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Research & Applied Learning
Applied Learning

Undergraduate Research

{{youtube:medium:right|_SncdM0Vqnw}} At William & Mary, undergraduate research begins on day one. Here, 85% of undergraduates engage in faculty-mentored research, and 20% publish their work prior to graduation. With 20 interdisciplinary research centers and 13 state-of-the-art makerspaces, W&M gives students access to the infrastructure and autonomy to drive meaningful discovery.

Whether it's a student-faculty team co-authoring a chapter of a book, kayaking to an island to determine the population of terrapins or penning an award-winning essay about cybersecurity threats, W&M undergrads do cutting-edge research and create valuable new knowledge for the world. You might build an algae-harvesting drone, follow wild owls through GPS backpack trackers or pioneer a project in your chosen field.

Research Resources

To ensure your ideas reach their full potential, W&M provides a robust network of dedicated resources to help you secure funding and execute your vision.

Undergraduates shouldn’t sit on the research sidelines. We’ve got your launchpad ready.

  • Charles Center for Undergraduate Research

    Serving as the academic hub for student research, engaged learning and interdisciplinary studies, the Charles Center is also the primary resource for securing research funding.

  • Honors Program & Independent Studies

    Qualified students have the opportunity to design and conduct their own customized research projects, including two-semester, six-credit honors thesis research culminating in an oral defense.

  • W&M Scholars Undergraduate Research Experience (WMSURE)

    This dedicated program promotes undergraduate research through specialized workshops and faculty mentoring.

  • Sharpe Community Scholars Program

    Providing a bridge between academic study and real-world impact, this program immerses students in highly effective, community-based research.

  • Comprehensive Campus Support

    From the expert research librarians curating Swem Research Guides to the peer consultants at the Writing and Communication Center and History Writing Resource Center, students are supported at every stage of the scholarly process.

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I found it to be pretty easy to get involved in research. I found my current lab through my professor, Dr. Caligiuri. I just went to her office hours and asked about her lab. The project I’ve been working on is about dietary amino acids and their effect on cognition and anxiety severity. We’re currently working on the manuscript that will eventually be published.
Carlie Meyerholz ’26 Clinical research coordinator at Johns Hopkins Medicine, Neuroscience major and psychology minor From Virginia Beach, VA
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Conducting biological research under the legacy of William & Mary scientists has been the pinnacle of my undergraduate years … With the support of the Mangum Fellows program and guidance from my mentors, I have had the opportunity to explore my academic interests and make contributions to the scientific community.
Grace Hussey ’26 Neuroscience major From Williamsburg, VA
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It was really awesome to get the opportunity to get to work very closely with one specific professor. He really was able to learn about me as a person and as a student and as a collaborator, which allowed him to guide me and push me.
Madeleine Ludwig '26 Government and economics double major
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Interdisciplinary Research Centers

Our research centers and institutes help brilliant ideas come to life. No matter your passion, there’s a place for you to plug in. At W&M, you can jump directly into hubs covering everything from the humanities, social sciences and business to education, healthcare, law and natural or computational sciences.

As a member of the Southeastern Universities Research Association and the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, knowledge hubs which unite hundreds of organizations and scientists to tackle international challenges, we connect the dots from the lab to the world.

Centers & Institutes

Research That Matters

An interdisciplinary team of William & Mary students and faculty collaborated with global partners to develop a low-cost, do-it-yourself water turbidity sensor. This technology empowers local communities in Madagascar to monitor water quality and sedimentation in Lake Alaotra. By supporting these community-led conservation efforts, the project aims to improve both ecological restoration and vital local agricultural practices.

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Where could W&M take you?

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