Columbia’s vibrant undergraduate community is at the center of one of the finest research institutions in the world. Composed of hundreds of labs, research centers and institutes led by field-leading thinkers and interdisciplinary pioneers, it’s a thriving hub of inquiry that receives over $800 million in external research funding annually across the humanities, sciences and social sciences.
faculty:
I enjoy having undergraduates in my research lab. They come with a fresh pair of eyes, great enthusiasm and an intense curiosity. Through the questions they ask, they make us think twice about what we do. Since they are unbiased about research, they are also more inclined to think out of the box.
Professor
Shree
Nayar
T. C. Chang Professor of Computer Science
Computer Science
A Culture of Collaboration
Holding over 600 active patents, contributing to advances in fields ranging from public health and music cognition to climate policy and data privacy, Columbia’s research landscape creates a campus culture that encourages new heights of collaboration—between students and faculty, between disciplines and departments, and between our campus, our city and our world.
fact:
600+
active patents based on Columbia research
fact:
Hundreds
of undergraduate research opportunities with Columbia Engineering faculty
fact:
200+
research centers, institutes and labs at Columbia
fact:
400+
inventions generated by Columbia research annually
Undergraduate research: a world of opportunity
Across schools, disciplines, departments and subjects, there are countless research opportunities available to interested students—and just as many ways to find them. Whether you browse listings in newsletters or program websites, get guidance and inside tips from your network of advisers, or talk your way into one during an informal conversation with a faculty member during office hours, research positions are widely available to anyone with the curiosity, motivation and persistence to pursue them.
Arts & Humanities
Programs & Fellowships
- John W. Kluge Research Fellowship (All fields)
- Richmond B. Williams Traveling Fellowship (English)
- The Rapaport Prize (Music)
Academic Centers & Institutes
- Center for the Ancient Mediterranean
- Center for Jazz Studies
- Computer Music Center
- Heyman Center for the Humanities
- Institute for Comparative Literature and Society
Undergraduate Publications
- Columbia Journal of Literary Criticism
- The Columbia Review
- Techtonic
Engineering & Science
Programs & Fellowships
- John W. Kluge Research Fellowship (All fields)
- Summer Research Program (Engineering)
- Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) (Biology and biomedical)
Academic Centers & Institutes
- Center for Applied Probability
- Center for Bioethics
- Center for Environmental Research and Conservation
- Columbia Nano Initiative
- Earth Engineering Center
- Earth Institute
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
- National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center
- Columbia Data Science Institute
Undergraduate publications
Social Sciences
Programs & Fellowships
- John W. Kluge Research Fellowship (All fields)
- Edwin Robbins Summer Research Fellowship (Political Science and History)
- Weatherhead Undergraduate Training Grant (East Asian Studies)
Academic centers & institutes
- Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race
- The Harriman Institute
- Institute of African Studies
- Institute of Latin American Studies
- Institute of War and Peace Studies
- Institute for Research in African-American Studies