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.

Reem Al Shabeeb

BS '17, Biology & Chemistry

"My parents used to say 'When you grow up you're going to discover something,' but my possibilities [in Iraq] were limited. Here I may indeed grow up and discover something ."

Student Research News

2019 GW 3MT Presentation - Elizabeth Pertner

Speed Thesis: 3MT Comes to Columbian College

Columbian College PhD students stepped up to a speed-challenge in the college’s first Three Minute Thesis Competition. Political Science’s Elizabeth Pertner won first prize.

Students in Columbian College’s Environmental and Green Chemistry Program learn environmentally-friendly scientific methods. (Ph

For Environmental Chemists, It’s Easy Being Green

How do you safely design chemicals that won’t harm the environment? In her classroom and her lab, Adelina Voutchkova-Kostal promotes green chemistry.

Undergraduate Research Fellowships

Luther Rice Fellowship

Luther Rice Undergraduate Research Fellowships support Columbian College undergraduates involved in faculty-mentored research projects on topics as varied as devising new treatments for diabetes, examining the ancient roots of religious conflicts and overcoming barriers to higher education around the world.

GW Research Award

The GW Undergraduate Research Award gives promising undergraduates the opportunity to engage in well-defined research projects, under the guidance of a faculty member in their field of study, to hone their investigative skills and prepare them for graduate and professional school challenges.

Cisneros Undergraduate Research Fellowship

The Cisneros Undergraduate Research Fellowship supports outstanding undergraduate students who are conducting faculty-supervised research on an issue facing Latinos/Hispanics or the Latino/Hispanic Community, including community action, evaluation and intervention projects.

Loeb Institute for Religious Freedom Undergraduate Research Fellowship

Fostering dialogue on religious understanding and the separation of church and state, the Loeb Institute for Religious Freedom offers promising students research fellowships to examine the role of religion in civil society.

Sigelman Undergraduate Research Enhancement (SURE) Awards

Funded by an endowment from GW Professors Carol and Lee Sigelman, the SURE Awards support the scientific, scholarly and artistic activities of students in all GW undergraduate programs, including the humanities, the arts, science and engineering, business and public health.

Graduate and Postdoctoral Research Opportunities

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.

CCAS Dean’s Dissertation Completion Fellowship

Qualified PhD candidates can receive support as they work on their dissertations through the Dean’s Dissertation Completion Fellowship, which includes a stipend and tuition assistance.

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. Gamow Fellows conduct groundbreaking research in theoretical nuclear physics and experimental nuclear physics, with priorities given to applicants from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.