OUR aims to become a central resource at CSUN, promoting and supporting student involvement in research activities and creative scholarship. OUR serves as a bridge between students and faculty and fosters an environment where students can enhance their educational experience through research, critical thinking, and hands-on learning.


Visit us at the Garden Level in University Library 27!

Students can take workshops (in-person or via Zoom) to increase their knowledge and skills in five areas: Entry-to-Research, Research Conferences, Professional Development, Responsible Conduct of Research, or Graduate School Preparation. Students who complete a series earn a certificate of completion. Workshop levels range from Beginner (B), Intermediate (I), to Advanced (A).

The Office of Undergraduate Research Graduate Peer Mentors (GPMs) increase undergraduates’ awareness, interest, and participation in research. Master’s-level GPMs have firsthand research experience and support students during drop-in hours by answering research questions, helping find mentors, reviewing abstracts, CVs, essays, and advising on school.

OUR is launching our newest initiative - Summer UNdergraduate Research Initiative for Scholarly Excellence this Summer 2026!  An eight-week paid mentored summer research experience at CSUN! Faculty and Program Directors can apply for SUNRISE and nominate a student. Applications will open on February 9, 2026.

Look for information in our next newsletter!

OUR is seeking motivated undergraduate students to join the PODER program as research assistants. Students will engage in faculty-mentored research in their respective or related disciplines, with the goal of developing research skills and contributing to ongoing projects. Projects will differ by department and by mentors. For Spring, 2026, only FWS students may apply.

OUR aims to become a central resource at CSUN, promoting and supporting student involvement in research activities and creative scholarship. OUR serves as a bridge between students and faculty and fosters an environment where students can enhance their educational experience through research, critical thinking, and hands-on learning.


OUR Research Supplies Grant supports undergraduate students in research, performance, and scholarship. It is designed to encourage collaborative scholarly research and creative work between undergraduate students and faculty. An undergraduate student in a mentored research, scholarly, or creative project may request up to $500 for supplies and equipment towards completion of their project. Students are eligible for funding only once per academic year.

An undergraduate student presenting as the first or second author on a poster or oral presentation may request up to $300 for a travel scholarship. Students are eligible for funding only once per academic year. Priority will be given to students engaged in OUR (e.g., attending workshops, certificates, events). There are financial aid implications for this scholarship, more information is available on the application.

CUR is the premier community of higher education professionals advancing excellence in undergraduate research, providing support and professional development opportunities for faculty, staff, administrators, and students. CSUN is an Enhanced Member so our students are eligible! Current Awards: 

1) the Social Science Undergraduate Conference Award provides $400 to travel and present their research at conferences.

2) Biology Division offers students $250 travel grants attending biology-related conferences this year. 

3) The Education Division will award an honorarium of $1,000 to an outstanding undergraduate education student for their efforts in undergraduate research in education.

4) The Geoscience Division (GeoCUR) awards to full-time undergraduate students engaging in research emphasizing the geosciences, such as geology, oceanography, atmospheric sciences, etc.

5) The Health Sciences Division offers $500 to help cover the cost of registration and travel for undergraduate students presenting original research at NCUR 2026, April 13-15, 2026.

6) The Physics and Astronomy Division offers a research award to help undergraduates (1) conduct faculty-mentored research, (2) present their research at national conferences, or (3) publish their research in peer-reviewed journals.

Deadlines: February 13, 2026

For faculty seeking mentor training opportunities, unfortunately, the National Research Mentor Network (NRMN) site is shut down. We find the University of Minnesota's Optimizing the Practice of Mentoring 102: For Research Mentors of Undergraduate Students as a suitable training program. This online training will take about 2 hours to complete, roughly the same length as the NRMN training. 

Visit the University of Minnesota's Training Hub and create a Guest Account to access the training. 

Once you create the guest account, you can add Optimizing the Practice of Mentoring 102: For Research Mentors of Undergraduate Students (course 14941)

OUR is launching our newest initiative - Summer UNdergraduate Research Initiative for Scholarly Excellence this Summer 2026!  An eight-week paid mentored summer research experience at CSUN! Faculty and Program Directors can apply for SUNRISE and nominate a student. Register to attend a 30-minute info session on Tuesday, February 3 or Wednesday February 4 at 3:00 pm.

In partnership with the Office of the AVP for Faculty Programs and Initiatives, OUR is launching a new opportunity to support faculty who are interested in learning how to incorporate undergraduate students in their research and creative scholarship. This program will support a cohort of eight faculty members!

This program is still in development, but we wanted to put this in your radar. More information will be available in the next newsletter! 

Studies have found that students who attend external summer research programs are more likely to pursue gradaute studies! OUR supports students' efforts to search for and secure summer research opportunities external to CSUN. Most summer programs have deadlines by February 1st. However, we found some programs with mid-February and March deadlines. We categorized the programs by general disciplines. Click below to find a program for you!

We also encourage you to attend the Summer Research Opportunity Program workshop to strengthen your application. 

The Institute for Broadening Participation (IBP) offers the PathwaystoScience.Org - a search engine for research programs. You can search for programs by student level (e.g., undergraduate), discipline (e.g., biology, general programs) or geographic location.  While many summer program deadlines have passed, there are few still accepting applications. Don't miss out on this transformative experience!