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Undergraduate research, sponsored by the CEA, is designed to support student researchers while encouraging faculty/student research collaborations. The goal is to provide students with meaningful intellectual and practical research in their chosen academic disciplines.

Undergraduate research is one of the most engaging and honest ways for students to get an education at Northeastern. Not only is research and scholarship a key reason for the university’s existence, it is also the source of much of the expertise and passion for a discipline that our faculty brings into the classroom. By participating in undergraduate research, students develop a similar expertise and passion, and develop strong collegial relationships with faculty, graduate students, and fellow undergraduate researchers in the same field. These relationships provide the grounding for a fuller, more active, and more vibrant education than one could ever get by simply attending classes. It allows the student to actually contribute to his or her discipline while still in school.

Participants in undergraduate research, like other forms of professional development, are better prepared for either graduate school or professional employment, because they have developed the skills and confidence to experiment. They have discovered through research that experiments do not always work, but they always teach us something. They have discovered that asking questions is more valuable than knowing answers, because each answer leads to another question, another possibility, another opportunity. Undergraduate research allows students to dig deep into the mysteries of their discipline and to discover themselves.

University supported undergraduate research is housed in the Office of the Provost. The NU Research web site offers research guides, funding opportunities, and the latest news in NU research.

In Northeastern’s College of Arts & Sciences, there are three types of undergraduate research practiced:

Individual Research and Experiential Projects, which includes all types of scholarly work related to the student’s studies, is initiated by the student, and is executed with the supervision of a faculty mentor.

Faculty Undergraduate Research Initiative (FURI), which is research or scholarship being pursued by a faculty member with the assistance of one or more student researchers.

Community Based Research Initiative (CBRI), a small group research project executed in partnership with a faculty member and community organization.