Your Research Path
At MIzzou, research is for everyone. Whether you're a high school senior or a postdoctoral fellow, there are opportunities for you.
Don’t Just Dream It
Turn your ideas into innovation and impact.
At Mizzou, research is the heart of everything we do. No matter your major, you’ll play a pivotal role in driving the kinds of discoveries that improve lives around the world. Our famous Missouri Method is a unique, hands-on instructional model that pairs students with renowned researchers to solve real-world problems. And no matter who you are — from high school students considering the Honors College to postdoctoral fellows preparing to lead a grant-funded study — you’ll find endless opportunities and the support you need to succeed.
High School Students
Why wait until move-in day to get started?
When you choose Mizzou, you become part of a premier research institution. Our Honors College offers additional opportunities for customized curricula, smaller class sizes, unique study abroad adventures, one-on-one Honors advising, dedicated Honors housing and additional scholarships and awards. As soon as you receive your Mizzou acceptance letter, you’re eligible to apply.
Steps for applying to Mizzou’s Honors College:
- Identify your research interests.
- Find a faculty mentor.
- Submit your Honors College application to access additional undergraduate research scholarships and opportunities.
Undergraduate Students
Find your focus and fuel your future.
You don't have to be a grad student to contribute to important research. Many of our students start as student assistants during their freshman and sophomore years. This experience sets them up for success as interns working on their own research projects as juniors and seniors. The Office of Undergraduate Research can help you find undergraduate research opportunities and identify potential faculty mentors.
Steps for getting started in undergraduate research:
- Define your research interests.
- Contact the Office of Undergraduate Research to explore research options.
- Find a faculty mentor.
- Start your academic research career.
Take your research to the next level.
There are so many exciting places your research can take you. Maybe you’ll present at a conference, participate in a prestigious fellowship or apply for — and win — an award. Once you have connected with a faculty mentor and begun your research activities, it’s time to begin building a body of work to support applications for these opportunities.
Steps for building a body of work:
- Present your research.
- Apply for NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU).
- Identify and apply for off-campus summer research programs.
- Apply for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. The Office of Undergraduate Research can grant you access to the NSFGRP Canvas site, where you’ll find sample proposals and other resources.
- Apply for other prestigious national fellowships and awards.
It’s never too early to start thinking about graduate school.
Many of our Tigers find continuing their education through Mizzou’s Graduate School to be an outstanding opportunity to invest in their own futures while continuing to contribute to something greater.
Steps for getting started in graduate research:
- Determine which graduate programs best fit your goals.
- Prepare for standardized tests and register for the appropriate examinations.
- Assemble your graduate school application.
- Apply for NSF Graduate Research Fellowships. The Office of Undergraduate Research can grant you access to the NSFGRP Canvas site, where you’ll find sample proposals and other resources.
- Identify and apply for external grants, awards and fellowships.
Explore Summer Research Opportunities
Rising seniors and first-year graduate students are eligible to apply for the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. NSF-GRF applications are due in mid-October, but it’s never too early to meet with your mentor or advisor and start planning.
Graduate Students
You’ve put in the work. Now it’s time to reap the rewards.
Your graduate school advisor can guide you in applying for prestigious and highly prestigious awards and fellowships as well as for funding to advance your academic progress. Grad students with a growing body of work might be great candidates for doctoral and postdoctoral studies. These advanced programs present opportunities to dive deeply into the nuances of your research topic while preparing for leadership roles within your field.
Steps for applying for and funding your doctorate program.
- Determine which doctoral programs best fit your goals.
- Identify and apply for doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships.
- Join the Grad Essentials Canvas site for sample proposals and fellowship- and grant-writing help.