Presentation – Research Experiences for Students at NJIT & NSF 2026
Author ORCID Identifier
Cristo León, Ph.D.
ORCID: 0000-0002-0930-0179
Files
Document Type
Other
Description
This 60-minute virtual seminar introduces NJIT students to research as an integral part of their academic and professional development. The presentation explains why undergraduate and graduate students should consider participating in research, how to identify appropriate research topics and faculty mentors, and how research experience can strengthen graduate-school and career preparation.
The seminar highlights research opportunities available through NJIT, including Undergraduate Research and Innovation (URI), summer research programs, research centers, internships, and interdisciplinary research environments across science, engineering, health, sustainability, data science, education, and the social and behavioral sciences. Participants are also introduced to federal opportunities supported by the National Science Foundation, particularly Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), and learn where to locate current opportunities and application resources.
Designed for students who may be encountering research opportunities for the first time, the seminar provides a practical pathway from curiosity to participation: understanding why research matters, identifying opportunities, connecting with mentors, and taking the first steps toward becoming part of NJIT’s research community.
Publication/Submission Date
9-14-2026
Keywords
Student Research, Undergraduate Research, Graduate Research, Research Experiences, NJIT, NSF, Research Experiences for Undergraduates, REU, Graduate Research Fellowship Program, GRFP, Undergraduate Research and Innovation, URI, Research Mentoring, STEM Research, Research Opportunities, Student Professional Development
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities | Education | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Leon, Cristo, "Presentation – Research Experiences for Students at NJIT & NSF 2026" (2026). STEM for Success Resources. 144.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/stemresources/144
Comments
Acknowledgments
The presenter gratefully acknowledges the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for their continuing support of research, research training, and opportunities that strengthen the development of undergraduate and graduate researchers in the United States.
Special acknowledgment is extended to NJIT’s Undergraduate Research and Innovation (URI) program for supporting student engagement in research and for providing pathways through which students can participate in faculty-mentored research, summer programs, and research-based professional development.
The presenter also recognizes the research centers, institutes, laboratories, faculty, staff, and students that contribute to NJIT’s research ecosystem, including the Center for Applied Mathematics and Statistics (CAMS); Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research (CSTR); Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO); Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA); Institute for Space Weather Sciences (ISWS); Center for Computational Heliophysics (CCH); Otto H. York Center for Environmental Engineering and Science (YCEES); Institute for Brain and Neuroscience Research (IBNR); Center for Photonics Innovation (CPI); Center for Ethics and Responsible Research (CER2); and the Collaborative for Leadership, Education, and Assessment Research (CLEAR).
Their collective contributions create the interdisciplinary research environment in which NJIT students can discover, participate in, and advance research across science, engineering, technology, health, education, and the social and behavioral sciences.