Find Research

The best way for you to find a research opportunity is to talk to professors directly. Look through the Woodruff School Research Areas and see which professors are doing research that you may be interested in. You should then contact the professor, send a copy of your resume and ask if he/she is interested in sponsoring you for research. Going to see the professors in person is also a great idea.

• ME Students: You will need your Georgia Tech log in to see this list.  ME Undergraduate Research Opportunities
• NRE Students: Talk to your faculty advisor.
• VIP: Go to the VIP website for a list of the current projects.
• Go to Georgia Tech Undergraduate Research Website to view institute-wide research opportunities.

Register for Undergraduate Research with ME and NRE Professors

Please note that VIP has a different application process. Pay attention to all deadlines. The general process is:

1. Contact professors directly to set up a research assignment. All details including the topic, deliverables, hours, etc. must be worked out with the professor before request a permit.
2. Request a permit using the link below.  If you are working with an instructor in another department, contact the advisor in that department for instructions. 
3. After approvals are completed you will be issued a permit to register for your CRN/course.
4. Register for the class before phase 2 registration is over for that semester.
5. Understand if/how the research can be used in your curriculum.

VIP Application

Request a Permit for ME or NRE Research

Research Class Types

Research is a general term, but includes each of the class types listed below.

• Special Problems are an individual study in certain specialized areas, including mathematical analyses or experimental investigation of problems of current interest. This can include design projects. Special problem classes are 4903 and are taken for class credit.
• Research Opportunities are independent research conducted under the guidance of a faculty member. Research assignments are 4699 for juniors and seniors and 2699 for freshman and sophomores. Research assignments are taken for class credit.
• Research for Volunteer is a non-credit bearing class for students who volunteer to work in a research lab, they are not paid and they do not earn credits for the degree. You still register this as a 4698 class to show that you volunteered in a research lab.
• Paid Research Opportunities are research internships. Students are paid for working on a project. The class will be on your transcript, but no class credit is given for this option and no grade is received for this class.  Students who received PURA awards register for the paid research class, 4698. 
• Presidents’ Undergraduate Research Awards (PURA) are competitive financial awards given to students who are doing research. PURA either gives students a salary or pays for travel expenses to present research at a conference. Students must apply for PURA awards.
• VIP: Vertically Integrated Projects unite undergraduates and faculty research in a team-based context.

Request a Permit to Register for ME or NRE Research

Before You Begin

• All ME and NRE research and special problems courses require a permit to register.
• If you plan to do research for a faculty member outside of ME or NRE, you need to contact that department for instructions to request a permit.
• All ME and NRE research assignments must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on Thursday of the first week of school during phase 2 registration.  Submissions after this time will not be processed in time and the student will not be able to register for the research class for that particular semester.
• All courses are nominally 3 credit hours.  For the 3 hour class, students are expected to do 9 hours of research each week during fall and spring semesters, and 14 hours each week during summer semester.
  • Classes for alternative credit hours are permitted and must be arranged individually with the professor.
  • Fall and Spring Semesters:  For each hour of class a student must complete 3 hours of research per week.
  • Summer Semester:  For each hour of class a student must complete 4.5 hours of research per week.
• Each course must culminate in a mutually agreed upon set of deliverables which are to be submitted to the faculty advisor for grading.  These deliverables can be a written report, an oral presentation, a computer program, etc. 
• When the class is take for course credit, you receive a letter grade for the course grade. 

Completing the Form

       ME or NRE Research Permit Request (DocuSign Form) 

• Use your official Georgia Tech credentials to log into DocuSign.
• Click Use to open the form.
• Select your name from the drop‑down menu.
• Select the ME or NRE faculty member you will be conducting research with.
  • If your research faculty member is outside ME or NRE DO NOT USE THIS FORM. Follow the permit process for that department.
  • Do not manually enter an email address. You must select the faculty member from the drop‑down list.
• Click Send.
• When the dialog box appears, click Sign Now, then Continue.
• Complete all required fields on the form.
  • Missing or incorrect information will result in the form being rejected.
• Once all information is complete, click Finish.

After Submission

• The form will be routed to your research faculty member and then through the department approval process.
• You will receive:
  • A copy of the completed form, and
  • A permit to register once all approvals are complete.
• You can check the status of your request at any time by logging into DocuSign.
• Approval routing typically takes 3–7 business days after faculty approval.
• It is the student's responsibility to register for the research class prior to the end of phase 2 registration. 

How Research Classes are Used in Your Curriculum

Students can use either a max of 6 credits of VIP courses or a max of 6 credits of research / special problems courses (2699, 4699 & 4903) as free electives.  If doing both research/special problems and VIP, a total of 9 credits are allowed. Research, special problems and VIP cannot be used to satisfy the ME Elective, Engineering Elective, Math/Science Elective.