Students advance their education through research
By Kiara Craig, September 23, 2025
Cal Poly Pomona students in any discipline can apply to one of the 12 research programs to gain research experience through the Office of Undergraduate Research.
The programs cater to the different goals and interests of students, ranging from horse feed supplements to electroencephalography. Additionally, the requirements for joining each program vary.
The McNair Scholars program focuses on preparing undergraduate students for Ph.D. programs, while the Emerging Scholars Program aims to introduce students to the research process. aims to introduce students to the research process.
The McNair Scholars Program application requires an eligibility form, an application packet, and an interview. Low income and first-generation college students are eligible for this program. Applicants must have 50 semester units and a GPA of 3.0 or higher to apply.
The ESP requires students to attend three of the six workshops provided and an advising meeting to take part in the program. Additionally, the ESP application is open to students with freshman or sophomore standing and First-Year Transfer students and requires a 250 word personal statement about the student’s interest in research.
The Achieve Scholars Program demands more of a student’s schedule, requiring participation in a fall semester course. Students can apply to be either a research trainee or peer mentor. Trainees receive help through peer mentor meetings and advising meetings, and will attend or present at a research conference in the subsequent spring semester. Peer mentors guide trainees to understand the research process and earn a $400 stipend.
Enrollment for most programs occurs during spring semester, except Projects Hatchery, which has a rolling enrollment. Exact application deadlines are available on the Office of Undergraduate Research website.
Projects Hatchery is an undergraduate research program that helps student-developed research projects from conception to completion. Students can receive up to $5,000 worth of funding for teams of three or more, and up to $3,000 for teams of 2 or less. Applicants are not required to apply with a mentor, but a mentor will be required to oversee the completion of the project across its phases. Projects Hatchery consists of projects that span more than one semester, and seniors in their last semester can not apply for phase one.
The Student Success and Transfer Articulation through Research and Support Services Program is a mentor-based program funded by a Department of Education grant that pairs faculty mentors with students to work on projects over the course of a semester or full academic year.
Chantal Steiber, a STARS mentor and professor of inorganic chemistry, has seen the benefits in student learning over the past ten years because of research opportunities.
“In chemistry, we have tons of instrumentation, and they actually get to use it, and at a lot of places they don’t get to use it,” Steiber said. “Even when people go on to Ph.D. programs, they get surprised that they know all this stuff that other people don’t from other schools. It’s been kind of cool to see that process, that they realize we have some pretty good stuff happen here.”
Students present research projects at conferences like the Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities Conference showcasing the work done in the research programs. RSCA conference takes place in the first week of March. The 2025 RSCA conference featured over 200 student projects. At the conference students give oral presentations which are judged by a panel and given a rating. Presentations deemed exemplary can be nominated to represent CPP at the Annual California State University Systemwide Student Research competition.
“Being able to attend conferences, getting to see how big the field is, and being able to meet people are some things I like most about the research opportunities here,” said Pham Phu, a 2018 CPP chemistry alumnus.
Apart from these opportunities, some majors, like chemistry or management and human resources, require a senior project, in which students participate in research over the course of their senior year. However, Ever Barraza, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, encourages getting involved in research early.
“If you are from freshman to junior year, participating in research does really help build a sense of belonging, build a sense of research identity, have more motivation to finish, and you have the support of faculty and peers,” Ever said.
Feature image courtesy of Lauren Bernal