FAQs for Faculty

Rutgers undergraduate students have the unique opportunity to observe firsthand how scholars conduct research in a large research university. With you as a mentor, they develop research skills, define academic interests and objectives, and prepare for more advanced research in their future. Undergraduates, while new to the research process, are exposed to invaluable educational opportunities through the process of research, making their undergraduate experience more valuable and making them more capable and employable upon graduating.

Undergraduate research is also beneficial from a departmental perspective: many studies have demonstrated the strong correlation between persistence in a discipline and undergraduate research experiences.

Aresty research projects are intended to expose first-time undergraduate researchers to faculty research. When advertising a research project either for our Summer Science or Research Assistant programs, we keep in mind that students will have enthusiasm and potential, but limited field-specific expertise. Gaining this expertise is the goal of Aresty research projects.

In STEM fields, Aresty students typically become part of faculty labs. In the Social Sciences and Humanities, students help conduct primary research, work on bibliography, and assist in course and survey design. For examples of previous projects, browse our research opportunity database.

Students in the Research Assistant program receive 3 credits (P/NC) for the year. Grading is administered by the Aresty Center with input from faculty mentors. Students who wish to receive departmental credit instead can make arrangements to do so but are still required to meet Aresty program expectations. SAS students receive general credit; SEBS students receive credits that can be applied to experiential learning requirements, and Engineering students can apply Aresty RA credits to technical elective requirements.

For students in our Summer Science Program, we provide a $3,000 stipend in addition to housing for the duration of the program. We also provide research awards to advanced undergraduates through our funding program each semester on a competitive basis. Students are invited to apply for funding for a research project that they are undertaking or for presenting their work at a professional conference.

Aresty also organizes and coordinates workshops on a variety of topics, including application and interview skills, abstract and poster design, and presentation skills. The Center also coordinates a university-wide undergraduate research symposium in the spring. 

The Aresty Research Center for Undergraduates is for Rutgers-New Brunswick undergraduate students and faculty only. Our Research Assistant and Summer Science positions are intended for students with no previous research experience.

Yes, our programs are competitive. For our Summer Science Program, the acceptance rate is typically 10-15%. For our Research Assistant Program, the acceptance rate is typically around 30%.

While there is no minimum GPA required, students must be in good academic standing and demonstrate a genuine interest in becoming involved in research. No previous research experience is necessary.

Rutgers-New Brunswick faculty may submit a research opportunity for the Summer Science Program. For more information about how to submit your opportunity, click here. The program runs roughly nine weeks between the end of May and August each year.

Rutgers-New Brunswick students may apply to a maximum of three projects and must submit a completely separate application for each. If a student is chosen for more than one project, then the student may choose which project they would like to participate in.

The Aresty Center will be able to support one student per project for the Summer Science Program. When the application process begins, you will receive email notifications when students have applied for your research project. By logging into your project, you can review applications, select students to interview, and indicate your top choice. The Aresty Center will then match a student to your project.

Faculty members are provided with one full-time research assistant in their lab. Students are provided with a $3,000 stipend and housing for the ten-week program. Click here to learn more about the program.