The student research opportunities at RPI set us apart from other schools, both for the breadth and depth of the work available, and for the attention and care that faculty advisers provide. Our culture of collaboration prepares students to pursue their passions with rigor, confidence, and openness. 

Undergraduate Research 

Undergraduates are encouraged to participate in research from the moment they set foot on campus. They can explore their interests independently through Rensselaer’s unique student-directed offerings, and they can formally participate in the Undergraduate Research Program (URP). 

The URP allows students to work directly with faculty members on real-world, hands-on projects, either for academic credit or as a paid assistant. URP assistantships are available part-time throughout the academic year and full-time as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Program. 

Learn more about the Undergraduate Research Program

Graduate Research 

Graduate students make valuable and significant contributions to every aspect of research at Rensselaer’s School of Engineering. They work closely with mentors and advisers throughout the course of their degrees, gaining knowledge and career skills while expanding their professional networks and building relationships that will guide them as they pursue their own research interests. 

Our curious and creative graduate students have won prestigious fellowships from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, and the National GEM Consortium. Rensselaer also offers many competitive internal fellowships, such as the Rensselaer Graduate Fellowship, Presidential Fellowships for multidisciplinary research, and the Howard P. Isermann Fellowships in Chemical and Biological Engineering. 

Each academic year concludes with a Graduate Research Symposium, where students can participate in thesis, podium, and poster presentations and attend panels centered on careers in research.