Undergraduate Research Opportunities

There are a number of research opportunities and options available to undergraduate students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.  Overseen by ME faculty researchers and their graduate students, these options range from projects in the honors program to paid research positions and student grants.

The first step is for students to identify a faculty member they would like to work with and initiate contact with them.  To assist with identifying different research areas, we encourage students to review faculty profiles and lab websites and then schedule a meeting or lab tour with the researcher to learn more about their research and specific opportunities.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities:

MEEG 4903H Honors ME Research

  • The student and the mentor discuss and get an agreement on the topic of the research for the Honors Thesis.  Then the student completes an Honors College Advising Form, obtains signatures from the mentor and MEEG Honors Coordinator, Dr. Min Zou, and submits the form to Engineering Dean’s Office (BELL 3189).
  • Instructor permission is required to enroll in honors research course and will enrollment is processed via an Override Request form.

Voluntary Participation

  • Students can gain research experience in a professor’s lab via voluntary work. This is particularly useful when students are not sure of the area they are most interest in and would like to explore through hands-on experience.

Hourly-Paid Position

  • The student and the mentor discuss ongoing research projects and agree on the topic of the research, the workload, and the hourly rate.

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

  • REU is NSF-funded and supports undergraduate summer research. For additional information, contact REU Program Director, Dr. Uche Wejinya.

Student Grants

Proposals will need to be submitted by students for the grants listed below, with reference letters from their mentor. USRG requires a letter from the student’s mentor. HSRG/SURF requires two/three reference letters including one from the student's mentor, respectively. If awarded, these grants will cover wages for students, wages for the mentor (if applicable), and supplies/materials (if applicable).

  • Undergraduate Summer Research Grant (USRG). USRG grants can be applied to InfoReady). The deadline is normally in early May.
  • Honors Student Research Grant. There are multiple grants to support Honors student research. The best way of identifying grants for Honors student research is to navigate to InfoReady and select “Honors College” as “Organizer.” More detailed information about Honors Student Research Grant can be found at Honors Student Hub.
  • Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). SURF competition at Arkansas is funded by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE).