• Arts & Sciences
• Environment & Sustainability
• Environmental Research

Most Environment & Sustainability students get involved with research during their undergraduate years. Research experience will help you develop your critical thinking and problem solving abilities and encourages academic independence. It can make you more competitive for the next step in your career or graduate study.

ENSP Lunch-ins give Faculty and students an opportunity to share their research and studies across the three main disciplines that make up the department; Natural sciences, Policy, and Humanities

How to Get Started with Research

The first step in getting involved in research is to contact possible research mentors. Read through the ENSP Core Faculty Directory and Affiliated Faculty Directory to identify professors who are doing work that interests you. Contact a couple of them for appointments to discuss your ideas. 

Types of Research Projects

• You can work on your own project with faculty supervision through independent study or the Honors Program.
• You can work with a faculty member on one of their projects.
• There are several research programs on campus that involve ENSP students:
  
  • Parks & Ecotherapy Research Lab
  • The Center for Geospatial Analysis 
  • The Global Research Institute 
  • The Institute for Integrative Conservation
  • Commonwealth Center for Energy and the Environment 
• Look outside W&M for research opportunities. Those that offer group and team-based experiences are particularly recommended. Here are a couple:
  • NSF Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) programs - a nationally organized series of in-depth summer research programs
  • Student Conservation Association - offers internship and research opportunities for thousands of students every year
• Internships, especially internships for academic credit, can have a research component.

Research Funding

Some faculty have their own funded research projects and can hire research assistants. If you want to conduct a research project of your own, you will want to find your own funding.

• ENSP offers a couple of Summer Research Fellowships that can help.
• The Charles Center offers a broad assortment of funding to support undergraduate research.
• If your research has an international component, the Reves Center might be able to help.