Three colleagues engaged in discussion around a table, with an iPad in front of them.

Undergraduate Research at DeGroote

Experience what it is like to be a researcher at DeGroote. Explore topics that interest you and discover how you can contribute to research happening at DeGroote.

Students can:

Engage in leading business-focused research projects
Gain valuable work experience
Develop transferable skills including analysis, communication, and research skills
Receive mentorship from DeGroote researchers while learning about a key business area

Are you curious? Do you have an interest in a particular business field?

Students are important contributors to active research projects at DeGroote. They participate in hands-on research, are part of creating new knowledge, and learn how to share those insights.

Find out how DeGroote researchers solve problems and conduct research at McMaster. There are opportunities to participate in research and support work being done by faculty members across eight different academic areas

What is an Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA)?

Undergraduate Student Research Awards provide students with research-based employment. Successful USRA recipients will generally receive a minimum of $7,500 to cover their contribution to the research project.

As a student, USRAs allow you to:

Obtain funding for meaningful research-based activities with a faculty member
Explore career opportunities in a research environment
Develop skills and gain experience
Learn more about a specific area of interest
Foster a positive working relationship with a faculty member, research team, and/or other professionals

Students engage with DeGroote researchers on projects that directly contribute to research. Often undergraduate projects also involve coordination with various other team members inclusive of graduate students and additional academic or research partner contributors. Students are supervised and mentored by a DeGroote faculty member.

DeGroote is committed to making research accessible to all students to both explore research career opportunities and/or to gain skills also valued outside of academia. There are a variety of student research funding options available that can support your participation in DeGroote led projects. Connect with a researcher directly to see what student research opportunities are available.

How to Apply

Students interested in pursuing an Undergraduate Student Research Award at DeGroote are encouraged to reach out directly to a professor in an academic area that interests you. Researchers will receive the opportunity to apply directly for USRA specific funding or they may ask you to join one of their existing projects.

This opportunity is open to undergraduate students, and you do not need a graduate degree to participate. Undergraduate Student Research Award positions are posted on OSCARplus in the early part of each year. In addition, DeGroote researchers will also have additional opportunities for you to join an existing project team.

Timing

Fall: Begin discussions with DeGroote faculty members to learn about their plans for undergrad research assistants and how you can contribute to their research
February-March: Specific roles are posted on OSCARplus
April: Student interviews conducted, and roles filled
May-August: Students employed in research roles with the potential for extension beyond the summer

Current Research Projects

The AI Principal-Agent Problem: Investigating Agency Theory with Artificial Managers

Supervisors: Shane Saunderson and Maryam Ghasemaghaei

Startups Foreign Location Choice

Supervisor: Judy Han

Responsible Quantum Innovation for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals

Supervisor: Cansu Ekmekcioglu

Leveraging Emotional Capital to Perform Digital Platform Labour: The Case of Platform-Based Professional Workers

Supervisor: Yao Yao

Polish Translation of Reframery Virtual Incubator

Supervisor: Benson Honig

Advancing a New Era of Equity-Based Co-Design and Co-Production

Supervisor: Gillian Mulvale

Optimal Design of Affiliate Marketing

Supervisor: Ruhai Wu

Wage theft: Antecedents and consequences for managers who illegally underpay their employees

Supervisor: Catherine Connelly

BCom and eHealth student Bilal Khan shares learnings from conducting his own hands-on research at DeGroote as an undergrad student.

en DeGroote students, both undergraduate and graduate, smiling for a photo in front of a projector screen.

From research to real-world skills: Students gain valuable research experience at DeGroote

DeGroote undergraduate and graduate student research associates gathered to discuss their research projects and share their observations with peers and faculty. Student researchers are working on a wide range of topics from sustainability to marginalized communities, allowing them to explore their research interests.

Nine DeGroote undergraduate researchers gather for a group photo.

DeGroote Research Day 2023

Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) recipients came together to share their learning experiences from working closely with DeGroote researchers. The undergraduate students discussed how gaining experience with hands-on research has allowed them to develop theoretical and applicable skills in several facets of research, in addition to the development of strong mentorship connections with their supervisors.

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