Undergraduate Research
Our faculty-to-student ratio provides great opportunities for undergraduate students to work in state-of-the-art research laboratories during the academic year and in the summer. Below you can find programs coordinated through Penn Engineering, along with helpful information to guide undergraduates toward finding research positions in the School.
Finding a Research Mentor and Research Experiences
Students are encouraged to explore the Penn Engineering faculty directory, where users can identify which faculty are conducting research in a specific area and contact faculty members whose research interests them.
The Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board (EDAB) has put together a guide for their fellow students that gives step-by-step instructions and tips on how to secure research positions as an undergraduate. Everything from where to look for research to the best ways to communicate with faculty is covered in this comprehensive guide.
For Bioengineering majors, the Penn student chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) has assembled its own student guide on starting a research experience.
Penn Engineering Programs
First Year Exposure to Research in STEM in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (FERS-SEAS)
The First Year Exposure to Research in STEM in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (FERS-SEAS) is a school-wide initiative designed to introduce first-year undergraduate students to research while simultaneously providing strong mentoring and advising. The program aims to improve the experience, retention, and 4-year graduation rates for a cohort of students identified by the Penn First Plus Office—Pre-Freshman Program (PFP). A select group of P1P students are matched to a lab at the beginning of their first year, at the latest, their sophomore year, so that they can benefit from early peer and PI mentorship, exposure to research, and eventually direct involvement in a research project.
IoT4Ag (REU)
The Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture (IoT4Ag) is a U.S. National Science Foundation-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) launched in 2020, uniting expertise in agronomy, agricultural engineering, communications, economics, environmental science, electrical and computer engineering, cyber systems, social science, and more to develop and deploy precision agriculture technologies to address the global grand challenges of food, energy, and water security. Program Website
LRSM NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
The LRSM has hosted NSF-REU programs since 1989 in which students spend 10 weeks working on individual research projects with our associated faculty. We currently have funding for 20 undergraduates both through our MRSEC grant and a NSF-REU Site grant. The program runs from early June to August every year and takes applications from well qualified undergraduate who are mainly juniors but sophomores and freshmen can also apply. Students are required to make an oral presentation of their research during the final week of the program and to submit a paper describing their research before leaving the program. The program is restricted to US citizens and permanent residents. Program Website