Would you like the opportunity to do cutting-edge research under the mentorship of a faculty member while enjoying independent living on campus and outdoor activities in the North Country?

Summer Research is one of the highlights of the Honors Program at Clarkson University, recalled by graduating seniors as a transformative experience, both for skills acquired in the laboratory or the field, and the life-long friendships forged on picnics, hikes and canoe trips on the long summer evenings and weekends.  Current Honors Program students, incoming new first-year Honors Program students, and prospective students currently enrolled at community colleges are eligible to apply for Summer Research as outlined below.  And please note that we say "research" because that is the general term for the work that we do in universities, but as well as wearing a lab coat and peering into microscopes, you could conduct surveys, develop a business plan, study science fiction, write a play, or design a smart phone app!

10-Week Summer Research for Current Honors Program Students

Shane Rogers Lab

All Honors students in good standing are eligible to apply to conduct research work with a faculty advisor on campus in the summer. The Honors Program provides on-campus housing and a modest meal stipend.

In addition to expectations that your Faculty Advisor may specify, the Honors Program has the following requirements of our upperclass students during Summer Research:

  • Attend an Orientation session
  • Attend a lab safety training
  • Submit weekly time sheets and progress reports online by required deadlines
  • Attend scheduled lunch meetings
  • Submit a research/project proposal by the required deadline
  • Attend a mid-summer advisory meeting
  • Present proposal and project-in-progress at the “mini-conference” for pre-frosh students
  • Present research/project results at the Research and Project Showcase (RAPS) conference at the end of the summer
  • Submit a written final report
  • Complete an evaluation form for your Summer Research experience
  • Serve as a Summer Research peer mentor for a pre-frosh student
  • Participate in a future Clarkson University Open House by showcasing your research poster

10-Week Summer Research for Current Honors Program Students
Tuesday, May 26 – Saturday, July 31, 2020
Application deadline: April 20, 2020
Application is available here

5-Week Summer Research for Pre-Frosh Students

If you have been accepted to the Honors Program and will be enrolling for the Fall 2020 semester, you can apply to participate in our five-week "Pre-Frosh" Summer Research Program starting even before your first official semester at Clarkson! Pre-Frosh students get to know the campus and faculty and make friends with other students before the mad rush at the start of the academic year. Accepted students are placed in the program depending on the availability of Faculty Advisors and upperclassmen peer mentors. We do our best to match Pre-Frosh students based on their anticipated major and areas of interest.

In addition to expectations that your Faculty Advisor may specify, the Honors Program has the following requirements of our Pre-Frosh students during Summer Research:

  • Attend a Welcome and Orientation session
  • Attend a lab safety training
  • Submit weekly time sheets and progress reports online by required deadlines
  • Attend scheduled lunch meetings
  • Attend a mid-summer advisory meeting
  • Present research/project results at the RAPS conference at the end of the summer
  • Submit a written final report
  • Complete an evaluation form for your Summer Research experience
  • Participate in a future Clarkson University Open House by showcasing your research poster

5-Week Summer Research for Pre-Frosh Students
Sunday, June 28, 2020 – Saturday, July 31, 2020
Application deadline: June 6, 2020
Application is available here.
Participant Information & FAQs

5-Week Summer Research for REU² Students

If you are a student of color or a first-generation college student currently studying at a two-year institution with the intent to transfer to a four-year institution to complete an undergraduate degree, you can apply to join our Research Experience for Underrepresented Undergraduates (REU²) program.  You should have high academic achievement (minimum GPA of 3.7) and an excellent record of leadership and service.  This is a great way to get to know Clarkson University and the Honors Program to help you decide if this is the place for you!

In addition to expectations that your Faculty Advisor may specify, the Honors Program has the following requirements of REU² students during Summer Research:

  • Attend a Welcome and Orientation session
  • Attend a lab safety training
  • Submit weekly time sheets and progress reports online by required deadlines
  • Attend scheduled lunch meetings
  • Attend a mid-summer advisory meeting
  • Present research/project results at the RAPS conference at the end of the summer
  • Submit a written final report
  • Complete an evaluation form for your Summer Research experience

5-Week Summer Research for REU² Students
Sunday, June 28, 2020 – Saturday, July 31, 2020
Application deadline: June 6, 2020
Application is available here
Participant Information & FAQs

Research Assistantships and Internships

Many Honors students also do research during the semester on projects and/or in laboratories at Clarkson University, sometimes for credit, sometimes for pay, and sometimes simply for the value of the experience.  Some students also leverage their Clarkson experience to obtain prestigious Research Experience for Undergraduates(REU) opportunities at other institutions across the nation and even overseas. Finally, some of our students do research while on summer internships at NASA or the FBI, or while on internships and co-ops in industrial/corporate R&D.