Student Research

1. Creating a culture of research by cataloguing and tracking research endeavors across the university.
2. Developing new research programs and initiatives to help all students become engaged in the high impact practice (HIP) of research at CSUN and in the surrounding communities.
3. Preparing students through training for rigorous research experiences.
4. Collaborating with existing offices, programs, centers, and faculty to increase research capacity at CSUN.
5. Promoting undergraduate research opportunities at CSUN and across the nation.
6. Strengthen capacity for faculty, programs, and offices that engage undergraduate students in research by serving as a resource hub.

This spring, we are offering the following workshops:

• What is Research?
• Finding a Research Mentor
• Understanding Mentoring Relationships
• Research Ethics from a CRT Lens
• Time Management
• Email Etiquette
• Writing a Conference Abstract - Click here to see workshop dates and to register
• Attending a Research Conference
• Creating a Poster Presentation

Students can sign up for workshops HERE

Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2022, ESTUDIO, short, for Excellence in Student Training for Undergraduates, Diversity Initiative Office, is an equity-based research training hub for undergraduate STEM students. In Spanish, ESTUDIO is a “study” or “research” and will allow STEM undergraduate students to earn research skills-building, research ethics training, and professional development certificates in preparation for entering mentored research experiences (including summer programs) and employment preparation.

Forthcoming: 

• Spring 2024 - Entry-to-Research Workshops: (hybrid).
• Summer 2024 - Summer JumpStart: (a two-week intensive skills-building opportunity for new researchers)

Undergraduate Research Program open to ALL Majors!

Funded by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), the Learning-Aligned Employment Program (LAEP) provides funds to offer eligible undergraduate students opportunities to earn money while gaining career-related experience in their fields of study. LAEP is CSUN’s newest research program that pays students across ALL majors to conduct research with a CSUN mentor.

Eligible students receive $3,000/semester to conduct research at CSUN.

Fall 2023 ZOOM Information Sessions

Tuesday 11/7/23 @ 12:00 p.m.
Wednesday 11/15/23 @ 3:00 p.m.

Meeting ID: 836 9975 0814
Meeting Password: 364659

LAEP Student Eligibility (Academic Year)

To be eligible, students must be:

• an undergraduate student,
• enrolled at least half-time,
• classified as a California resident,
• meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP),
• eligible to work in the United States,
• demonstrating financial need (FAFSA/CADAA on file for the current academic year),
• from a traditionally underrepresented group, including:
• First-generation college student,
• low-income student
• current or former foster youth
• unhoused students or at risk of becoming unhoused,
• students with disabilities,
• displaced workers,
• students with dependent children,
• formerly incarcerated students,
• undocumented students, meeting AB540 requirements,
• students who are veterans

* In addition, undergraduate students must enroll and participate in the Entry-to-Research workshop through the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR)

Summer LAEP Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the summer, students must also:

• be enrolled at least half-time in summer courses required for completion of a degree or certificate, or
• be accepted for enrollment on at least a half-time basis for the following normal academic term

LAEP prepares students for careers after graduation and prepares them with professional development workshops through the Office of Undergraduate (OUR), mentorship, and job skills development. 

LAEP Student Benefits

• Earn $20.00 hourly ($3,000/semester maximum) - 10 hours a week
• Stay on campus and get involved
• Meet like-minded peers
• Work in research related to your area of study or career goal
• Get letters of recommendation for graduate school, scholarships, employment

1. Attend/view LAEP faculty mentor orientation webinar
2. Submit mentor application & LAEP Job Description through Google Forms.
3. Department Agreement (date release TBD). Each faculty member is responsible for verifying with department Admin Support Staff if an Agreement with LAEP office is on file, if not then faculty member must notify department head /chair of submission requirement.
4. Interview and select eligible LAEP Student applicants. Mentors may have up to 3 LAEP students.
5. Provide student details to Office/Dept Admin Support Staff responsible for Student Hires to complete CSUN HR onboarding.
6. Supervise, sign, and submit monthly Timesheets.

Faculty/ Staff Sponsor Responsibilities

To serve as a LAEP research sponsor:

• Upload a description (up to 300 words) of your research project(s) and job description for each student position.
• Review applications of students interested in working. You select which students you will train.
• Train and supervise students in research activities. Training can take many forms, including in-person or virtual.
• Meet with the student regularly (frequency and format - Zoom, in-person, email or virtual - will be determined by mentor).
• Provide enough work for at least 10-15 hours per week per student. Students cannot be paid for simultaneous work under a separate grant.
• Monitor and sign students' monthly timesheets.
• Students are entitled to a 15-minute break during each four consecutive hours of work and at least a 30-minute break for lunch during a five-hour shift. Breaks may not be accumulated for lunch period or early departure.
• Complete a brief survey of students' progress at the end of each semester/summer.
• Notify the LAEP Coordinator if I am unable to continue my sponsorship of a student. 

CSUN is now an enhanced Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) member!

Students, Faculty, and Staff can join CUR for free and enjoy the benefits and resources for engaging students in undergraduate research. Interested in becoming a member? Go to CUR.org and click on "Membership."

In preparation for the conference season, CUR has a 3-part Networking Series:

Building a Personal Brand and Stand-Out Profile (Friday, March 8, 2024, 12 – 1:15  PM PT)

Topics covered: Essential components of an optimized LinkedIn profile + Creating the right experience and strategy

Positioning Your Profile to Build Your Network (Friday, March 15, 2024, 12 – 1:15 PM PT)

Topics covered: Why showing up matters + The importance of a network

Staying Visible and Engaging (Friday, March 22, 2024, 12 – 1:15 PM PT)

Topics covered: Best practices for leveraging content effectively + The importance of engaging with page content + Using original and curated content

The Office of Undergraduate Research (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. Undergraduate students (part-time and full-time) are eligible to apply. Students are eligible for funding only once per academic year.

Priority will be given to students engaged in OUR (e.g., attending workshops, certificates, LAEP, NCUR). Priority will be given to students whose mentors do not have external research grants.

Apply HERE