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.
- Spend 5-7 hours per week as a Research Fellow, including attending a weekly meeting with your faculty mentor.
- Attend Masterclasses on research and professional development (online Masterclass options will be available).
- Present your research at an end-of-semester symposium (this is a hybrid event with Zoom options for ASU Online students).
Applications for the Fall 2024 research program will be open from August 2, with a closing date of Friday August 9 at 11:59pm. Spring research projects will ideally start the week of August 19th. If you would like to apply for a research position, please complete the online application.
You will be notified on, or shortly after, August 22nd if you have been chosen to participate in the program.
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 |
| Dr. Itty Abraham, Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society | Kitchen Cultures: A review of low cost, sustainable, and safe cooking technologies in the Global South | Yes | Yes | Ideal prior experience listed in the project description. |
| Chris Deaton, Responsible Innovation Lab, School for the Future of Innovation in Society | Innovation Models | Potentially | Yes | No |
| Dr. Bob Cook-Deegan, Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society | Building a better Human Genome reference: ethical, level and social issues | Yes | Yes | Strong analytical skills and writing ability are important. Applicants would ideally be familiar with genomics, population genetics, and/or bioethics. |
| 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 |
| Dr. Jamey Wetmore, Associate Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society Toby Shulruff, HSD Graduate Student, School for the Future of Innovation in Society | Planning the Osaka 2025 World’s Fair: The future is already here | Yes | Yes | No |
| Dr. Jamey Wetmore, Associate Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society Toby Shulruff, HSD Graduate Student, School for the Future of Innovation in Society | The future of automobiles | Yes | Yes | No |
Full project descriptions
1. Kitchen Cultures: A review of low cost, sustainable, and safe cooking technologies in the Global South
Faculty advisors
Dr. Itty Abraham, Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society
Research project overview
This project seeks to understand how innovation takes place in the Global South. The focus of the project is a commonplace and everyday object, the kitchen stove. Due to rising prices of cooking gas and other fossil fuel-derivatives, many households in middle income developing countries have reverted to firewood and charcoal as primary sources of energy for cooking. In response, local innovators have come up with new designs for stoves, aimed at increasing thermal efficiency and reducing the health risks associated with burning organic materials in enclosed spaces.
The project seeks a research assistant to conduct a comprehensive annotated review of the literature on low cost “clean” and efficient cooking stoves, especially identifying innovations that have emerged/are used in Asia and Africa. Prior experience carrying out literature reviews, including “grey” literature, would be very helpful, as would be an interest in gender and health and/or low-cost technology innovations.
Any pre-requisites needed? Ideal prior experience listed in the project description.
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
2. 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
3. Building a better Human Genome reference: ethical, level and social issues
Faculty advisors
Dr. Bob Cook-Deegan, Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society
Research project overview
The Human Pangenome Reference Consortium is a US-based effort to develop a human reference genome research that is more accurate and complete, and reflects global human genomic diversity. It is entering its second 5-year phase. It is also collaborating with other parallel projects throughout the world. The issues include how to be inclusive without violating Indigenous Sovereignty, what it means to volunteer to have your genome sequence freely available on the Internet (including how to structure informed consent for volunteering), and fair distribution of benefits when donors typically waive their commercial rights but research institutions may patent and license downstream applications. The SURF student will work with our team to pick a suitably sized project for both semesters, with prospects of continuing into next year. They may be doing literature reviews, interviews, and participating in monthly calls of a working group on ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI) that spans many institutions.
**Please note that Prof. Cook-Deegan is based in Washington, DC (and makes occasional trips to Tempe). Mentoring meetings will therefore primarily be remote.
Any pre-requisites needed? Strong analytical skills and writing ability are important. Applicants would ideally be familiar with genomics, population genetics, and/or bioethics.
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
4. 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
5. Planning the Osaka 2025 World’s Fair: The future is already here
Faculty advisors
Dr. Jamey Wetmore, Associate Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society
Toby Shulruff, HSD Graduate Student, School for the Future of Innovation in Society
Research project overview
The Eiffel Tower, the Seattle Space Needle, moving walkways, Ferris Wheels, IMAX, zippers, and Elmer’s Glue…what connects them all? The World’s Fair! Not just a thing of the past, World’s Fairs still happen and the next one is starting soon. Your role will be to help find out what is being planned for Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. Over 160 countries from the smallest to the most powerful will be presenting their visions of the future, and inviting the tens of millions of visitors to “co-create our future society” with sustainability as a priority. You will do online research (in English and another language if you speak it) exploring different visions of the future and comparing and contrasting them. A related Study Abroad program to Expo 2025 is being offered in May 2025.
*Please note that most of the meetings for this project will take place over Zoom.
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
6. The future of automobiles
Faculty advisors
Dr. Jamey Wetmore, Associate Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society
Toby Shulruff, HSD Graduate Student, School for the Future of Innovation in Society
Research project overview
In many parts of the world, especially Phoenix, automobiles are a necessity to not only get around but to accomplish many important daily tasks. What those automobiles look like and how they work, however, is constantly changing. This research project will examine the present and near future of two important transportation innovations: electric cars and autonomous vehicles. Student researchers will engage in online research to examine how self-driving cars are being marketed and sold to the general public and follow recent EV trends and topics to help support Prof. Wetmore’s blog: https://techskepticgoeselectric.substack.com/. We will meet weekly as a team to discuss our findings.
Any pre-requisites needed? Students must either have or be willing to get a level 1 fingerprint clearance card issued by the State of Arizona. Students must be available to spend time at the CASS emergency shelter facility in Downtown Phoenix or the CASS Haven site one or more weekdays per week. Training for IRB and dementia screening procedures will be provided.
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