Undergraduate students in Geography, Geospatial Data Science, or related fields at UNC-Chapel Hill have access to a wide array of research opportunities ranging from departmental honors programs to interdisciplinary research centers and external internships.

Here is a summary of the primary avenues for undergraduate research on and off campus:

On-Campus Opportunities

Department of Geography and Environment

• Talking with faculty you’ve had classes with: start with talking to faculty who you’ve taken classes that you’ve liked with. They may have opportunities for undergraduates to participate in research, or they may know of openings available.
  • You can also look at the departmental faculty page https://geography.unc.edu/people/faculty/ to see research interests, which are listed below each professor’s name.
  • You can also review their research output by viewing the Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com profile or searching their authorship at the UNC library https://library.unc.edu
• Independent Research & Honors: Students can pursue independent research with faculty members or complete a senior honors thesis (GEOG 691H and 692H), which involves producing a substantial piece of original research and completing an oral defense.
• Research-Intensive Coursework: Students in the Geography programs (including the B.S. in Geospatial Data Science) take upper-level research methods courses and capstone seminars (e.g., GEOG 392, GEOG 697) that provide hands-on experience applying spatial analysis and GeoAI to real-world datasets. Look for classes that have the RESEARCH designation. You can see the complete list here: https://catalog.unc.edu/undergraduate/ideas-in-action/research-discovery/ 

Interdisciplinary Centers & Institutes

UNC is home to numerous centers that heavily utilize GIS and spatial analysis, offering opportunities for undergrads to contribute to large-scale projects:

• Ancient World Mapping Center (AWMC): Promotes cartography, historical geography, and geographic information science within ancient studies through collaborative research and mapping. https://awmc.unc.edu/ 
• Carolina Population Center (CPC) & Sheps Center: These centers frequently utilize GIS for spatial demographics, health geography, and health services research. https://www.cpc.unc.edu/ https://www.shepscenter.unc.edu/ 
• Southeast Regional Climate Center (SERCC): https://sercc.com/ is a UNC climate center that provides regional weather and climate services.

Campus Support Systems

• Office for Undergraduate Research (OUR): https://our.unc.edu/ The OUR maintains a searchable database of active research opportunities across campus. They also provide funding through Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURFs), travel awards for presenting at conferences, and host the annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research.
• SURFs are a great way to get funding for research – https://our.unc.edu/fund/surf/ 
• Davis Library Research Hub: Offers specialized support for students working with spatial data. They provide access to GIS software (like ArcGIS Pro), datasets, and expert consultations for semester projects and theses. https://gpsg.unc.edu/2020/09/17/resources-from-research-hub-at-davis-library/ 

Off-Campus & Field Research

The Research Triangle & Local Internships

• Experiential Education: The Geography department supports local integration through internship courses (GEOG 493) and field-based classes focused on regional urban geography, such as studying the urban political geography of nearby Durham.
• RTP and Government Agencies: Because UNC is situated near Research Triangle Park (RTP) and the state capital, students are well-positioned for internships with government agencies, nonprofits, and environmental regulation firms that rely on locational analysis and GIS.

Global Research Opportunities

• Galapagos Science Center: The department encourages field research and study abroad, with many geography students traveling to the Galapagos Islands to conduct environmental and spatial research. https://www.galapagosscience.org/ 
• International Exchange: Students can also participate in formal exchange programs, such as the junior-year program with King’s College London, to expand their geographic and academic perspectives. https://global.unc.edu/our-work/global-partnerships/kcl/ 
• NSF REU: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/reu The Research Experiences for Undergraduates program from the NSF includes highly competitive global programs in research. (NOTE: As a federally funded program, it’s unclear what the current state of the program is.)