Student research opportunities
New opportunities for undergraduate research at SFIS
SFIS launched an Undergraduate Research Fellows program in Fall 2017, designed to give undergraduate students a chance to engage in research projects on science & society topics, working closely with SFIS faculty mentors.
Engaging in research projects as an undergraduate is a great way to broaden your ASU experience. You’ll get the chance to be part of a research team, develop critical skills in how to gather reliable data, how to analyze this information, and how to present your findings to others in a clear and compelling way. These skills can prove very useful in the workplace. Research experience can also help you decide whether you’re interested in graduate school – and, if you are, it can significantly increase your chances of getting accepted.
Students participating in the SFIS undergraduate research program can apply to receive a stipend ($1200 per semester) or to receive research credit (2 credits per semester). You will be expected to meet the following expectations:
- Spend 5-7 hours per week as a Research Fellow, including attending a weekly meeting with your faculty mentor.
- Complete a series of masterclasses on research and professional development.
- Present your research at an end-of-semester symposium (this is a hybrid event with Zoom options for ASU Online students).
Applications for the Spring 2025 research program will be open from December 9, with a closing date of Monday December 23 at 11.59pm. Spring research projects will ideally start the week of January 13th. If you would like to apply for a research position, please complete the online application.
This website is updated each Fall and Spring Semester with new projects that can be applied for. Once the application deadline has passed, there are no research opportunities available through this program until the next Fall or Spring semester.
For questions, please contact Elisha Thompson ([email protected]).
| Faculty advisor | Project title | Available for stipend | Available for credit | Pre-requisites required |
| Chris Deaton, Responsible Innovation Lab, School for the Future of Innovation in Society | Innovation Models | Potentially | Yes | No |
| Dr. Clark Miller, Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society Dr. Lauren Withycombe Keeler, Assistant Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society | Climate Action for Arizona | Yes | Yes | No |
| Faheem Hussain, Assistant Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society | Rethinking Afterlife In The Age Of AI: What Happens To Our Digital Self After We Die? | Potentially | Yes | Yes |
| Dr Beza Merid, Assistant Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society | Regulating innovative digital health technologies | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Full project descriptions
1. Innovation Models
Faculty advisors
Chris Deaton, Responsible Innovation Lab, School for the Future of Innovation in Society
Research project overview
SURF fellows will join one of the ongoing projects in the Responsible Innovation Lab, related to the intersection of Responsible Innovation (RI) and Principled Innovation (PI) methodologies. This is a chance to engage in hands-on research that has real-world impact by contributing to projects that help define the operationalization and implementation of Responsible Innovation and Principled Innovation. Our work addresses critical social issues, such as providing resources to the homeless, addressing food insecurity, while collaborating directly with like-minded organizations in the Phoenix community and beyond. Over the semester, SURF Fellows will gain a better understanding of how to operationalize RI and PI, enjoy great collaboration, and get some literature review experience.
Any pre-requisites needed? None.
Research available for stipend? ($1,200/semester): Potentially
Research available for course credit? (2 credits/semester): Yes
Research opportunity available to ASU Online students? Yes
2. Climate Action for Arizona
Faculty advisors
Dr. Clark Miller, Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society
Dr. Lauren Withycombe Keeler, Assistant Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society
Research project overview
Arizona is developing a statewide climate action plan to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. During Fall 2024, participating students will help identify and define key actions across multiple sectors that will help the state take effective climate action and achieve its goals of become net zero. Participating students may also help support working groups who are advancing climate action planning for key sectors of the Arizona economy. Other opportunities may also be available to support future-oriented climate and clean energy research initiatives for Phoenix and Arizona in areas such as electric vehicles, urban solar energy, and climate resilience.
Any pre-requisites needed? No
Research available for stipend? ($1,200/semester): Yes
Research available for course credit? (2 credits/semester): Yes
Research opportunity available to ASU Online students? Yes
3. Rethinking Afterlife In The Age Of AI: What Happens To Our Digital Self After We Die?
Faculty advisor
Faheem Hussain, Assistant Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society
Research project overview
As we slowly but surely embrace AI in every aspect of our lives, how does this affect our digital assets and footprints after our death? What kind of services are available to cater to these emerging needs? Are there laws in place to protect us from our AI-enabled digital avatars? Who owns our AI-powered digital artifacts during our lifetime and after our death? This research project explores these questions and much more at the intersection of digital innovations, death, grief management, AI, and futures.
For this research project, student research fellows will be working individually or in groups and will focus on one of the following tasks: (1) conducting an in-depth literature review on the existing AI-powered services/innovations (and related challenges) focusing on digital afterlives / the deceased population, within and outside of the USA; (2) developing a knowledge repository on existing government policies and regulations related to AI and Digital Afterlife.
Any pre-requisites needed? None
Research available for stipend? ($1,200/semester): Potentially
Research available for course credit? (2 credits/semester): Yes
Research opportunity available to ASU Online students? Yes
4. Regulating innovative digital health technologies
Faculty advisor
Dr Beza Merid, Assistant Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society
Research project overview
This project explores how innovative digital health technologies are regulated by government agencies. Students participating in this work will be asked to help gather documentation of how issues like market authorization, patentability of technologies, the safeguarding of private health information, and the operation of software as a medical device, guide regulation. Students will learn about the relationship between innovation and policymaking, what constitutes “safe use” of innovative digital health technologies, and where the regulation of innovative digital health technologies can fall short. Outputs for this project will include literature reviews and annotated bibliographies, contribution to a growing catalogue of benefits and risks associated with the use of these technologies, and the opportunity to collaborate on public-facing writing exploring these issues.
Any pre-requisites needed? Applicants will ideally have some prior research experience, particularly as it relates to gathering and organizing primary documents to prepare them for analysis.
Research available for stipend? ($1,200/semester): Yes
Research available for course credit? (2 credits/semester): Yes
Research opportunity available to ASU Online students? Yes