undergraduate research opportunities at princeton

Department of Molecular Biology

Molecular Biology Research

As Molecular Biology majors, students have the opportunity to conduct original research in the laboratories of world-class scientists. A broad range of research areas is represented among the Molecular Biology faculty ; in addition, majors can pursue interdisciplinary interests by working with approved faculty in departments including Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry, Computer Science, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Physics, and School of Public and International Affairs. 

The core of the undergraduate research experience commences with the spring semester Junior Independent Work , during which students identify and explore the research topic they will pursue for their senior thesis research. It continues with the Senior Thesis , a year-long, original research project under the supervision of a faculty adviser. An intensive summer research program between the junior and senior years is available for students pursuing laboratory-based thesis research.

Research Areas

Biochemistry and Biophysics are the foundation of all cellular processes and systems. Biochemical processes account for the functions of cellular building blocks, from nucleic acids and proteins to lipids and metabolites, and the formation of complex networks that make a cell or system work.

Development of metazoan organisms depends on precise cell-intrinsic controls of cell fate regulators, as well as complex intercellular communications and instructive cues from the extracellular matrices.

Underlying almost all modern approaches to biology, Genetics is both a fundamental method of inquiry and a discipline in its own right.

Microbes will be at the heart of the solutions to the world's most pressing problems: food, energy, health, and the environment. Princeton research is therefore heavily focused on microbiology, including studies of viruses, bacteria, and yeast.

The Graduate Program in Quantitative and Computational Biology (QCB) is intended to facilitate graduate education at Princeton at the interface of biology and the more quantitative sciences and computation.

Princeton Correspondents on Undergraduate Research

The under-the-radar thesis topic: a retrospective on my own experience.

Many Princeton students, when writing their senior theses, will be required to submit something resembling a “literature review,” where they give a broad summary of the extant literature on their respective senior thesis topics. Surveying the extant literature on a topic can help students to develop their own independent thoughts on the matter. For many students, the literature ends up being a very important part of the actual final text of the senior thesis. 

After reaching this stage when researching my senior thesis topic, a relatively-unknown Arabic Christian legal text from 18th-century Lebanon called the Mukhtaṣar al-Sharīʿa of ʿAbdallāh Qarāʿalī, I realized that only a few paragraphs and couple footnotes had been written about the text in English. All told, the entire body of English-language academic work on the Mukhtaṣar totalled a mere two pages. This lack of a developed scholarly conversation about my topic came with its own challenges and opportunities. The relative obscurity of this topic was a large part of why I chose to write my thesis about it— I found it to be very intriguing and wished there was more written about it. In this post I intend to look back at my own experience writing a thesis on such a niche topic, and hope to offer some considerations on how such a project might be approached. 

Firestone Library on a Spring Evening

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Research Insights Series: An Interview with Gemma M. Sahwell

As a Geosciences major, I am fascinated by ocean biogeochemical cycling and reconstruction of past climates and marine environments by way of biological proxies. Yet, I have also found myself intrigued in environmental movements and storytelling, particularly with the narratives of the land histories of indigenous communities in the backdrop of anthropogenic climate change and U.S. colonial history. 

With growing interest in both fields, I enrolled in Professor Allison Carruth’s ENV238: Environmental Movements: From Wilderness Protection to Climate Justice. Here, with luck, I met an incredible preceptor who shed some light on the interdisciplinary nature of her research and inspired me to delve deeper into my own multifaceted interests. 

A PhD candidate student in the Geosciences department, Gemma M. Sahwell is currently a member of both the Blue Lab and the Higgins Research Laboratory . Curious, I reached out to her to see if I could speak with her a bit about her research. 

Join me below to hear about her experience.

Seasonal Series: Interview with Bjarke Nielsen, EEB/HMEI

Following the seasonal series theme of “Niche vs. Expansive Research Topics”, I interviewed Dr. Bjarke Frost Nielsen on his journey going from a Physics PhD to working in our EEB department and all of the different topics he’s worked on along the way.

Dr. Nielsen shares, “In general, I have a very broad notion of what physics is. I don’t think for something to qualify as physics it has to, you know, involve Newton’s 2nd Law, be describable in terms of the Schrödinger Equation, or something like that. I think that physics is essentially the science that tries to mathematically tackle the aspects of our physical world that can be attacked mathematically. That’s more or less what physics is, right? It’s choosing the areas where you think that a mathematical description can really capture the problem. … It’s a very broad science in that way.”

Read on to learn more about Dr. Nielsen’s reflections on his research background in Physics and current work in EEB.

Journeying through Statistics & Machine Learning Research: An Interview with Jake Snell

Jake Snell is a DataX postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Computer Science at Princeton University, where he develops novel deep learning algorithms by drawing insights from probabilistic models. He is currently serving as a lecturer for SML 310: Research Projects in Data Science.

As I dive deeper into my computer science coursework, I’ve found myself engaging increasingly with statistics and machine learning (hereafter abbreviated as SML). Opportunities to conduct SML research are abound at Princeton: senior theses, junior independent work, research-based courses such as SML 310: Research Projects in Data Science , joining research labs, and much more. There is such a wide variety of research opportunities, and so many nuanced pathways that students can take while exploring SML research. So, for this seasonal series, I wanted to speak with professors and researchers who are more advanced in their research journeys to share their insight and advice to undergraduate students.

Seasonal Series: An Interview with Eric Ahn

In the spirit of upcoming senior thesis deadlines, I wanted to interview a senior currently working on their thesis. As an underclassman that doesn’t have to worry about any form of independent work yet and a COS BSE major, one of the only majors exempt from the senior thesis requirement, I’ve always been curious about the thesis writing process and what a BSE senior thesis entails. As a part of our Seasonal Series, I am excited to present my interview with Eric, as he shares his ORFE senior thesis, his interest in finance, and his advice for rising seniors. 

Reading for Fun: How and Why

Often when I mention the subject of reading for pleasure’s sake in conversations with other Princeton students, I hear the same story repeated with a twinge of sadness and a sense of resignation to the seemingly-inevitable. Most of us seem to have begun our respective childhoods as avid readers who could barely be seen apart from a book. We enjoyed all sorts of reading, and it was not a tiring task but an exciting opportunity. Over the course of many grueling years of schooling filled with assigned readings and the like, this voracious appetite for literature seems to have been largely snuffed out. If you, like me and many others, have drifted away from the pleasurable pastime of reading for fun and wish that you could regain a bit of that excitement which marked your early years, this article will give a few suggestions for how and why you might go about effecting this turnaround. 

A few books on my shelf in my dorm— not for class.

Research Insights Series: An Interview with Michael J. Thate

I had come to grapple with the idea of ethics in the engineering world when I became fascinated with Department of Defense (DoD)-related technologies and applying my computer science background to space-related development. I was struggling with the ethics in relation to human ecology, especially in defense and technology militarization, and how to balance this struggle with my fascination for the technologies present in the industry. Michael and I first connected via email over aligned interests in professional codes of conduct in defense and security AI systems. 

As I began this research insights series, I sought to interview Michael in order to get a sense of what his research might look like from a highly interdisciplinary perspective, and how ethics, something that is prevalent in any academic area, is present as a core focus of research. In this article, I’m excited to present my interview with Michael, focusing on human interactions with the natural world, and how to quantify “life” and its “value” within a vast ecological space.

Please note that one response discusses animal injury and death.

Research Courses at Princeton

The structure of a “standard” Princeton course usually includes a mix of lectures, precepts, or seminars which likely have a midterm and final. While some of these courses may have “lab” components where you spend a couple hours once a week doing a hands-on assignment, there exist many courses at Princeton which are instead entirely focused on conducting hands-on, lab-based research with a small team that works closely with professors who provide mentorship as you work on an original research project. If you’ve ever wanted to take a class that is far different from anything else at Princeton by teaching you hands-on skills and giving the opportunity for a new project, these types of courses might be for you!

Some of these courses are year-long sequences like AST250 Space Physics Lab I and AST251 Space Physics Lab II , which I took during the 2022-2023 academic year. This was one of my favorite course experiences at Princeton and was certainly the most engaging. The skills we learned were invaluable, and as we worked closely with the professors and each other, our year-long project became an unforgettable experience.

Research Communication and Community: Reflecting on the Princeton Correspondents for Undergraduate Research

Each month in the Office of Undergraduate Research newsletter , we highlight recent posts by Princeton Correspondents on Undergraduate Research (PCUR) authors. This month, we are looking back on ten years of PCUR as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of OUR.

PCUR began the same year as OUR – with the first posts published in September 2014. We invited PCUR alums to share their perspective on their time as a correspondent, including two who were part of the very first PCUR cohort. Read on to learn about how PCUR serves individual correspondents and the larger Princeton community alike, and if this all sounds like something you’d like to be a part of, Princeton first-years through juniors are encouraged to apply here to join PCUR next fall. 

A Guide to Citations

Whether writing a paper or providing a presentation, you will often find yourself relying on the completed work of others to synthesize information about a subject. An essential part of using these outside sources is to give their owners rightful credit in your references! Read some tips below on making citations easier. 

Undergraduate Academic Advising

Research opportunities.

Explore research possibilities before you start your junior independent work and senior thesis.

Department of Psychology

Early research opportunities.

Undergraduate students do not need to wait for Junior or Senior Independent Work to engage in research in the Department of Psychology. In fact, many First Years and Sophomores get involved in research early by joining and contributing to ongoing science in a faculty member’s lab.

Why start research early?

Working in a lab allows you to gain lab skills and become familiar with a research topic, which can directly translate into higher quality independent work. This path is especially useful for students who are interested in a career in science, but considering the numerous transferable skills that research experience equips students with, we encourage all students to consider getting involved.

How can you get involved?

If you are interested in early research opportunities, the first step is to look carefully through the Department of Psychology faculty web pages and read about their research interests. Then, reach out to the faculty member and meet with them to get a better sense of their work and whether their labs have availability and/or funding.

As a sophomore, you may also consider applying to enroll in the Psychology Research Experience course sequence (PSY 230 and PSY 231).

• To apply, students should identify a potential faculty mentor in the Department of Psychology to discuss potential research opportunities. Once a suitable mentor has agreed to serve as a mentor for the entire two-course sequence, students should forward this email confirmation to the course instructor. 
• Only students intending to major in Psychology, or who have permission of the instructors, are permitted to enroll in the course. 

Please note that PSY 230 and 231 do not count towards degree requirements in Psychology.

If you are interested in learning more or have additional questions, please contact the Department of Psychology Undergraduate Program Manager .

Office of Undergraduate Research

Find Support Across Campus

Students seeking financial support for senior thesis research, research related to junior independent work, presentations at discipline-specific conferences, unpaid internships, and special projects can identify funding opportunities and submit applications through the  Student Activities Funding Engine (SAFE) .

OUR Funding Opportunities

The Dean of the College thesis funding for A.B. undergraduates is available through the OUR Senior Thesis Research Funding Program . OUR also administers the  Undergraduate Fund for Academic Conferences  in support of undergraduates wishing to present their research at academic conferences.

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

Plasma and fusion undergraduate research opportunities (pfuro).

2024 PFURO applications are closed

Note: the pfuro program does not provide any tuition assistance to participants.

Current and recently graduated undergraduate students are invited to apply to the Plasma and Fusion Undergraduate Research Opportunities (PFURO) program!

Participants will conduct research in the summer with plasma/fusion scientists from undergraduate institutions throughout the US (universities, colleges, and other educational research institutions).   Past institutions have included: UCLA, University of Rochester, Bryn Mawr College, The US Coast Guard Academy and Columbia University among others.

US Plasma and Fusion researchers:   Do you have a virtual or in-person summer project for a talented undergrad?  Submit your project here !  NEW project submission deadline: 3/22/24.

PFURO participants will:

• Conduct 10 weeks of summer research under the guidance of faculty and staff at US undergraduate institutions (universities, colleges, and other educational research institutions, not necessarily at PPPL/Princeton). 
• Participate in the  Intro to Plasma and Fusion course  hosted by PPPL (early June).  
• Be invited to join all of the workforce development seminars and workshops available for PPPL summer undergraduate interns
• Receive a $650 weekly stipend for the duration of the 10 week, 40hr/week research experience.
• Be sponsored to present their research at a national topical conference.  Most students would present at APS-DPP, but it may also be GEC, ICOPS, SOFE, or another relevant topical conference. 

Eligibility:

• Participants must be currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at an accredited US institution OR
• Applicants who will complete their undergraduate degree prior to starting their internship may apply as a "Graduating Senior", if (1) the applicant has not yet started a program of graduate study and will not matriculate as a graduate student prior to completing the PFURO term, and (2) the time period between receipt of an undergraduate degree and starting the PFURO term is less than two years. 
• All applicants must complete the applications, including uploading the most recent transcript and have 1 recommender submit a recommendation letter (recommenders: click here to upload letter).  
• All applicants must be eligible to work in the US.
• Women and underrepresented minorities in plasma physics and fusion energy research especially encouraged to apply.

Participants will conduct remote research on a topic in one of the following 4 main areas:

• Magnetic Fusion Energy : Research focusing on the scientific challenges of making magnetic fusion energy a reality.  These are topics in plasma confinement, RF heating, stellarator design, turbulent transport, high-temperature superconductors, and many others.
• Fusion Materials and Technology :  Research focusing on the materials required to build fusion reactors and heat and tritium extraction.  Topics include: Neutron effects on materials, plasma-materials interaction,  blanket design, etc.
• General Plasma Science : More than 99% of the visible universe is plasma and they cover wide scale and temperature ranges.  Topics include: Astrophysical plasmas, space plasmas, complex (dusty) plasmas, low-temperature plasmas, and many others.
• High Energy Density Plasmas : Hot, dense plasmas have unique properties in the realm of plasmas and their physics can give insights into extreme astrophysical phenomena such as exploding supernovae as well as lead to advances in accelerator physics, inertial confinement fusion, among other fields of research.

Brought to you by:

The Plasma and Fusion Undergraduate Research Opportunities program is sponsored by the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences at the Office of Science of the US Department of Energy, and the program is administered and managed by the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and by the US Fusion Outreach Team.

For any questions about the program, please contact us at  [email protected]

Department of Astrophysical Sciences

Extracurricular Research Opportunities

• Princeton Undergraduate Summer Research Program 
• American Astronomical Society (summer job listing)
• National Physical Sciences Consortium Fellowships (NPSC), Women and Minorities
• NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (REU)

Ludwig Princeton Branch

Summer undergraduate research, applications for summer 2025 will open in late fall 2024. , past opportunities, summer 2024, ludwig princeton summer internship.

The joint Ludwig Princeton Branch and Rutgers Cancer Institute summer internship program provides hands-on training to conduct research on the molecular events leading to the onset and progression of cancer. Students will participate in cutting edge cancer research in laboratories at Princeton University or the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey , and have the opportunity to attend lectures by leading cancer researchers. Physician shadowing in a cancer clinic and participation in molecular tumor board meetings will provide rare opportunities to observe how scientific discoveries are translated into effective medicine and improved patient care.

Eligibility

Students must be rising sophomores or juniors enrolled full-time at Princeton University or Rutgers University.  Students with diversity of thought and experience are strongly encouraged to apply.

Program Details

• Program duration is 9 consecutive weeks, commencing in early June 2024. 
• Participants will be paid weekly stipend
• Travel costs for program participants will be reimbursed up to $600.  Receipts required to claim reimbursement
• Dormitory style housing provided at each respective campus

Campus Life

• Rutgers is the heart of New Brunswick, NJ, a vibrant campus that boasts the Zimmerli Art Museum, a new Esports Gaming Center, sporting events, and more . New Brunswick is a direct train ride away from Penn Station in New York City, or connect to SEPTA via Amtrak to explore Philadelphia
• Princeton offers the dynamic McCarter Theater, the Princeton Art Museum, live music all summer long in Palmer Square, a rich restaurant scene, and more . The Dinky train connects to Princeton Junction to take you to NYC or Philadelphia, and TigerTransit offers free shuttles to shops and restaurants in Princeton

Applications now closed.

Ludwig princeton summer internship program begins.

The eight undergraduate interns gather for their orientation with Ludwig Princeton Branch Director Josh Rabinowitz.

On June 5, 2023 the Ludwig Princeton Branch launched its inaugural Ludwig Princeton Summer Internship Program with an orientation in Icahn Laboratory. 

Eight undergraduate students, all rising sophomores and juniors, gathered in Icahn’s Oval Lounge to listen to Branch Director Josh Rabinowitz speak to them about the program and cancer research.

The students will be researching in Ludwig member and collaborator labs across Rutgers and Princeton for eight weeks this summer, with seminars and programming relating to cancer research in between. 

Check in to see more updates through the summer. Applications for the Summer 2024 cohort will be posted in late fall, 2023. 

Got Questions?

Shoot us an email

Department of African American Studies

Assistant Professor of Government and Africana Studies at William & Mary

United States

Assistant Professor of Government and Africana Studies (Race/Ethnicity)

  The Department of Government and the Africana Studies program at William & Mary, a public university of the Commonwealth of Virginia, jointly seek applications for a tenure track position at the Assistant Professor level with an emphasis on the politics of race and ethnicity of the peoples of Africa and/or the African diaspora. Appointment will begin August 10, 2025.

Duties include research, teaching, and service to the University. The applicant is expected to establish and maintain a vibrant research program that inspires a highly motivated undergraduate student body. Teaching expectation is two courses per semester split equally between Government and Africana Studies. Successful applicants must possess the skills to teach compelling lecture and seminar-style courses for both units on the politics of race and ethnicity. The successful candidate will possess a demonstrated commitment to producing high-level scholarship and outstanding classroom teaching in the areas of political science and African and/or African diasporic studies; will help the units enhance diversity of new perspectives to its research profile and curricular offerings; and will be interested in mentoring or conducting collaborative research with students. The tenure home will be in the Government Department.

Required Qualifications: Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in political science, African studies, African American studies or a related field at the time the appointment begins (August 10, 2025).

Preferred Qualifications: Previous experience in teaching and mentoring successful undergraduate research, and willingness to enter the rotation of professors who teach “Introduction to Africana Studies,” are preferred qualifications.

Applicants must apply online at https://jobs.wm.edu . Submit a CV, a cover letter, a statement of teaching interests, a statement of research interests, writing sample and evidence of teaching effectiveness that may include teaching evaluations. Candidates are encouraged to reflect on their past experiences or future plans to foster an inclusive and welcoming climate for learners/scholars in any of the aforementioned required documents. You cannot submit a separate diversity statement. You will be prompted to submit online the names and email addresses of three references who will be contacted by the system with instructions for how to submit a letter of reference.

For full consideration, submit application materials by the initial review date, October 10, 2024. Applications received after the initial review date will be considered if needed.

Information on the degree programs in the Department of Government may be found at https://www.wm.edu/as/government/index.php . Information on the Africana Studies program is available at https://www.wm.edu/as/africanastudies/.  William & Mary is convenient to Richmond, Norfolk, and Washington, DC.

Fostering and supporting diverse undergraduate participation in faculty-guided scholarly research and creative inquiry.

Featured Pages

Getting started.

Register With The SOURCE

SOURCE Opportunites

Student Research Mentors

Undergraduate student research and creative projects may be produced by students at all levels in classes, labs, recitals, as part of a distinction or thesis program or independently. Participating in undergraduate research helps you apply what you are learning in class, find a mentor, improve your critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and pursue a topic that fascinates you.

SOURCE Fall Deadlines

• Faculty Research Assistant Grant Faculty-led research projects that allow students to develop key research skills within their discipline Application due Sept. 26, 2024 Apply Now
• Bridge Award (Funding for Spring 2025) Short-term, renewable support for students at all levels to pursue mentored research experiences (up to $2,000) Application due Oct. 31, 2024 Apply Now
• Explore Program (Will take place Spring 2025) Hands-on, short term research experiences for first- and second-year students Application due Dec. 5, 2024 (online application available late-Sept.)

Undergraduate Research FAQs

What is research and creative engagement.

Undergraduate research work takes many forms but all follow a similar structure:

• Beginning with a sense of curiosity in the exploration of a topic of interest
• An understanding of the current landscape of a scholarly, professional or creative field of study.
• Designing of a study or project using the methods and tools of a discpline to present evidence that responds to a question or theme.
• All undergraduate research students are supported by a faculty mentor in their field.
• Student research and creative projects may be produced by students at all levels in classes, labs, recitals, as part of a distinction or thesis program, or independently. 

Why should I participate in undergraduate research?

Participating in undergraduate research allows you to:

• Apply your knowledge to real-world problems and issues
• Develop a strong faculty mentor relationship
• Improve your problem-solving and creative thinking skills
• Explore potential career areas
• Develop skills you can use on the job market or in grad school
• Explore a topic you find fascinating and participate in the creation of new knowledge

How does undergraduate research work at Syracuse University?

• Students are guided by a faculty mentor (typically a tenured or tenure-track professor) or research staff member.
• In humanities, communications/journalism, business/management, social sciences, arts: students work as part of a research team or one-on-one with a professor to either assist with an ongoing project or design an independent project.
• In STEM fields: students work as part of a lab team, led by a professor (or Primary Investigator, “PI”): students assist with ongoing projects and may take leadership on part of the lab’s work.
• Students may also work off-campus, with a community organization, another university, or do research as part of the study abroad experience.

What are some examples of undergraduate research?

• Miguel Guzman, ’24   – lab research on bioactive protein-cholesterol-based nanoparticles
• Sophie Clinton, ’24   – conducted social science research while abroad in Santiago, Chile
• Ngai Lan Tam ’23   – created an exhibition with structural design, film and performance
• Fátima Bings Martínez ’24   – worked as a research assistant for a literary journal
• Ruchatneet Printup ’23   – directed a film set in his Native community

How do I find a research topic or area of interest?

Jot down a few notes in response to these prompts:

• Readings or lectures from a class that sparked your interest and made you want to learn more or share with a friend
• Problems or issues that you’d like to contribute to solving or improving
• Gaps in your education
• Skills that you’re interested in developing
• Passions, hobbies, and personal interests
• Goals or outcomes that could build your portfolio and be shared with a future employer or graduate school

Connect with others

• Talk to your professors during their office hours about how they first discovered their research interests
• Get inspired at a student research presentation event on campus: the SOURCE Fall Expo, Spring Showcase, or Summer Symposium, or a school/college event
• Go to lectures and talks on campus and ask questions
• Chat with fellow students doing research (you could start with SOURCE   Student Research Mentors ) about how they found their focus
• If you have a specific post-graduate goal (career, graduate study, etc.), speak with career and academic advisors about the skills you should be building

New graduate students welcomed to Princeton’s community of scholars: 'What you do here matters'

Graduate School Dean Rodney Priestley welcomes students to Princeton's vibrant community of scholars during Graduate School Orientation. Two resource fairs at Alexander Beach (in background) connected the incoming graduate students with campus offices and student groups.

Princeton welcomed nearly 800 new graduate students to the University during Graduate School orientation Aug. 28 and 29 in events and activities across campus, from Procter Hall to Frist Campus Center and Alexander Beach. Among this year’s  incoming group are students in two new doctoral programs: bioengineering  and quantum science and engineering  (QSE).

In his opening remarks to a packed house in Richardson Auditorium, Graduate School Dean Rodney Priestley welcomed students with rounds of applause and a warm greeting that included personal and scholarly reflections on the community they now join.

Priestley directed the students’ attention to the opening words of the University’s mission statement: “Princeton University advances learning through scholarship, research and teaching of unsurpassed quality.”

In his remarks at Richardson Auditorium, Priestley encouraged the incoming graduate students to be “bold in your research and courageous in your pursuit of new knowledge.”

“As graduate students, you will partner with the faculty to push the boundaries of research and innovation,” said Priestley, who is also the Pomeroy and Betty Perry Smith Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Princeton. “Over the next few years, you will write groundbreaking papers, deliver outstanding seminars and develop new intellectual property. In essence, because of your contributions to this community, we can achieve our mission.”

Urging students to be “bold in your research and courageous in your pursuit of new knowledge,” Priestley said, “This is an opportunity for you to follow your passions, get lost in your questions and ultimately emerge with answers — and new questions — that advance our understanding of the world around us.”

“What you do here matters,” Priestley said. “Your research will help define the future.”

He encouraged students to “learn from one another, partner with one another and uplift one another. The Graduate School is an amazing community of scholars now made better with your presence.”

Also speaking at last Wednesday’s event was Andrea Goldsmith, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Arthur LeGrand Doty Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who commended the students on the achievements that have brought them to Princeton. “The preeminent faculty at Princeton in your chosen fields have been deeply impressed by your accomplishments and your vision for the research and education you hope to undertake during your time here,” she said.

Goldsmith praised Priestley and the Graduate School staff for their “dedication, passion and compassion,” and encouraged students to engage with the community and take advantage of the school’s many programs. “The conversation sparked through these activities will make you a better professional, a better leader and a citizen of the world better able to identify and address complex topics,” she said.

Laurence Latimer *01, president of the Association of the Princeton Graduate Alumni (APGA), also addressed the assembly, welcoming the new graduate students to the global community of 30,000 graduate alums and the broader University alumni community that is some 100,000 strong.

Enhanced mentoring

During his remarks, Priestley announced that Hendrik Lorenz, a professor of philosophy, will join the Graduate School as a vice dean for this academic year. Lorenz will focus on mentoring in graduate education at Princeton.

Calling the relationship between a student and research advisor “critically important,” Priestley said that he shares Lorenz's view that informal mentoring can be equally valuable. Lorenz has written that community building and informal conversations about the “unwritten syllabus,” academic etiquette, and norms and practices are vital parts of academic life that should be given care and attention.

During the year, Lorenz will work with deans in the Graduate School to build new training and support structures to enhance graduate mentoring.

This year’s participants in the Graduate School’s Graduate Scholars Program met in small multi-disciplinary groups in Taylor Auditorium at the Frick Chemistry Laboratory during the second day of a two-day pre-orientation retreat.

‘Finding a sense of identity’

The morning program also had its lighter moments. The Graduate School staff cheered and waved orange pompoms as students filed into Alexander Hall, and students laughed and clapped as Priestley lightheartedly polled the audience about their degree programs and their feelings about starting graduate school. The latest cohort of incoming students to the  Graduate School  joins a community of almost 3,400 graduate students from 91 countries, spread across 45 departments and programs in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering.

Grad student Nimra Nadeem ‘21 is returning to Princeton to get a master’s degree in computer science after working in industry in New York. She admits she was nervous about coming back, knowing the rigor of graduate studies in the field.  “But there's something about Dean Priestley talking about the academy — how we made it and that we should be proud, and the clapping and cheering. I feel like there was a sense of community.”

Community was also the takeaway for Daniel Williams, an incoming graduate student pursuing his Ph.D. in computer science. “I love how lively everything felt. I feel like I'm getting to be a part of the family, finding a sense of identity here,” he said. “So I'm not just attending Princeton, and it's not just where I am now, but it's a new culture I'm being brought into.”

Williams earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and plans to continue his research here toward applying artificial intelligence to clean energy systems, including nuclear fusion.

The Graduate School staff cheered and waved orange pompoms as students filed into Alexander Hall. Amid the clapping and cheering, “I feel like there was a sense of community,” said grad student Nimra Nadeem ’21, who is returning to Princeton for a master’s degree in computer science after working in industry in New York.

Practical advice

Over the two days of orientation, graduate students received practical information on topics such as financial management, professional development, and library and computing resources, and attended resource fairs connecting them with campus offices and student organizations.

At the Success in Graduate School panel, three faculty members and three experienced graduate students offered advice and perspective, suggesting that students create routines, make time for opportunities and friendships beyond their work, and anticipate that their life at this “next stage” will be complicated and challenging — which, they emphasized, is entirely normal.

Erika Milam, the Charles C. and Emily R. Gillispie Professor in the History of Science and Professor of History, offered, “Graduate school is a marathon, not a sprint. It may feel like your work is never done.”

She encouraged students to develop an informal mentoring team beyond their faculty advisor, as well as friendships with other graduate students, reminding them, “You are not in this alone.”

Pre-orientation retreat builds camaraderie and skills

Earlier in the week, nearly 60 incoming graduate students from across 32 departments attended a two-day pre-orientation retreat as part of the Graduate Scholars Program (GSP), which also provides mentorship and social and academic support throughout the year. About 300 graduate students have participated in GSP since it launched in 2018.

This year’s retreat allowed GSP’s newest cohort of graduate scholars to develop connections and foster community “so everyone feels a sense of belonging even before the Graduate School orientation,” said Joseph Lewis, the Graduate School’s associate dean for access, diversity and inclusion.  In addition to attending sessions focused on skills for graduate-level research, the new scholars toured campus and socialized.

“Not only have I already made friends,” said music composition graduate student Devin Greenwood, from New York, “but I'm meeting people across departments that I wouldn't have met otherwise.”

Incoming graduate students get into the Tiger spirit at orientation with Princeton’s Tiger mascot. The new students join a global community of 30,000 graduate alumni and the broader University alumni community that is some 100,000 strong.

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Princeton University hosts 713 new graduate students from 54 countries during orientation activities Aug. 25-26.

Princeton welcomes most diverse class of graduate students to campus .

Princeton welcomed more than 650 new graduate students this September. Of the incoming students from the United States, 43% are minorities and 28% identify as low-income or first-generation college students. 

Graduate Scholars Program aims to improve graduate experience for students from underrepresented backgrounds .

The Graduate Scholars Program at Princeton University's Graduate School provides academic and social support for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Graduate School orientation focuses on academic success, community .

Emphasizing camaraderie, compassion and community, Princeton University welcomed 664 graduate students from 62 countries to a new academic year during orientation activities Sept. 10-11.

Department of Physics

Introduction to the Undergraduate Program

CONTACT: Karen A. Kelly , Undergraduate Administrator [email protected] , 208 Jadwin Hall, 609-258-4418

Physics addresses the material universe at its most fundamental levels. Physical laws apply from subatomic to cosmological scales. The goals of physics are to push to ever deeper levels of understanding of the physical world, and to push upward, extending our understanding to more complicated systems, including molecules, fluids, solids, galaxies, and living things.

Concentrating in physics will not only teach you about the structure of physical law; it will allow you to take part in its discovery. In the process you will acquire universally valuable skills, including problem-solving, methods of estimation and approximation, and reasoning both inductively and from first principles. And you will build your intuition for how the physical world works, from electricity to phases of matter to energy to the quantum.

Physics concentrators are prepared not only for a career in physics, but many other fields as well. Physics alumni may be found in academic and industrial physics research positions as well as consulting, medicine, law, teaching, biotechnology, university leadership, and engineering.

The Physics Department section of the Undergraduate Announcement includes an overview of the undergraduate program as well as the official requirements for concentrating in physics. Physics concentrators and prospective concentrators may also want to refer to our pages on choosing courses , junior papers and senior theses, as well as student run activities. Many research opportunities are available in the department; summer research is a particularly useful and immersive experience.

The undergraduate program committee oversees the undergraduate physics program as a whole. In AY 2016-2017, the committee members are Steve Gubser (chair), Mariangela Lisanti, Silviu Pufu, and Katarina Visnjic. The program committee is assisted by Karen Kelly, the Undergraduate Administrator.

Declaring as a physics concentrator

During the spring of your sophomore year, during a designated time frame, you will schedule an appointment with a member of the undergraduate program committee. Before the meeting, be sure to indicate in University systems that you are a prospective physics concentrator, so that your Princeton transcript and proposed courses for junior fall will be visible to us during the appointment.

Although there is no official way to declare yourself a physics concentrator with the Registrar's Office before the spring of your sophomore year, you can declare your concentration with the department as early as you want by talking with the chair of the undergraduate program committee. As an early concentrator, you can take advanced courses as a sophomore, and you can write a JP during your sophomore year. You will be included in the department mailing list and be informed of departmental events that might be of interest to you. You still will need to officially declare your concentration in the spring of your sophomore year, following the regular procedure for declaring as a physics concentrator.

The Princeton Society of Physics Students (PSPS) organizes talks and activities for physics students, and also runs Princeton University Physics Competition (PUPC).

Approval of outside courses

You may request approval in advance to take a physics course at another institution for Princeton credit. The first step is to fill out the pre-approval form available from the Office of the Dean of the College . Please deliver this form in hardcopy to the Undergraduate Administrator, along with all the attachments that it describes; in particular, these attachments must include a detailed description of the course. Turnaround time in the department is approximately eight business days, and when a decision is made you will receive an e-mail notification from the Undergraduate Administrator so that you can come and pick up your form. Questions about course approvals should be directed to the Undergraduate Administrator.

We recommend summer courses at Berkeley, Caltech, the University of Chicago, Columbia, CUNY, Harvard, NYU, Rutgers, Stonybrook, UCLA, UIUC, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Washington.

Outside courses in physics are usually not approved as prerequisites for the physics major; however, exceptions can be made to accommodate study abroad.

Study abroad works well for physics majors in their sophomore or junior year. We recommend study abroad at Oxford, the University of St. Andrews, the University of Cape Town, and Math in Moscow. If you plan to go as a junior, please note that the Physics Department permits one but not both junior papers (JPs) to be written as part of a study abroad program. If you do write a JP abroad, you must have a second reader / co-advisor with a full-time faculty appointment at Princeton University and their primary appointment in the Princeton Physics Department. To get started planning your study abroad, start with this page at the Office of International Programs .

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CALS Undergraduate Research Grants

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Kristina Harrison

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Agriculture and Life Sciences

CALS Undergraduate Research Grant

Funding up to $2000 USD is available to undergraduate students for research expenses, including travel to a professional meeting or conference to present findings. Funding may not be used as a stipend for students conducting the research. Students are advised to work with faculty members to develop scientifically relevant and well-circumscribed research proposals.

Decisions made by late-November for Fall funding and in early April for Spring/Summer funding.

The following is a list of undergraduate grants offered by the Office of Academic Programs:

• The Dextra Undergraduate Research Endowment Fund enables talented undergraduate students in genomics/life sciences and/or environmental sciences to perform undergraduate research. Undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are invited to submit proposals. Several grants of up to $2,000 will be made each year.
• The Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (Cornell AES) has made available $25,000 this year for supplementing current Hatch or Multistate projects where the principle investigator is mentoring a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences undergraduate student in research associated with that Hatch project. Twenty-five projects will be supplemented with $1,000 each to support the undergraduate student's research. The student should be engaged in independent research (i.e. involved in the research process more than doing "busy work" to earn an income).Projects awarded this supplement in Federal Year '22 (FY22) must be spent by September 30, 2024.
• The Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (Cornell AES) has made available $4,000 this year for supplementing current McIntire-Stennis grants, where the principal investigator is mentoring a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences undergraduate student in research associated with that McIntire-Stennis Grant.
• The Jane E. Brody Undergraduate Research Award funds undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Research Honors Program. Up to $500 of funds per student is available. Undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are invited to submit proposals.
• S. Ann and Robert R. Morley have provided funds to support research by undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The primary objective is to increase the involvement of students in research in the agricultural and life sciences. Undergraduate students from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are invited to submit research proposals in competition for funding. Applicants may be individuals or groups; projects may involve basic or applied research. At least four proposals will be chosen for a maximum of $1,500 each. No student may receive the award for more than two consecutive years.
• Fredric (Fred) N. Gabler ’93 was a CALS alumnus who was killed in the September 11, 2001 tragedy. The Gabler Endowment was established by friends of Fred Gabler and his family to ensure the continuance of the honors research program in CALS. The fund will provide financial assistance to an undergraduate researcher enrolled in the CALS Research Honors program. 
• The Michael W. Berns BS ’64, MS ’66, PhD ’68 Undergraduate Research Award provides support to undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences performing research in the life and environmental sciences. The fund will provide financial assistance to an undergraduate student working with a faculty member on a research project, which may take place during an academic semester or over a summer.

Grant Proposal Application Instructions

Proposals  must  strictly adhere to the guidelines described below; those that do not may be returned.

Proposals should include :

• Cover Page/Application Proposal  for Research funds. Students with Microsoft Word may fill out the application digitally. Eligible applicants may apply to more than one program using a single application.
• Statement of Objectives and Significance
• Brief Review of Relevant Literature
• Description of Methodology (detail adequate to evaluate the probability of project completion; statement(s) of expected results helpful if known)
• Time frame (research to be completed within a 12-month period)
• Literature Cited

Additional considerations:

• Proposals should be written in 12-point font with single or double spacing between lines and at least 1-inch margins. Abbreviations within the proposal must be defined. No appendices may be included.
• Undergraduate grant proposals are restricted to a  maximum of 2 pages , excluding cover page and list of literature cited.
• The budget should list the actual project cost; other sources of funding received, expected, or for which the student has applied; and the amount of funding requested from the Office of Academic Programs, including an explanation of how those funds will be used.
• If the student has already received funding for this research from one of these sources, an additional page must be added to the proposal describing the research progress.
• Computers and software purchased with these funds are the property of Cornell University and must remain at Cornell after the student graduates.
• All undergraduate proposals must be reviewed by the student’s research mentor and revised according to his/her recommendations. The final proposal must be signed by the research mentor before submission to the Office of Academic Programs.

A sample proposal is available for review:  sample #1 .

Funding is limited to  full-time students  only. 

These awards can be used for research or travel related to research, including attending research conferences.

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USC COMPASS undergraduate program prepares juniors and seniors for stem cell careers

By   cristy lytal, in this section, read this next.

USC COMPASS undergraduate program points the way to stem cell careers

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For 20 undergraduate students at USC, stem cell research is more than the topic of a lecture or an article in a textbook. It’s the focus of a comprehensive two-year program designed to prepare juniors and seniors for careers in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.

Known as USC COMPASS: Creating Opportunities through Mentorship and Partnership Across Stem Cell Science, the program launched in summer 2023 as a multidisciplinary collaboration among three USC schools: the Keck School of Medicine, the Viterbi School of Engineering, and the Dornsife College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences.

The program is supported by a $2.9 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) , the voter-created state agency that distributes public funding to support stem cell research and education. CIRM established a total of 16 COMPASS programs, including several at University of California, California State University, and community college campuses. USC is the only private research university to host a COMPASS program.

“A major goal of the program is to increase diversity in the field of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine,” said USC COMPASS Program Director Senta Georgia , a principal investigator at the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and an assistant professor of pediatrics and stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at USC.

“We want COMPASS to point the way to stem cell careers for undergraduates with a variety of backgrounds and experiences, and who may have encountered previous barriers to success,” said USC COMPASS Program Co-director Francesca Mariani , an associate professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, and integrative anatomical sciences.

The program starts with a four-week summer “boot camp,” which provides an immediate opportunity to learn on hands-on laboratory techniques, develop academic and career skills, and bond with their cohort.

“I’ve never been in a research lab before, so I was nervous about how my first experience would be in a lab,” said Brandon Barnes, a human biology major with a minor in health administration. “But it’s a really guided approach and teaches you a lot of information and a lot of lab techniques pretty quickly. The second day we were here, we came straight into the lab and did some small things with pipetting. And once we started pipetting more, we got straight into working with mouse embryonic stem cells, and that was the coolest thing.”

After completing the boot camp, the students match with research laboratories, where they spend the remainder of the first summer and continue to work for 10 hours per week during junior year.

“Over that summer, when we were deciding which labs we want to work with or what we want to focus on, it was the first time that I was actually able to consider what type of research I want to do, rather than being desperate to just get into a research lab and have those qualifications,” said Chris Young, a biological sciences major pursuing a progressive master’s degree in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. “So I would say COMPASS gave me the confidence and the ability to actually start thinking about what I want to do, and it’s providing me the tools for how to achieve those things. I feel like I’ve gained confidence as a researcher and as a student. This is probably the best decision I made in college, being a part of COMPASS.”

During their senior years, students can choose to continue these laboratory research internships, or to explore other stem cell-related interests. For example, students can spend the second summer interning at biotech companies, or can commit their entire second year to training experience in USC’s cell manufacturing facility.

During their junior and senior years, COMPASS students also pursue 12 units of required course work and electives, which partially meet the requirements for a minor in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.

In addition, the students conduct bioinformatics or bioengineering projects, capstone projects culminating in a public symposium, and community outreach projects.

The students also participate in workshops and seminars covering topics ranging from research ethics to laboratory skills to imposter syndrome. Guest speakers from a variety of industries also share their career paths and advice.

“In this program, I was genuinely surprised by how multifaceted being a researcher is,” said Henry Le, a human biology major. “Being a researcher is not only about knowing the science, but also about learning to become a leader. It’s about being a person who is high-integrity and a person who is able to communicate science effectively and translate that into the real world. And in so in many ways, being trained as a researcher prepares you for all aspects of your life.”

To guide the students through these experiences and to prepare them for the next steps in their academic and professional careers, the program relies on a strong network of academic and professional mentors. USC faculty or staff provide one-on-one mentorship, and external mentors from the biotech industry offer additional guidance.

“Having so many different mentors and different avenues of support has been really beneficial to me,” said Maddie Pierce, a biomedical engineering major pursuing a progressive master’s degree in medical device and diagnostic engineering. “I’m a first-generation student, so I really appreciate any insight into what I can do with my future. COMPASS exposed me to a lot that I probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to know about if I wasn’t in the program.”

While participating in COMPASS, the students earn summer stipends, academic year stipends, and a tuition credits to offset their living and educational expenses. This allows them to concentrate on developing themselves as researchers, without the pressure to find additional employment to support themselves.

In summer 2025 and summer 2026, the USC COMPASS program will welcome two additional cohorts of 10 rising juniors and incoming transfer students. To continue in summer 2027, the program will require either a renewal of CIRM funding or philanthropic support.

“For many of our undergraduate students, the COMPASS program has been completely lifechanging,” said Charles (Chuck) Murry, Chair of the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and Director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research. “We’re grateful to CIRM for their vision and partnership in opening this pathway to success for USC’s talented and diverse undergraduates, who are poised to become tomorrow’s leaders in regenerative medicine.”

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