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LAS Undergraduate Research

researcher from Iowa state scuba diving

In the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS), we believe your curiosity can change the world.

That’s why we fund researchers from the beginning—at the undergraduate level. Working alongside our world-renowned faculty members, our undergraduate students help push the boundaries of science and innovation.

LAS offers competitively selected research awards to students who have a primary major in the college. Since 2018, the college awarded about $639,500 in LAS Dean’s High Impact Awards for Undergraduate Research.

Patrick Stanley

One of my favorite moments in research was the first time I accidentally rediscovered an exoplanet…This excitement has never ceased. Every time I look at something new, it’s like opening a treasure chest.

Patrick Stanley, physics

Students who embark on research adventures often journey further than they could have ever imagined. All the way to Costa Rica to study tropical cyclones, to the New York Library to unearth archives of women’s suffrage leaders, and to the highest levels of academic excellence. And, LAS students regularly win the Goldwater Scholarship, the nation’s premier undergraduate scholarship in mathematics, natural sciences and engineering. Check out some of our recent honorees.