URSA Programs

URSA Engage

First year and transfer students will have the opportunity to engage in faculty-mentored research projects or scholarly work across any discipline.

URSA Workshops

Workshops

Our workshops have been formatted to provide students with a space to gain tools for getting involved in research at Oregon State University. Each of our workshops are tailored to help students at the beginning, middle, and beyond their research journeys. 

Student Resources

Email Etiquette

We understand that reaching out to faculty members can be intimidating, so we have outlined the basic rules of email etiquette!

How to Write a BioSketch

Biographical Sketches are a great tool to document an individual's qualifications, professional experience, and academic journey. Think of your BioSketch as a response to the question: “Tell me about yourself?” 

Vmock Resume How-To-Guide

VMock creates a centralized experience for students and provides continuous feedback to prepare their CVs and resumes

OSU Writing Center

Writing and research consultants provide support with any type of writing project (class assignments, research papers, CVs/resumes, cover letters, job or scholarship applications, etc.) during any point in your writing process. We're excited to work with you on your next writing project! 

Requesting a Letter of Recommendation

A letter of recommendation is a letter written on behalf of an applicant by someone who can vouch for that person's educational or professional performance. This can be used when interviewing to work in research labs, schools, or future jobs. Click here to learn more!

Ways to Engage in Research

Research isn't linear! There are many different ways to get involved in research at OSU and we've laid out a few ways for you to get started.

Finding Faculty in your College

There are many faculty researchers working within OSU and some that share similar interests, this page will help direct you to who's doing what.

Interviewing to work in a Research Group

After choosing the faculty member you'd like to conduct research with, the next step is meeting with them to discuss joining their research group. Here you will find tips on how to construct emails, questions to ask, and more.

How to take Research Notes

Maintaining organized and legible notes allows your research notebook to be a valuable resource to you and your research group. Click here to learn more about organizing notes, and note taking tips.

How to Leave a Research Group

Eventually, there will come a time when you’ll have to leave a research group for various reasons. Here are some suggestions to consider prior to leaving a research position. 

Preparing for Graduate School

Student Support

OSU Scholarships

Work-Study

Setting Up a Direct Deposit

Accessing your 1098-T

Navigating EmpCenter

Academic Success Center

The ASC values collaborating with campus partners, believing that a unified campus effort can bring about the best opportunities for student success and engagement. We support our strategic planning and program delivery with local and national best practices applied by well-trained professionals committed to student success. We welcome students, staff, and faculty to stop by and learn more about our programs.

Career Development Center

Engaging in research as an undergraduate can strengthen your CV, provide important connections for letters of recommendation, and increase your chances to obtain a research position once you graduate. This page is intended to help students leverage a research experience when applying for jobs or graduate programs. 

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning is an online educational platform that helps you discover and develop business, technology-related, and creative skills through expert-led course videos. With over 16,000 courses and personalized recommendations, you can discover, complete, and track courses related to your field and interests.

Bridge Training

Bridge can be accessed under the Employee login and the required modules are:

  • Environmental Health and Safety: OSU Laboratory Safety Training Program for students
  • Student Wellbeing and Support: IT Security Program for Students
  • Student Wellbeing and Support: Recognizing and Supporting Students in Distress (student-to-student)
  • Information Technology & Security: Creating Secure Passwords

OSU Student Training

OSU students will use Bridge's Student Training site for trainings that are required for your OSU classes, such as lab safety.

CITI Training

The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program) is an online training program made up of educational courses on a variety of topics relating to ethics and research. Maintaining good ethics while conducting research is a crucial part of maintaining the public's trust in research and may be included in a training requirement when joining research groups. 

Important Things to Remember

  • When interacting with your mentor, it is important that you advocate for your needs. Do you feel that you're working too much or too little? Do you need to either start getting paid or find a different paid job? Is it a busy week and you need to focus on your studies? If you don't bring issues like these up, your mentor may not know something is bothering you. Stop by our drop in advising hours to gain some tools to navigate these types of conversations.
  • Regardless of the field you're in, it's important to keep track of the work you've done. Having a record of your work will help you look back at the methods you used and remember the important thoughts and questions you had in the moment. Keeping a record of your work is also a great way to remember the new skills you've gained when updating your resume or CV!

Research is not linear and there is no single way to do it. It can be conducted in many different types of fields and in many disciplines. If you are interested in conducting research, the Office of URSA will work to help you find a way to do it!