Research Opportunities

The Academic Research Consortium (ARC) Summer Program provides mentored research experiences in all disciplines to undergraduates at the junior level and graduate students at the Master’s level who are seeking to gain experience and prepare for doctoral programs at UC Santa Barbara. ​ARC targets talented and motivated students from Hispanic Serving Institutions who can benefit from additional academic support and career development.​

The Arnhold Undergraduate Research Fellows Program is designed to aid and encourage English majors who want to conduct research beyond the level of ordinary course assignments. Arnhold Fellows participate in colloquiums and present their research to the department at the year-end Research Showcase. The program provides the opportunity for qualified English majors to receive extra guidance and assistance as they pursue their research goals. The Fellows will benefit from one-on-one research mentoring from the Arnhold Graduate Fellow; special workshops and panels designed to address questions about research, graduate school, careers after school, etc.; and the opportunity to present their research professionally in an end-of-year Research Showcase.

Scholars embark on a 15 month program designed to enrich their development as students and scientists through innovative research, mentoring, collaboration and practice in effective communication. The program offers students a unique opportunity to become immersed in the scientific community. Beckman Scholars will receive a scholarship of up to $19,300 over two summers. Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or Chemical Engineering majors currently enrolled as a full time UCSB student in sophomore or junior year, with a GPA of 3.3 or above, are eligible.

The California Alliance for Minority Participation provides resources and opportunities to under-represented students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The program is sponsored by the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation at the National Science Foundation, and is part of the statewide CAMP program. CAMP has several programs that support undergraduates including Summer and Academic year Research Internships and CAMP Scholars support towards successful completion of a degree in STEM.

The CCS summer fellowships play a vital role in facilitating experiential learning for undergraduate students at the College of Creative Studies. These fellowships offer UCSB CCS students from all nine majors the chance to engage in research, create original works of art, or develop entrepreneurial projects under the guidance of UC Santa Barbara faculty members. The selection of awardees is made by the program committee of each major.

The EUREKA! program is designed to enrich the academic experience of undergraduates at University of California, Santa Barbara in science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM) disciplines early on in their educational careers. The program is focused on introducing students in their first year to the broader science community on campus and providing exposure to research through academic year internships.

The UCSB Materials Research Laboratory (MRL), the UCSB College of Engineering and the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates program are seeking undergraduate science and engineering majors who are interested in pursuing a research experience. This internship program will bring undergraduate students from around the country to the UC Santa Barbara campus for a 9-week summer research experience. Interns will gain first-hand experience in scientific investigation in a dynamic, collaborative research environment. They will be matched individually with faculty and graduate student lab mentors from the MRL, the College of Engineering, and other UCSB departments. Mentors provide one-on-one training and support for the research project. In addition to research, the interns also participate in weekly group meetings to develop oral presentation skills, attend special seminars and present their results at an end-of-summer poster session.

The Gene and Susan Lucas Undergraduate Research Fund was created to help first-generation undergraduate students experience research alongside UCSB faculty. The program supports research for first-generation undergraduate UCSB students in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math). Funds may be used for stipend, required research materials, travel, conferences, or field experience.

The McNair Scholars Program prepares qualified undergraduates for entrance to graduate programs in all fields of study. The goals of McNair are to increase the number of first-generation, low-income and/or underrepresented students in Ph.D. programs, ultimately diversifying academia, government, and industry, among other fields. To do so, scholars have the opportunities to participate in academic year and summer research activities; attend courses, seminars and workshops on topics related to graduate school preparation; complete a research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor; and present their research at local, regional and national conferences.

The UTEP PREM program sponsors 9-week summer research internships at the University of Texas at El Paso for UCSB undergraduate science and engineering students. Interns will be matched with a research project, a faculty supervisor and graduate student mentor. Interns will receive a stipend of $4500 for the 9-week internship, up to $600 in travel support and housing in shared apartments on the UTEP campus. In addition to their research responsibilities, interns will give presentations based on their work and participate in career development activities.

The Quantum Foundry research internship program brings science and engineering California Community College, California State University, and other primarily undergraduate institution undergraduate students to the UC Santa Barbara campus for an 8-week summer research experience. Undergraduate interns gain first-hand experience in scientific investigation via a dynamic, collaborative research environment. They are matched individually with Foundry faculty and graduate student lab mentors who provide ongoing training and support. Interns also participate in professional development activities preparing them for graduate research and the workforce.

The Raab Writing Fellows Program, funded by a generous gift from UCSB Trustee Diana Raab, provides opportunities for mentoring and research in writing to selected undergraduates. This fellowship would be valuable for students interested in pursuing graduate work or in developing a writing project with an expert in the field. The program supports the academic and professional writing of students via one-on-one work with Writing Program faculty. Moreover, students have the opportunity to collaborate with the cohort of other Raab Writing Fellows, building a strong bond and writing network for their activities at UCSB and beyond.

The Undergrad RA Directory is your go-to place for discovering new research projects taking place on campus. Professors can submit projects on a rolling basis to have their listing hosted on the directory. Although the Directory is categorized by department, don’t allow that to limit you. Many projects in the directory look for students from across the disciplines, so feel free to explore your interests and skills outside of your major or minor and get involved in interdisciplinary research.

The mission of the SACNAS Scholars Program is to train the next generation of diverse STEM leaders. SACNAS Scholars will have the opportunity to engage in both hands-on research training in a UCSB STEM faculty lab during an 8-week intensive summer program, and academic year leadership development. Scholars also receive funding and support for professional development or training that will inform and prepare Scholars for post-graduation career opportunities or advanced academic pursuits.

The Summer Institute in Mathematics and Science (SIMS) is a 3-week academic preparation and research training program for incoming first-year students intending to enroll at UCSB directly from high school in the Fall 2024. The program will be held in person, in accordance with local COVID-19 guidelines. SIMS includes academic skills development, early undergraduate research, mentoring, community building, career awareness, personal and professional development that prepare first-year students to be competitive for subsequent academic and training opportunities, leading toward advanced degree programs or directly into the workforce.

The Maximizing Access to Research Careers at the University of California, Santa Barbara (MARC-UCSB) Program is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The program seeks to increase the number of highly-trained biomedical and behavioral scientists from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds in leadership positions to significantly affect the nation's health-related research needs. MARC Scholars embark upon a two-year program of scientific research, leadership development and graduate school preparation guided by individual biomedical faculty mentors across UCSB science and engineering departments and staff at the Center for Science and Engineering Partnerships.

The UCSB Edison STEM Research Scholarship is designed to aid talented undergraduate students to participate in research under the direction of a UCSB faculty mentor/research affiliate in one of the following fields: Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Earth Science, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Studies, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or Statistics.

This program is designed to engage and educate California’s future leaders by preparing promising students for advanced education in science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM). The program is designed to identify upper-division undergraduate students with the potential to succeed in these disciplines, but who have experienced situations or conditions that have adversely impacted their advancement in their field of study. Participants should apply prior to their junior year and/or should be on track to receive the baccalaureate degree at the conclusion of the second year of the UC LEADS program.

Conduct a research project with professors and graduate students in your field and build a portfolio for graduate school or the private sector. On this type of program, you'll take your skills, ideas, and perspectives to a new location abroad and learn new methods for developing and presenting your work. This type of program is ideal for pursuing a research idea independently under the guidance of a mentor. Choose this type of program if you want to work in facilities and with equipment not available on your home campus.

The Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) unit in the College of Letters and Science encourages undergraduates conducting independent research projects or creative activities to apply for funding to support these efforts. The funding for URCA grants comes from university, federal, and private sources and is intended to cover a project’s expenses, included research-related domestic travel. If you receive an URCA grant, you will be expected to present your work at the Undergraduate Research Colloquium in May.