Online students
The OURS program recognizes that research experiences are critical for online student success.
The OURS program helps ASU Online students grow academically and professionally by providing group-based research opportunities and mentorship. Research experiences are critical for students pursuing graduate-level programs, and students gain valuable technical and soft skills through participating in research that will set them apart in the competitive job market.
Although I am pursuing a degree in science, it was the first time I actually thought of myself as a scientist, and I know a lot of the others shared that feeling. This research experience showed me that there are many ways to contribute to this field and that every contribution is meaningful because there is always more to learn.
Louisa Brill
OURS scholarship recipient
BS in biological sciences (genetics, cell and developmental biology)
Research opportunities
The OURS Program serves ASU Online students who are pursuing degrees offered within The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Each research experience is unique — make sure to read carefully about the requirements and time commitment before applying for a position.
Summer 2024
This is a one-credit course (BIO 495) that will provide Undergraduate Online Students the opportunity to participate in rigorous molecular biology research. At the end of this project, students will gain experience in molecular laboratory techniques like PCR and Primer design, agarose gel electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE gel and Immunoblotting.
Car-dependent cities like Los Angeles (CA), Tempe (AZ), or Paris (France) are making massive efforts to develop public transit and bicycling infrastructure. Meanwhile, car dependence grows fast in most cities around the world. This research experience explores how cities are changing the way people move around, and the effects on urban equity and livability.
Fall 2024
The Arizona Cancer Evolution Center (ACE) is excited to recruit undergraduate students to its ACE Scholars research program. The ACE Scholars program aims to recruit motivated undergraduates from a diverse set of backgrounds and skillsets to pursue research projects at the intersection of cancer biology and evolutionary theory.
In this course-based research experience, we embark on a real research project in the field of biology education with the intent to publish our findings with all students as co-authors! We meet synchronously via Zoom on Mondays from 3pm - 4:30pm. Preference will be given to students who have a bit of a stats background (e.g.
Have you ever wondered how the human genome is analyzed? By enrolling in BIO 439: Computing for Research (Fall Session A), you'll learn command line programming skills as applied to DNA sequences.
This unique section of HST 495: Methods of Historical Inquiry is part of the Online Undergraduate Research Scholars (OURS) Program, which offers ASU Online students the opportunity to conduct research on campus with ASU faculty.
Join us in shaping our inclusive, interplanetary future! The ASU Interplanetary Initiative is looking for students from all majors to get involved with our interdisciplinary research projects.
Students will conduct a literature review; and then with instructor guidance, they will each individually design, carry out, and analyze an experiment in the field of photovoltaics using a remotely-operated tabletop scanning electron microscope.
Stories are the foundation of both art and science. They provide humans with a unique sense of purpose, a past connected to a future through causative events. Stories are constructed from our reimagined memories: a sequence of selected events, ordered in time with a beginning and an end.
The CHELab has several ongoing projects each semester that combine methods and theory from anthropology, public/global health, and sustainability.
OURS program scholarship
The OURS program provides scholarships to ASU Online students enrolled in degree programs through The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and are currently participating in research. Preference is given to students with high financial need and are participating in research at ASU. Visit scholarships.asu.edu to apply.
| Semester awarded | Application posted | Application deadline |
| Fall 2024 | June 3, 2024 | July 12, 2024 |
| Spring 2025 | Sept. 9, 2024 | Nov. 15, 2024 |
| Summer 2025 | Feb. 10, 2025 | April 4, 2025 |
OURS program frequently asked questions
No. The OURS Program serves students who are enrolled in ASU Online degree programs within The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Online students have difficulty finding research opportunities that are available remotely because the majority of them do not live in the state of Arizona.
There are many other research programs at ASU that primarily serve on-campus students. such as SOLUR, FURI, the Humanities Lab and the Luminosity Lab. On-campus students can view available research opportunities on the Office of the University Provost’s UResearch webpage.
Available experiences are found under the Research Opportunities section of this webpage. The requirements and time commitment for each experience will vary. Please read the descriptions for each experience carefully before applying.
Some OURS research experiences are credit-bearing courses. Once accepted into the experience, you should speak with your academic advisor to discuss how these credits will apply towards your degree.
For research experiences that are not offered as courses, you may still be eligible to get course credit, but these details must be established among you, your faculty mentor and the academic unit.
Yes, you are able to receive Barrett Honors credits for your participation. Please check with your Barrett Honors advisor to make sure that you are receiving the proper credits.
Unless a particular research experience has a certain eligibility requirement, we recommend that students get involved in research as soon as they can in their academic career. Participating in undergraduate research not only helps you in building important skills but it also provides you with an opportunity to figure out what you like, or dislike, about a particular field.
Choose experiences that align with your personal interests and curiosities. Look at the available research opportunities, and determine one to three experiences that interest you.
Do not apply to or pick too many opportunities just because they are available on the OURS website. Research takes time, and if you pursue too many projects at once, you will not be able to complete the required tasks to be a successful researcher.
If you are participating in a research experience that is offered as a course, you will have to pay tuition and fees for the assigned credit hours. If you are participating in an experience that has an on-campus component, you will have to account for potential travel and lodging expenses.
Time commitments will vary widely by research experience, but undergraduate student researchers spend 5-20 hours per week on research. It is better to dedicate large blocks of time towards research rather than short periods of time throughout the week.
If you have a heavy course load in a given semester, participating in research could be stressful. Consider the time commitment as you would an extracurricular activity before applying to an experience.
The majority of OURS program research experiences are available to ASU Online students remotely. However, research is discipline specific, and some of the opportunities will require online students to come to campus for a short, concentrated period of time.
Depending on the discipline, there are opportunities available to ASU Online students that include an on-campus component. We understand that our online students generally have other professional and family-related commitments outside of ASU. We typically schedule the in-person components where the students will be required to come to campus for a short, concentrated period of time (3-7 consecutive days). Students who wish to participate in research opportunities that include an in-person component will have to fund their own expenses for travel and lodging unless specified.
Yes, you certainly can. We always encourage students to find their own research opportunities by connecting with ASU faculty and research centers.
We know that life happens, and sometimes things do not go as planned. Speak with your faculty or staff research mentor about the challenges you are facing. Transparent communication is key in building relationships with your research mentors. If the research experience you are participating in is related to course credits, you may need to also speak with your academic advisor.
Other information on undergraduate research
Foundation of Undergraduate Research course
“Foundation of Undergraduate Research” is a course for natural sciences students designed to mentor students who are looking to do undergraduate research in the hard sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, etc.). It is ideal for freshmen and sophomore-level students who would like more guidance in finding research opportunities. It is listed as a 194 course with the prefix associated with your major (ex. BIO, CHM, PHY, SES).
UResearch
If you are an on-campus undergraduate student, UResearch lists opportunities to work with faculty, graduate students and other undergraduates to transform your knowledge into actual practice — whether it is developing alternative energy from sunlight, next-generation nanoelectronics or creating your own entrepreneurial experience to launch a business.