Research Opportunities with Wake Forest

The Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Center’s (URECA) mission is to promote and celebrate mentored scholarship, primarily through the flagship research programs listed below. Undergraduate research has been an important cornerstone of the College’s commitment to academic excellence.

Wake Forest students present the results of their research projects at the annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Clinical Research Center on Friday, October 1, 2021. President Susan R. Wente listens to Tommy Mehaffey talk about his research into limb regeneration in axolotl.
Wake Forest students present the results of their research projects at the annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Clinical Research Center.

Wake Forest Research Fellowship

Wake Forest Research Fellowships (WFRF) are designed to provide students with the opportunity to participate in intensive scholarship under the mentorship of a Wake Forest University faculty member across the summer months. The fellowship provides a $4,000 stipend and housing for a 10-week summer fellowship to conduct research with a Wake Forest Reynolda College faculty mentor.


Wake Forest Arts & Humanities Research Fellowship

Wake Forest Arts and Humanities Research Fellowships (WFA&HF) are designed to provide students with the opportunity to participate in intensive scholarship under the mentorship of a Wake Forest University faculty member across the summer months. The WFA&HF provides a $2,000 stipend and housing to support half-summer (5 week) projects mentored by Reynolda College faculty in Divisions I (Humanities), II (Literature), and III (Fine Arts).


Richter Scholarship Program

The Richter Scholarship program provides funding for globally-oriented independent research and study that is devised, initiated, and carried out by individual Wake Forest students, with mentorship, guidance, and expertise provided by a faculty mentor. Students are encouraged to pursue enriching, broadening projects that have the promise of being life-changing. The Richter Scholarship awards up to $6,000 to cover travel and living expenses.


External Research Opportunities

There are numerous external research opportunities available to undergraduate students. Below you will find several major opportunities.

Amgen Scholars

The Amgen Scholars Program provides hundreds of selected undergraduate students with the opportunity to engage in a hands-on research experience at many of the world’s leading educational institutions. The Program seeks to increase learning and networking opportunities for students committed to pursuing science or engineering careers and to spark the interest and broaden the perspective of students considering scientific careers. The Program aims to increase the number of students pursuing advanced training and careers in the sciences.

NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates

The National Science Foundation funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where they work. REU programs support active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program.

Summer Research Opportunities at Big 10 Schools

The Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) is a gateway to graduate education at Big Ten Academic Alliance universities. The goal of the program is to increase the number of underrepresented students who pursue graduate study and research careers. SROP helps prepare undergraduates for graduate study through intensive research experiences with faculty mentors and enrichment activities.