What We Do
At OUR, we do four things:
- Help students and faculty members connect through research advising and the OUR faculty database.
- Provide funding opportunities for students to conduct their research.
- Offer opportunities for students to share their accomplishments.
- Spread the word that research is a great experience, and everyone can and should do it!
Mission Statement
The Office of Undergraduate Research seeks to enrich the academic experience of USC undergraduates by providing research and scholarly experiences in their chosen fields. The office promotes inquiry, discovery and creativity in all disciplines through faculty-student mentoring relationships and the integration of instruction with research, scholarship and creative activities.
We encourage students to explore research opportunities not only in the traditional areas of science, technology and medicine but also in music, theater and art — any arena that will provide an environment for students to creatively explore their interests at a level more in-depth than can be attained in the classroom.
Undergraduate research is defined as a scholarly effort, generally beyond the classroom, aimed at developing a student's skills in inquiry through opportunities to contribute to and/or pursue original intellectual or creative work.
History
The Office of Undergraduate Research was established by the Office of the Vice President for Research in November 2004 to centralize resources for undergraduates of all disciplines to engage in research at USC. Research is defined broadly through the office as any activity that will provide an environment for students to creatively explore their interests at a level more in-depth than can be attained in the classroom. This means that we encourage our students to explore research opportunities not only in the traditional areas of science, technology and medicine but also in music, theater, art and everything in-between. Any student who is working on a research project, whether funded or not, for credit or not, is considered part of OUR.
Scheduling a Presentation
Schedule a presentation with our office! We'd love to share with your class, organization, residence hall or any group open to our message that research is a great enrichment opportunity for undergraduate students in every discipline. We can answer questions like:
- What is research?
- What are the benefits of doing research?
- How do I get started?
- Where's the money?