Student Research

No matter which field they explore — science, public policy, social science, the arts or the humanities — our undergraduate and graduate students work side-by-side with world-class scientists and investigators to push the boundaries of innovation.

Fellowships and research initiatives allow students to follow their academic curiosity, whether under the guidance of faculty mentors or pursuing independent projects.


Undergraduate Research Funding & Opportunities

Undergraduate and graduate students can use Student Research Commons to find research positions and other opportunities across disciplines. The website connects students with paid research positions, fellowships, databases of scholarships and funding opportunities, research internships and other for-credit or experiential opportunities.

Not sure where to start? Check out the options listed on this page, and read our guide to finding undergraduate research opportunities.

 

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Gavin Derleth
 
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"As I became more interested in urban geography in my classes, it was no longer something I felt I could ignore, and so I jumped at the chance to research its implications further."

Gavin Derleth
BA '20, Geography & Political Science


Funding Opportunities for Graduate & Postdoctoral Research

CCAS Dean's Graduate Instructorship

The CCAS Dean’s Graduate Instructorship offers exceptional PhD candidates the unique experience of designing and teaching their own undergraduate seminars in their areas of expertise, while also obtaining financial support for their dissertation research.

The Gamow Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Named after George Gamow, a renowned GW theoretical physicist and early proponent of the Big Bang Theory, the Gamow Postdoctoral Fellowship Program promotes student-faculty research collaborations while addressing the need for greater diversity in the nation’s science community.

Spotlights on Student Research

 

 

Undergraduate and graduate students displayed poster presentations of their scholarly work at the annual CCAS Research Showcase. (Photos: William Atkins/GW Today)

Student Research Shines at CCAS Showcase

Undergraduate and graduate students across the sciences, social sciences and humanities displayed their scholarly work at the CCAS Research Showcase.

An 1850 illustration depicts Irish immigrants sailing to the US on an overcrowded ship during the potato famine.

History Detectives: Following the Lives of Potato Famine Immigrants

History’s Tyler Anbinder and his student researchers dug through 100 years of bank records from Irish immigrants. What they found rewrote a historical tale.

Physics Ph.D. student Nick Kirschner working with wires in a physics lab

Ready to Launch: A GW Student’s NASA Mission

PhD student Nick Kirschner’s research journey took him from NASA to the New Mexico desert—part of an agreement that is propelling GW astrophysics to new heights.