Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Duke Engineering offers students unparalleled opportunities to conduct research

Mentored undergraduate research experiences available to Duke Engineering students include:

• Volunteer work in faculty research laboratories
• Independent study for credit
• Funded multi-semester research fellowships
• Grants to attend research conferences

To aid in discovering research opportunities that match their interests, students have access to Muser—a browseable online directory of available projects.

Find a Research Experience

The place to start: Muser

Duke Engineering labs list research experience opportunities in Muser with contact details.

• Typically, research experiences are a semester
• There are three rounds of recruiting each calendar year
• Students should carefully note application deadlines

Search MUSER

Request Independent Study for Credit

Work under faculty supervision on a research topic of your choosing

Whether you are accepted to a project through Muser or you've identified a project through direct contact with a faculty member, you have the option of pursuing independent study course credit.

• First- and Second-Year Students enroll in an independent study course as a free elective
• Third- and Fourth-Year Students enroll in an advanced elective in their major

Click below to submit a request for an independent study. The deadline is two days before Drop/Add Ends.

Trinity College students: You can participate in these experiences. Click to submit your request.

Submit a Request

Pratt Conference Grants

A Pratt Conference Grant is an award of up to $500 to use toward presenting research at a national or regional meeting of a professional organization. Payments can made directly or by reimbursement.

Apply for a grant

Multi-Semester Research Fellowships

Learn more about these prestigious and focused research opportunities

Pratt Research Fellows

Three semesters of independent undergraduate engineering study, plus summer research.

Katsouleas NAE Grand Challenges Scholars

Focused investigation on a selected NAE Grand Challenge for Engineering—including entrepreneurship opportunities, service-learning and courses outside of engineering.

Bass Connections

Interdisciplinary university research teams—usually two semesters. Some have a summer session.