Undergraduate Research and Scholarships
At Stevens, undergraduates have numerous opportunities to participate hands on in leading edge research. Creation and discovery are common themes throughout our undergraduate programs. Allowing our students to build research and development careers in both academia and industry.
Students are encouraged to reach out to faculty members listed in the Research Projects for Undergraduate Students at Stevens to become involved in different projects. Interested students are regularly invited to participate in faculty research. For some projects, compensation may be available in the form of hourly pay.
Many Stevens Institute of Technology professors and graduate students pursuing their master's or doctoral degrees recruit undergraduates in the fall and spring semesters to assist with their projects for academic credit or for a stipend. In addition, as a research university, Stevens has long-standing ties with leading corporations that hire undergraduates for summer positions to assist in their labs. Stevens students also enjoy opportunities to apply to federal research labs for summer fellowships. Academic departments offer innovative courses and seminars so students may earn academic credit while conducting research. Course requirements and the number of credits earned varies by department.
The Pinnacle Scholars Program is an elite, invitation-only program for high-achieving undergraduate students who want to push the boundaries of their education even further. The A. James Clark Scholars Program provides financial support and enhanced learning opportunities to exceptional undergraduate students who are underrepresented in the engineering field.
In the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summer Scholars Research Program, undergraduates engage in research, innovative design, or business projects for 10 weeks over the summer. Students identify a suitable project, find a faculty member to work with and submit a proposal to the review committee. Projects are funded by the Office of Institute Technology Initiatives.
Stevens also maintains two National Centers of Excellence -- advanced research facilities selected by the U.S. government to lead national research, development, and education efforts to address crucial global needs. Through these centers, Stevens world-class faculty, as well as undergraduate and graduate researchers, collaborate with interdisciplinary academic and industry partners to enhance port security and maritime transportation and to revolutionize our national defense through systems engineering.
In 2008, the Department of Defense (DoD) competitively awarded Stevens a contract to operate the SERC-UARC, housed within the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC), to enhance and enable the development, integration, testing and sustainability of complex defense systems, services, and enterprises. The SERC-UARC consists of 22 collaborating institutions.
In 2014, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate selected Stevens Institute of Technology as the lead university in the Maritime Security Center (MSC). The MSC provides education programs and conducts research to enhance port and maritime security.
AI research summer fellowship program (AIRS) organized by the Stevens Institute for Artificial Intelligence (SIAI) encourages selected Stevens undergraduates to embark on an exciting research journey on a topic of their choice.
The Capstone Senior Design project is intended to be the culmination of the Stevens undergraduate experience — knowledge gained in the classroom is applied to a major design project. The School of Engineering strives to have most of its senior projects sponsored by or defined and mentored in collaboration with an industry partner. This provides meaningful research for the sponsor while providing the student design team with a professional orientation that simulates what they will encounter in their future professions. The project is crafted to meet the educational goals of the capstone design course, which runs the full senior year.
Stevens encourages and assists students to apply for outside research and scholarship opportunities such as the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, Department of Energy Scholars program, Fulbright U.S. student program, Rhodes scholarships, Gates Cambridge scholarship, and the Department of Defense SMART scholarship. The Office of Undergraduate Academics provides information, outreach, advising and support to high-achieving Stevens students who may be eligible for nationally competitive awards. Current students who have questions regarding national scholarships and fellowships may view more information on our website, contact shierrez@stevens.edu, or visit the Office of Undergraduate Academics, Howe Center, 12th floor.