The Health and Society program encourages and supports student research in variety of ways. We offer independent study credit for students who would like to work closely with a faculty mentor on a research project of their design. We also offer financial support for student research projects through the Ellen C. Barreto Research Fellowship in Health and Society. Click here for more information about this opportunity.
In addition to these opportunities, Health and Society students are encouraged to pursue research through the following campus-wide programs:
Rains Research Assistant Program
The LMU Rains Research Assistant Program supports faculty research by providing financial support for full-time tenured & tenure-track faculty to hire a student research assistant. Students typically become a Rains Research Assistant by invitation from a faculty member. Interested students area also encouraged to contact faculty members to inquire about the availability of assistantship positions. For more information please visit here.
Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)
The Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) enhances undergraduate education by providing financial support for students wishing to engage in faculty-guided research opportunities and creative activity during the summer. SURP is a program designed to provide students with insight into the research process. Further, it provides students an academic alternative to nonacademic summer employment. Throughout the summer, students are involved in an intellectual community of learners in which leadership, critical inquiry, and communication (written and oral) skills are enhanced. Students write a proposal based on the formulation of research questions, conduct the research, analyze data, and publicly communicate the results to the academic community through a presentation at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, a publication, or other professional opportunities. For more information and dates please visit here.
Independent Undergraduate Research Program (IURP)
The Independent Undergraduate Research Program (IURP) provides financial support for students who wish to engage in faculty-mentored research. Financial support includes funds for research stipends, supplies and travel. Over the years, we have funded a broad range of research projects in all disciplines. "Research" is broadly defined and includes disciplines in the arts, grounded in a study of history, theory, or practice. Participation in IURP is an intense and intentional program designed to provide students with insight into the research process. Research through IURP takes place under the guidance of a LMU faculty mentor. For more information and dates please visit here.
Undergraduate Research Symposium
The Undergraduate Symposium is a unique opportunity for undergraduates to share their research with the LMU community. In order to participate, students must apply by submitting an abstract describing their research. Abstracts are typically due early in the spring semester. Presentation formats include paper presentations, panel discussions, poster sessions, and presentations of creative endeavors. For more information and dates please visit here.
Ellen Carol Barreto Research Fellowship
In 2021, the Ellen Carol Barreto Research Fellowship in Health and Society was created to honor the legacy of Ellen Carol Barreto. The fellowship supports student-initiated research projects that contribute to knowledge on the social foundations of health, broadly defined. The fellowship offers Health and Society minors the opportunity to carry out independent research with the guidance of a faculty member. While the fellowship is open to all Health and Society minors, preference is given to women, first-generation college students, and/or those who have historically had less access to opportunities to carry out independent research. For more information please visit here.