Research Opportunities and Pathways

Early affiliation as a volunteer can lead to summer or academic-year employment and provide the foundation for substantial research projects and a senior thesis. It is not uncommon for this research to result in student presentations at meetings of the American Physical Society or co-authorship of published papers.

The University’s UTRA program provides opportunities for collaborative work between Brown students and faculty members and allows students to gain insight into the structure of academic research in a particular field. Students are also able to arrange research positions with faculty that are not funded through the UTRA process; students should consult with faculty regarding these possibilities. There are also many national and international undergraduate research programs, most notably the National Science Foundation’s REU program.