Undergraduate Research Opportunities

• Students interested in engaging in research and who are pursuing a major in the College of Arts and Sciences, have an overall GPA ≥ 3.0, and have completed < 60 credit hours at Loyola are eligible to apply.
• The program will be held May 20 - June 14, 2024 and students are expected to devote 30 hours/week (Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM CST). Housing is not provided for recipients of this award. Recipients are responsible for securing their own housing.
• As part of the application process, students are required to rank their top three faculty project choices. Applicants are not required to contact the faculty prior to submission and do not have to select a project within their major/minor.

In the summer of 2022, Sophomore Zoha Hassan partnered with Neil Klingensmith, an assistant professor of computer science, to build a prototype of a robotic recycling sorter that separates domestic recycling into proper categories. The pair utilized image processing software that distinguished between objects commonly found in domestic recycling—bottles, cans, paper, etc. Further developing this type of technology would help offset labor costs and assure proper recycling processes.

Explore more past student experiences with USRE here.

• Applications require a project title, a project abstract of 1500 characters, a project description (2 pages, single-spaced, 12 pt. font, including figures and tables within limit), literature cited, a detailed budget and justification of expenses, and a letter of support from the faculty mentor. In the project description, students should describe the nature of the proposed project, clearly stating: (1) the general purpose and specific objectives, (2) the student's proposed work, (3) the expected results or products of the work, (4) the significance of the proposed project, and (5) the roles of the student and faculty mentor in the proposed project.
• Students may submit proposals in any area of the natural sciences (including disciplines outside their major) as long as they have the support of a full-time Loyola faculty mentor with expertise in that general area.
• Projects can be an original work by the student or based on a faculty member's current research.
• Current or past recipients of the Mulcahy Scholarship are welcome to reapply as long as they meet the eligibility requirements.
• Mulcahy recipients are required to: (1) submit a mid-year project report, (2) attend a poster presentation skills workshop, and (3) present the results of their work at the annual Undergraduate Research & Engagement Symposium held in the spring semester. Awardees must attend the entire symposium event.