Richelle Bernazzoli, Director of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development
Location: Cyert Hall A64, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 412-268-5702
Fax: 412-268-6159
Email: rbernazz@andrew.cmu.edu

www.cmu.edu/uro

At Carnegie Mellon, the integration of education and research is pervasive throughout our institution. In this environment, our students are empowered to discover their passions, advance their ideas and understanding, learn and create new knowledge and art, make a positive impact through their efforts, and realize their own full potential.

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development (OURSD) is a key resource for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni, to engage fully in their CMU experience through research and creative inquiry and to pursue competitive national and international fellowships. The OURSD team also collaborates with a variety of campus partners (such as Academic Success, the Eberly Center, Study Abroad, and more) to support each student’s or alum’s educational journey.

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Undergraduate Research

At Carnegie Mellon, undergraduates are building mobile robots, creating documentary films, investigating cultural trends, and developing new digital communication technology. These student researchers find themselves in the heart of the university intellectual community, where they discover the thrilling (and often messy) process of creating new knowledge.

We use a broad definition of research that includes appropriate activities in the arts and humanities, and social sciences, as well as the sciences and technical fields: "Research, scholarly, or artistic activities that lead to the production of new knowledge; to increased problem solving capabilities, including design and analysis; to original critical or historical theory and interpretation; or to the production of art or artistic performance."

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development supports student research in every field of study. We give SURG grants to cover research expenses; Fellowships and Apprenticeships for full-time summer research and part-time academic year research; and Presentation Awards to support students presenting at academic conferences.  In May of each year, we hold our campus-wide celebration of undergraduate research, the Meeting of the Minds.

How can we help?

• Advising: We meet with students to discuss how best to move forward on their interests and engage in undergraduate research at Carnegie Mellon
• Workshops: We offer writing workshops each semester to assist students in the proposal writing process
• Research Development: Each of our programs comes with complementary workshop instruction in researcher development topics, such as communicating your research, building a research network, and understanding research design.

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National and International Fellowships and Scholarships

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development works with current Carnegie Mellon undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni, in fulfilling their intellectual and professional goals by pursuing nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships.  We promote awareness of external scholarship and fellowship opportunities, advising, writing support, overall management of the process, and interview preparation.

For information about fellowships and scholarships related to financial aid, please visit Student Financial Services website.

What are fellowships and scholarships?

Fellowships and scholarships are competitive, merit-based monetary awards that support a wide range of purposeful activities. These include research, internships, projects, and study abroad. 

Who is eligible?

Eligibility depends on the particular award.  More detail is available in the descriptions and links to each award.

How do I get started?

Read through the award descriptions on our website and make a list of which you'd like to pursue. Then make an appointment with a representative.