Sonoma State University

Research Opportunities at SSU

The Koret Scholars Award

With the goal of supporting research, scholarship, and creative activities at Sonoma State University, the Koret Scholars Awards are made possible by a generous grant from the Koret Foundation. The awards are intended to support undergraduate students and their faculty mentors in research and creative projects across all academic disciplines. Each Koret Scholars Award provides funding for one faculty mentor working with four undergraduate SSU students, and priority is given to applications that demonstrate diversity in the research workforce through the inclusion of students from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in higher education (i.e. first generation college students, low-income students, or underrepresented minority students).

Other Campus Resources

  • The McNair Scholars Program is a federally funded TRIO program designed to prepare undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities.

  • SSU LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) is an NSF (National Science Foundation) sponsored program aimed at broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) baccalaureate degree programs and ultimately to increase the number of students interested in, and academically qualified for graduate study.

  • Research at the Fairfield Osborn Preserve includes independent studies conducted by researchers and Preserve-coordinated efforts that target management needs. These studies have investigated diversity of phenomena including disease, invasive species, cultural surveys, and plant physiology.

  • SYRCE, Second Year Research and Creative Experience, is a General Education course designed for second year students in the C2 area of "Literature, Philosophy, & Values." This one-semester course offers students a multi-disciplinary approach to a common topic based on an idea/theme. Throughout the semester, students attend a series of lectures delivered by faculty members from all Arts & Humanities disciplines. The experience culminates in an end-of-semester symposium where students showcase their research accomplishments. 

  • SSURI, the Social Sciences Undergraduate Research Initiative, is designed to engage sophomore and junior SSU students in the “research life” of the university. The program offers financial support for students and faculty to work together on a shared research project.