There is no time like the present.

Through research, College of Science students develop a practical expertise and intellectual passion for their chosen field.

Stay Curious

Undergraduate researchers are better prepared for graduate school or professional employment because they have developed the skills and confidence to experiment. Student researchers discover that asking questions will lead to answers, and each answer leads to another question, another possibility, another opportunity. Undergraduate research allows students to dig deeply into the mysteries of their discipline and to discover themselves.

Finding Research
Opportunities

Students can conduct their own individual research projects, work with a faculty member, pursue honors in the discipline, or be part of a group project.

  1. Review research opportunities with an academic advisor
  2. Check with individual professors in areas of interest via email or in person to find out who might need assistance.
  3. Visit the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships where you can search for research opportunities, connect with faculty mentors, and find fellowships and scholarships.
  4. Check out opportunities posted on the Student Employment website
  5. Discuss a research based co-op with your co-op advisor
  6. Find research opportunities available at Northeastern’s many research centers and labs
  7. Connect with Northeastern’s Engagement and Career Design office to explore career opportunities in research and explore internships and more

Research in the College of Science

Research in the College of Science

Department-Specific Opportunities

Physics Research Internship Awards

The physics department invites applications for several departmental internships to support the undergraduate physics research experience. The Internship Award is meant to support an internship in the research group of a Northeastern physics faculty member who is expected to cost-share the hourly wage at the 50 percent level. The award will be used to help provide a stipend for an otherwise unpaid research internship that amounts to no more than 20 hours of work per week, and probably less, as determined by the academic course load of the student in consultation with the faculty advisor and the department.

Eligibility: undergraduate students in all physics degrees in years ranging from sophomore to senior with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Application deadlines for any calendar year:

  • March 15th for the Summer 2 and Fall semester period starting July 1st in that calendar year.
  • November 15th for the Spring and Summer 1 semester period starting January 1st in the following calendar year.

Application materials: The following material needs to be submitted:

  • Curriculum Vitae.
  • Paragraph describing the research to be performed and the maximum number of working hours per week.
  • Faculty letter of support including the 50 percent cost share commitment.

Please deliver application materials to the physics department administrative officer by the deadline date. Award decisions will be announced prior to each of the research internship periods noted above. Awards will be made in consultation with the faculty advisor and the chair of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and are contingent upon the availability of funds.

Undergraduate Research Award for Women in Physics

These awards will fund STEM research opportunities for women undergraduates majoring or minoring in physics at Northeastern. In particular, these awards are aimed at supporting women in their first research opportunities.

2-3 students will be selected to receive $2500 each. Students should identify a faculty sponsor to ensure there is someone committed to mentoring them. Applicants should be majoring or minoring in physics, but the proposed research (and mentor) can be outside of physics (but should be a STEM field). Applicants should be in their first, second, or third year as undergraduates at Northeastern.

Application Deadline: March 15

Please deliver application materials to Assistant Professor Toyoko Orimoto ([email protected]) by the deadline date. Applicants should have:

  • Good academic standing (minimum GPA 3.0).
  • Curriculum Vitae.
  • Paragraph describing the research you are interested in.
  • A letter of recommendation from a Northeastern faculty member.

Questions regarding this award may also be directed to Assistant Professor Toyoko Orimoto ([email protected]).

Lawrence Research Fellowships

The department awards every year one or two Lawrence Research Fellowships intended to foster undergraduate research.  Students receive a $2,000 stipend for this award if a single award is made, or $1,000 if two awards are made. Interested students should seek a host research lab in the physics department in advance of the submission deadline.
Eligibility: Physics undergraduate students in years ranging from sophomore through senior year.
Application Deadline: March 15

Please submit nominations by email to the Undergraduate Physics Advisor, Professor Tim Sage ([email protected]) including:

    1. A two page research proposal
    2. A letter of support from the physics faculty advisor

Decisions will be made by April 1 for awards in support of research carried out during the spring, summer, or fall semester of the awarded year.  A student receiving an award is required to present preliminary results of his/her research in a poster submitted to the Northeastern University Spring EXPO.

Physics Research Co-op Fellowships

The physics department invites applications for several fellowships to support undergraduate physics research experience, including the Lawrence fellowship, the Physics Alumni Fellowship, and one or more departmental co-op fellowships.  Each $6,500 fellowship is to support a co-op internship in the research group of a Northeastern physics faculty member who is expected to cost-share $6,500.  The co-op can be on campus or at a national/international research institution collaborating with the faculty. Each fellowship could also be used to provide a stipend for an otherwise unpaid research co-op off campus.

Eligibility: undergraduate students in all physics degrees in years ranging from sophomore to junior with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Application deadlines for any calendar year: 

  • March 15th for the Summer 2 and Fall division A co-op period starting July 1st in that calendar year.
  • November 15th for the Spring and Summer 1 division B co-op period starting January 1st in the following calendar year.

Application material:  The following material needs to be submitted by, through the Northeastern University co-op online NUCareers system:

  1. Curriculum Vitae
  2. Paragraph describing the coop research project
  3. Faculty letter of support including a $6,500 cost share commitment

Please consult with the physics co-op coordinator Steve Savitsky ([email protected]) for details on uploading the material on the NUCareers system.

Got Funding?

Following are a list of funding opportunities to explore for your research endeavors:

  • The Office of the Provost at Northeastern
  • Northeastern’s Undergraduate Research 
  • The CaNCURE Co-op Program, which has been awarded funding by the National Institute of Cancer (NCI), supports NU undergraduates in six-month research co-ops in NCI-funded research labs (both on-campus and at other institutions).
  • The Matz Co-op Program, generously funded by NU alumnus Robert Matz and his wife Eileen, supports NU undergraduates in six-month research co-ops in the labs of NU faculty who work in the area of biotechnology.
  • The Schafer Co-op Research Fund, generously funded by NU alumnus Dr. Andrew Schafer, provides six-month co-op funding to students conducting laboratory medical research at NU under the guidance of a faculty mentor.
  • MAA Undergraduate Research 
  • UROP, University of California, Irvine.

Need support developing research and finding fellowship opportunities, check out Northeastern Office Undergraduate Research and Fellowship for more information