Student Research Assistantships are periodically available through faculty members within the department. These positions provide students with the opportunity to actively engage in faculty-led research projects and include a stipend. In some cases, students may also co-present research findings alongside their faculty mentor. Interested in Political Science research? Click this link to visit the department’s webpage.
Connect Database
Step 1: Connect Survey
Faculty members and students fill out a short Qualtrics Connect Survey.
Step 2: Pairing
The UReCA Hub pairs faculty and students according to their research interests.
Step 3: Matching
The UReCA Hub will inform both the faculty and student via email of their match, and it is their responsibility to schedule an initial meeting.
Step 4: End-of-Semester Survey
At the end of the semester, the UReCA Hub will distribute a Qualtrics survey to both faculty and students to evaluate their research experiences.
Campus Research Programs:
FYRE
WSU’s First Year Research Experience (FYRE) program is open to ALL first-year students at Wichita State University. This includes transfer students in their first year as well as traditional freshmen, even those who may have enough credits to be considered a sophomore. Students need not be members of the Honors College but should have a strong interest in STEM fields. The FYRE in STEM program is open to all majors.
Ronald E. McNair Scholars
Wichita State University is proud to host the prestigious Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program, a federal TRIO Program 100% funded by the U.S. Department of Education. This project, also known as the McNair Scholars Program, was established in 1986 by the U.S. Department of Education. The Program identifies and prepares 28 eligible WSU students for graduate studies leading to the Ph.D. by providing research training and early scholarly experiences to high-achieving undergraduates. These experiences give students opportunities to define goals and develop critical skills needed for success at the doctoral level. The Program is named in honor of deceased NASA astronaut and Challenger space shuttle crewmember Ronald E. McNair, Ph.D. Wichita State's Program started in October 1995.
The Program offers research participation, scholarly experiences, and preparation for graduate school. Students are encouraged to pursue graduate study in preparation for careers as college-level professors and researchers. To be eligible for the program, students must meet the following criteria:
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Have U.S. citizen or permanent resident status.
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Be enrolled at WSU full-time with sophomore, junior, or senior standing.
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Have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or 3.0 in the last 60 credit hours.
- Participants must also meet eligibility requirements set forth by the U.S. Department of Education
K-INBRE
In partnership with the National Institutes of Health, the Kansas Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) program is designed to inspire outstanding undergraduate students to pursue careers in biomedical research in the State of Kansas. Scholars are supported by grant position wages with an additional laboratory supply budget allocated to their mentor.
Engineering Research Laboratories
Wichita State University is well-equipped with research laboratories that allow students to keep up with the latest developments in their fields. Engineering faculty direct research laboratories where undergraduate and graduate students participate in local and nationally sponsored projects. Interested in completing Engineering Research? Click this link to view Engineering Research Laboratories at Wichita State University.
LAS History Research
WSU History Department encourages respectful conversations about complicated issues, realizing that our discussions have roots in the past. Studying history allows us to better understand how the interactions have shaped our world today. The Faculty at the Department of History are also students; their research is intimately connected to the classes we teach. Interested in Historical Research? Click this link to learn more about recent projects.
External Research Programs:
Interested in research opportunities outside of Wichita State University?
STR
Scholars Transforming Through Research (STR) Program is a central focus of CUR’s advocacy efforts at the federal level. STR is a six-month professional development opportunity for undergraduate students and faculty/mentors interested in garnering communication and advocacy skills to leverage the impact of their undergraduate research experience by conveying their story to stakeholder groups such as funding agencies, association partners, elected officials, future employers, community, and beyond. In addition to the advocacy training, the teams will have scheduled meetings with US government representatives.
Amgen Scholars Program
Amgen Scholars Program is a national program aimed at increasing research opportunities for students committed to pursuing careers in the sciences. Students conduct hands-on research in the lab alongside top faculty, participate in seminars and networking events, and take part in symposia with their peers and leading scientists. For information about eligibility, host institutions, and application deadlines, please click here.
REU
The Research Experiences for Undergraduates program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. For information about eligibility, host institutions, and application deadlines, please click here.
CUR
Council on Undergraduate Research Undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry is fundamentally a pedagogical approach to teaching and learning. With an emphasis on process, CUR defines undergraduate research as: A mentored investigation or creative inquiry conducted by undergraduates that seeks to make a scholarly or artistic contribution to knowledge.