in researching your project in particular? I have always been interested in language sciences, and so I try to maintain an interdisciplinary research agenda that explores many aspects of language, like language assessment, psycholinguistics, syntax, &c.

What conference(s) did you present at and how did you find out about them? I was able to present the following papers or posters owing to the OUR conference travel grant:

Formalizing derivation and parsing components of minimalist syntax within first-order logic [Paper] 第十届形式语言学国际研讨会 (ICFL-10), 清華大學, 北京.

Some remarks on sensitive periods and the methodological rigor of their examination [Poster] International Joint Conference of APLX, ETRA40, and TESPA 2023.

On reliability of assessment and the use of rubrics to assess writing in a linguistic classroom [Paper] 2023 Conference on Scholarly Teaching and SoTL in Linguistics (CoSTaSiL 23). July 2023, UMass-Amherst.

Multidominance in light of conflicting formalizations of minimalism and syntactic economy [Paper] Workshop “How Many Mothers? Multidominance in Syntax”. UMass Amherst, June 24-25 2023.

DM Ozernyi, Haeun Kim, Taichi Yamashita, Suzanne Flynn. Validity and reliability of assessment used in second language acquisition studies [Colloquium organizer] AAAL 2023. March 18.

Also, presentations for Midwest Slavic Conference, Okinawa chapter of Japanese TESOL, a few others; in the interest of space, I did not put their names here particularly because the work presented there was based on the presentations below. Check the rest of Daniil’s conferences on his website!

What was it like presenting at a conference? Anything that you didn’t expect? It is a great venue to present your work and connect with other researchers and get to know professors who will be reading your grad school application!

Any tips or advice you have for students similar to you that are interested in presenting at a conference one day? I suggest that interested students submit their research. It can perhaps be difficult to submit for the first time, because of anxiety or impostor syndrome, but conference abstract submission usually provides an anonymous submission venue with relatively quick feedback and helpful comment from reviewers for the most fields. Indeed, it’s difficult to submit proposals that are theoretical; undergraduate students often do not have access to resources needed to run an experiment if they are not under a PI. Still, I strongly encourage students to submit!

Do you have a podcast/documentary/piece of shareable media related to your research? Post the link(s) to share here! https://dozernyi.com , my ResearchGate profile https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Daniil-Ozernyi

What would you name a boat if you had one? Styx

What is something that you could give a 10 min presentation on right off the cuff? Pretty much anything to be honest, ranging from thin-layer chromatography to language and Ai to language teaching or any aspect of scientific study of language.

If your (speaking) voice were an instrument, what do you think it would be? Oboe maybe? A violin? Idk.

What was a memorable interaction that you had on campus this week? I had lunch with Sean Ebels-Duggan and we talked about Wittgenstein.

QUICK LINKS

• Advising Request
• E-Newsletter Sign-up
• Workshops & Info Sessions

• News & Events
• Contact & Visit
• Faculty & Staff
• McCormick Advisory Council
• Departments & Institutes
• Diversity Data
• Faculty Journal Covers
• Areas of Study
• Bachelor's Degrees
• Music & Engineering
• Combined BS / MS Program Collapse Combined BS / MS Program Submenu
• Murphy Scholars Program Projects
• Undergraduate Honors
• Certificates & Minors Collapse Certificates & Minors Submenu
• Integrated Engineering Studies
• Engineering First® Program
• Theme Requirement
• Research Opportunities
• Personal & Career Development
• Global Opportunities
• Existing Groups
• McCormick Community
• Transfer AP/IB Credits
• ABET Course Partitioning
• Enrollment and Graduation Data
• Full-time Master's
• Part-time Master's
• MS with Interdepartmental Minors
• Application Checklist
• Application FAQs
• Financial Aid
• International Students
• Student Groups
• Career & Professional Development
• All Areas of Study
• Departments & Programs
• Apply to Northwestern Engineering
• Faculty Fellows
• Office of the Dean
• Administration, Finance, Facilities, & Planning
• Alumni Relations & Development
• Career Development
• Corporate Engagement
• Customer Service Center
• Faculty Affairs
• Global Initiatives
• Graduate Studies
• Information Technology
• Marketing & Communications
• McCormick Advising System
• Personal Development StudioLab
• Professional Education
• Research Offices
• Undergraduate Engineering
• Newsletter Signup
• Information for the Media
• Tech Room Finder

Northwestern Robotics Team Demonstrates Mocobots to Tech Leaders

The omnid team was one of 20 demonstrations at the mars conference.

From March 24-26, researchers in the  Center for Robotics and Biosystems  (CRB) demonstrated their Omnid mocobots , mobile collaborative robots designed to help humans easily manipulate large, awkward payloads, at the annual invite-only Machine learning, Automation, Robotics, and Space (MARS) Conference in Ojai, California. Hosted by Jeff Bezos and Amazon, MARS brings together leaders in science, engineering, business, and the arts.

The Omnid team was one of 20 technical demonstrations, which included recent and future NASA missions, technology for restoring motor control after spinal cord injury, and a swallowable pill-shaped robot for visually exploring the stomach.

The Northwestern team was led by Professor Kevin Lynch and included assistant professor of instruction of mechanical engineering  Matthew Elwin , staff engineer Davin Landry, PhD student Lin Liu, and undergraduate Damien Koh. MARS guests were invited to use the team of three Omnid mocobots to help them assemble a mockup of a plane wing to a simulated fuselage. This task would be nearly impossible for a single human and taxing for a team of humans, but it’s a breeze for a single human working with mocobots that cancel the effect of gravity on the wing.

Bezos wasn’t the only one to try out the robots. Others who got a firsthand look at the future of human-robot collaboration included business and technical leaders at Amazon, NASA, Nasdaq, Toyota, Disney, Nvidia, and more.

“It was a unique opportunity to network with leaders in science and engineering, and it was rewarding for our team to be able to show off their hard work to an appreciative and knowledgeable audience,” said Lynch, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the CRB.

Developed by a team of more than a dozen McCormick School of Engineering master’s and undergraduate students, mocobots collaborate with each other and one or more human operators. Honed over five years, the system offers new opportunities for human-robot interaction in physically demanding environments where teams of robots could help workers manipulate a variety of large, articulated, or flexible objects without the physical hardship. The Omnid mocobots continue the Northwestern tradition in “cobotics”: robots designed to work with humans to achieve capabilities that humans or robots could not achieve on their own.

Making it happen

Last year, a team of MARS staff became aware of the mocobots and contacted Lynch and Elwin, inviting them and their team to apply for the 2024 event. Subsequently, they were notified that the mocobots were selected for inclusion.

There was just one issue.

Though the robots were functional, they were fragile “research-only” devices that had never been used beyond Northwestern. Given an early March 2024 deadline to send the robots to California, Lynch and Elwin decided to use the challenge as a project for students. The students were tasked with modifying the robots to make them robust enough for shipping and use by others over long periods of time. 

Along with the team that demonstrated the robots at MARS, a group of two master’s students and nine undergraduates deconstructed the robots and redesigned the electrical systems and some mechanical components.

 The team members were:

Master’s students: Terry Zhang, Cristian Villazhanay

Undergraduate students: Gautham Anne, Aya Ben-Saghroune, Jonathan Chan, Adwait Ganguly, Thomas Hoang, Yanni Kechriotis, Ami Takamatsu, Alazar Tegegnework, Mark Zhang

Clearly, the group’s work paid off.

“This meant that the robots were no longer working until just a few days before we shipped them to MARS. The students put in a lot of long nights and made a heroic effort to produce this complex engineered system as finals week approached, and the end result was a robust system that worked really well at the conference,” Lynch said. “Guests were able to use the robots effectively with zero training. The most common comment we got was 'This is so cool!’”

Get our news in your inbox.

Sign up for our newsletter.

Check out our magazine.

Find more in depth stories and get to know Northwestern Engineering.

Northwestern’s Class of 2028 is taking shape

• University News

As an elite high school fencer, Daphne Chan has crisscrossed the globe to compete at every level all while keeping her academics in balance. She does it by focusing on her dream to participate in the Olympics — a dream that will become reality this summer when she represents Hong Kong, China, in the Paris Games.

Chan, who applied early to Northwestern, also is among the first to join Northwestern’s Class of 2028. And when the Office of Undergraduate Admissions released regular decision outcomes last week, the University moved a step closer to shaping another exceptional incoming class.

Stacey Kostell, vice president and dean of enrollment, is welcoming her first class of new Wildcats and says she is inspired by the personal stories and journeys of these newly admitted students.

“They represent the best things about Northwestern — their resilience, ambition, creativity, thirst for learning and a desire to make their marks on the world,” she said. “We’re thrilled to be able to extend invitations to these students and can’t wait to see them on campus this fall.”

First-year applications for the Class of 2028 totaled more than 50,000, and the acceptance rate is around 7.5%. In recent years, the number of secondary schools represented in this pool has climbed to more than 10,000 — “a meaningful testament to our ability to reach new audiences around the world and further diversify our pool,” said Liz Kinsley, associate dean and director of undergraduate admission. The incoming class size has also grown by about 5% since pre-pandemic and is expected to be around 2,100 this fall.

The incoming class size has grown by about 5% since before the pandemic and is expected to be around 2,100 this fall.

Northwestern’s growing partnership with QuestBridge, a national organization that supports high-achieving students from lower-income households, is another sign of increased diversity. In the fall, Northwestern reviewed nearly 1,700 candidates through QuestBridge’s National Match program and will enroll a record 93 QuestBridge Match Scholars in fall. Since Northwestern invites QuestBridge National Match finalists who are not matched anywhere to apply through the early and regular decision rounds, the Class of 2028 thus far includes nearly 140 Quest Scholars — up 34% since fall 2020. And, that number will grow as regular decision admits choose Northwestern in the weeks to come.

The University also continues to grow the number of students whose parents did not graduate from a four-year college — more than 16% of early admits already committed to Northwestern are first-generation college students, compared to 14% three years ago.

In 2023, Northwestern rolled out a new set of supplemental essay questions designed to focus student responses on areas the University considers important to holistic admissions review.

“Candidates reflected with impressive substance and specificity on how their backgrounds and experiences have shaped how they see themselves engaging our campus opportunities, resources and communities,” Kinsley said. “We also read thousands of exciting proposals for interdisciplinary courses or collaborations, ideas for painting the Rock and more.”

Test-optional policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic have remained in place for first-year and transfer students.

This year’s admitted students come from all over the country and the world, from all 50 states and over 90 countries of citizenship.

High school senior Sebastian Hesser, another incoming student admitted during early decision, grew up in Alaska and Maine. “My background has always been fun to explain since my mother is from Colombia and my father is from Pennsylvania,” he said. “As a family, we've been all over.

“At the beginning of the year, I had no clue about what I wanted to do in college. I love the life sciences, music and languages — there’s so much to discover and learn. Committing to just one of those fields was going to be very hard for me. But Northwestern stood out as a place that would enable me to really explore at a high level and feed my passion for learning.”

What about the FAFSA delay?

Recent changes to the U.S. Department of Education’s federal student aid application (FAFSA) promised a simpler form. However, the relaunch has been hit with delays, which means many families are waiting longer to find out how much support they’ll get in paying for college. But given Northwestern’s use of the CSS Profile alongside the FAFSA, these delays have not impacted Northwestern’s ability to provide loan-free financial aid packages that meet the full demonstrated need of all admitted students, according to Phil Asbury, University director of financial aid.

Students admitted to Northwestern through regular decision have until May 1 to accept their offer.

Wildcat Days are here again

With the arrival of spring, the Evanston campus will welcome hundreds of admitted students and their families for Wildcat Days on April 8 and 15. In these two centerpiece admitted-student days, Northwestern will present an expansive program that connects admitted students and their families with University leaders, advisers, faculty, staff and current students for a taste of campus life and Purple Pride. Admitted students can also access dozens of digital events throughout April and connect one-on-one in online “Purple Priority” conversations with current undergraduates and alumni.

Highlights during Wildcat Days include:

• Exploring academics, libraries, study abroad options and career services
• Having lunch in a dining hall
• Discussing opportunities for those who identify as first-generation, lower income
• Discovering how to make an impact through civic engagement
• Visiting “Actions for the Earth: Art, Care & Ecology” at The Block
• Seeing student startups in action at The Garage
• Touring athletics facilities
• Experiencing Evanston and walking along Lake Michigan
• Learning the traditions that bring Northwestern Wildcats together
• Meeting leaders of student clubs and organizations

Editor’s Picks

Kathryn Hahn named Northwestern commencement speaker

Reworked dance marathon delivers, ai tool predicts covid-19 vaccine uptake, related stories.

Three promoted in business and finance division

Northwestern receives energy star’s highest honor for fifth consecutive year, jacobs center renovation will create collaborative space to address pressing societal issues.

• IPR Intranet

INSTITUTE FOR POLICY RESEARCH

• Working Papers

Energy Transitions in Regulated Markets (WP-24-12)

Gautam Gowrisankaran, Ashley Langer, and Mar Reguant

Gautam Gowrisankaran , Professor of Economics, Columbia University

Ashley Langer , Associate Professor of Economics, University of Arizona

Mar Reguant , Professor of Economics and IPR Associate, Northwestern University

Download PDF

The Experience

• Inclusion and Belonging
• Global Opportunities
• Career Impact
• History & Legacy
• Kellogg Convocation

Degree Programs

• Full-Time MBA
• Evening & Weekend MBA
• Executive MBA
• Master in Management
• Certificate Program for Undergraduates
• Which Program is Right for Me?
• Academic Calendars

Executive Education

• Online Programs
• Programs for Individuals
• Nonprofit Programs
• Programs for Groups
• The Kellogg Advantage
• Contact Executive Education
• Request a Brochure
• Find a Program

News + Stories

• Alumni Network
• Applying to Kellogg
• Career Journeys
• Global Impact
• Inclusion & Belonging
• Student Stories
• Kellogg Magazine
• Kellogg Insight
• See All News + Stories

Academics + Research

• Faculty Directory
• Academic Departments
• Research Centers
• Research + Books
• Case Studies
• Faculty Recruiting
• Faculty Teaching Awards
• Data Analytics
• Entrepreneurship
• Family Business
• Leadership & Organizations
• Social Impact
• Full-Time MBA Admissions
• Evening & Weekend MBA Admissions
• Executive MBA Admissions
• Master in Management Admissions
• PhD / Doctoral Admissions
• Undergraduate Certificate Admissions
• Admissions Events
• Financial Aid Office
• Log into my account portal
• Companies + Recruiters

6 reasons I chose to study abroad during business school

By Kalyn Chang ’24 MMM Program

I knew immediately that I wanted to participate in one of the Full-Time Exchange Programs at Kellogg . I didn’t study abroad during my undergrad, so I was excited to have another opportunity to immerse myself in a different culture both in and out of the classroom. I was especially interested in INSEAD Singapore’s exchange program for a few reasons:

• INSEAD’s student population is diverse, so I’d expose myself to more cultures and ways of thinking.
• There are a lot of interesting classes available for exchange students. The class selection can be more limited at other programs.
• I had always wanted to live in Asia, and I was particularly drawn to Singapore’s reputation as a global hub for innovation and the Silicon Valley of Asia.
• I completed my exchange at INSEAD Singapore this past quarter, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision and experience — it broadened my horizons and helped me grow professionally and personally.

Here are six reasons why I chose to study abroad during business school: 

1.  Gain a global business perspective

At INSEAD, no more than 12% of their student body is of any one nationality, and course material like case studies dives into business problems from all around the world. It was refreshing to participate in discussions and hear perspectives from a global perspective beyond an American lens. I loved that students’ name tags at INSEAD have their nationalities on them, so you have more cultural context behind each student’s class contributions.  

2.  Build my international network  

I  connected with classmates from around the world who I’m looking forward to staying in touch with. I took Market Driving Strategies and competed in a team-based simulation. My team consisted of members from China, Singapore, Thailand, the UK and America. We won first place, showing how diverse teams can lead to better discussions and outcomes.  

3. Step outside of my comfort zone   

Studying abroad and navigating a new country and a new school is a perfect chance to jumpstart growth. It gave me a fresh start where I was able to apply what I learned during my first year of business school in a new setting with new people. Without my usual group of friends to lean on, I was pushed out of my comfort zone and became more independent and confident as a result.  

4. Immerse myself in a new culture 

Living abroad can come with its own unique challenges such as finding long-term housing, but it also gave me the opportunity to take things slower and dive deeper into a country’s culture and society.  

Singapore has a large Chinese population allowing me to reconnect with my roots and cultural heritage, especially through food and traditions. For example, Chinese New Year is widely celebrated in Singapore, and it was special to experience the holiday while living there and to see signs of it all around the city since it’s not as big of a celebration in the United States.  

 5. Travel to new places  

I took advantage of already being abroad to explore as much of Asia as possible, particularly Southeast Asia, since it has some of the best diving in the world. I was able to put my certified open-water scuba diver skills to full use! Singapore served as an excellent hub for traveling throughout Asia, and INSEAD’s class structure allowed me to take a lot of extended trips in between classes.   INSEAD’s term is only eight weeks, so I had an extra month to travel before classes at Kellogg started again. After my term in Singapore wrapped up, I moved to Hong Kong for the next month and used it as my travel base to explore more of East Asia. The timing worked out since my fiancé, who is also a Kellogg student, was doing his global exchange in Hong Kong at the same time.  Flights within Asia are very affordable and traveling within Southeast Asia especially can be done on a budget, so I had the best time going on trips to Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau and Korea with a mix of Kellogg and INSEAD friends. I even got to meet up with the Kellogg students who were doing an exchange program in Japan while there!  

6. Make lifelong friends  

Studying abroad can help you develop a deeper bond with your fellow Kellogg exchange students. There’s something about spending eight weeks living in a foreign country and going through a transformative experience together that leads to lifelong friendships.   I’m looking forward to reuniting with my classmates for my final quarter of business school back at Kellogg!  

Read Next: Pack your bags: Global MBA opportunities foster life-long connections