ISyE encourages interested and qualified undergraduate students to participate in undergraduate research. To get started, review the 10 step process on how to get involved. Below you will find a number of programs offered at Georgia Tech that provide undergraduate students with avenues to conduct and explore the world of research.
Research Option
In 2021, ISyE added the Research Option (RO) for the BSIE. The RO provides students with a substantial, in-depth research experience and often leads to a journal publication or conference presentation. Students who complete the program receive a designation on their transcripts. The RO is open to all undergraduate students, but it is tailor-made for future graduate school students and professional-track students who are planning a career in research and development after graduation.
PURA: The President’s Undergraduate Research Award
Georgia Tech strongly believes in the value of undergraduate research and encourages it through information and funding through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) and the President’s Undergraduate Reseach Awards (PURA).
SURE: The Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering/Science Program at GT
SURE is a ten-week summer research program designed to attract qualified minority students into graduate school in the fields of engineering and science. Approximately thirty students of at least junior-level undergraduate standing are recruited on a nationwide basis and paired with both a faculty and a graduate student mentor to undertake research projects in the College of Engineering, College of Sciences, and the Packaging Research Center. The students are housed on campus, and in addition to a $600 travel allowance, are provided with a meal plan and a $5,000 stipend. Aside from their own research projects, the participants are provided with a series of seminars and field trips to expose them to the various topics of interest, both at Georgia Tech and in the Atlanta area.
At the conclusion of the program, the students prepare both oral and written summaries of their research projects. The program has received highly favorable evaluations from the past participants. It is hoped that this unique experience will encourage these students to become applicants for graduate school in ensuing years.
VIP: The Vertically-Integrated Projects Program
The VIP Program is an undergraduate education program that operates in a research and development context. Undergraduate students that join VIP teams earn academic credit for their participation in design efforts that assist faculty and graduate students with research and development issues in their areas of technical expertise.
Women, Science, and Technology
The Center for the Study of Women, Science, and Technology (WST Center) is an inter-college initiative sponsored by the office of the Provost. The WST Center links issues in the study of science and technology with those of gender, culture, and society. Growing out of the interdisciplinary Ivan Allen College undergraduate minor in Women, Science, and Technology, the Center brings together faculty and students, addressing issues of gender, science, and technology in research and programmatic initiatives. Each fall and spring WST offers undergraduate research opportunities in gender, science, and technology for part-time pay. Visit the WST faculty research areas. Contact WST Co-Directors Mary Frank Fox, Carol Colatrella, or Mary Lynn Realff for more information.