Student Research & Creative Activity
Opportunities
The Office of Research & Creative Activity supports the strategic plan of Western Kentucky University to incentivize and support research and creative activities that promote student learning, expand university outreach and service, and bolster the regional economy. This is done through the facilitation of student-faculty collaborative research, and scholarly activity in all disciplines.
The WKU Student Scholar Showcase (previously the Student Research Conference) showcases the scholarly activities of students from diverse disciplines.
The Spring 2025 round of FUSE is open!
Below are opportunities available to all students to engage in areas of research or creative/scholarly activities and/or artistic performances.
The purpose of CUR is to support and promote high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship in all fields of academic study and in all types of institutions of higher learning.
To learn more about the program please visit the CUR website, http://www.cur.org/
The Kentucky Academy of Science (KAS) is a membership based scientific society with thousands of members across the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The mission of the Kentucky Academy of Science is to foster scientific discovery and understanding in Kentucky. Thier site showcases presentation and funding opportunities for undergraduate research. If you would like more information finding presentation/funding opportunities, visit their website.
https://www.kyscience.org/undergraduate_research_program.php
KY INBRE offers opportunities for experience in biomedical research to interested undergraduate students through several mentored research programs. For more information, visit their website here.
NSF funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel. For additional information visit the NSF website.
The Office of Scholar Development (OSD) challenges students to dream big and assists them in making those dreams attainable. OSD staff members help students apply for nationally competitive scholarships by assisting students in finding opportunities to be engaged in their chosen fields beyond the classroom and aiding them in the process of finding the right programs, making important contacts, developing strong proposals, and revising numerous drafts. To learn more about the program please visit our website, https://www.wku.edu/osd/index.php
The Ogden Research Scholarship and Scholars Program is aimed at encouraging undergraduate student research. The intention of this program is to instill the excitement, rewards and challenges of research, and hopefully this enthusiasm for research will carry on past the scholar's undergraduate education. Scholars are introduced to undergraduate research opportunities during their first and second years. During their second, third, and fourth years, scholars are actively engaged in a research project with an Ogden College faculty member. Scholarships are $2500 per year and are renewable based on maintaining at least a 3.2 GPA and upon completing the required criteria. Those students that are not eligible for the scholarship may, however, partake in this program. To learn more about the program please visit our website, https://www.wku.edu/ogden/web_pages/ogden_foundation_research_scholarship.php
Providing undergraduates with the opportunity to engage in scholarly, research, and creative work is important to our students’ educational experience and professional development. We encourage faculty to have their students participate in Posters-at-the-Capitol to help those in Kentucky who fund higher education understand why these experiences are so important. If you are an undergraduate, we urge you to tell your story to your hometown and university legislators so that other Kentucky students can enjoy and benefit from the kind of experience you have had. To learn more about the program please visit our website.
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