{"id":9497,"date":"2026-03-02T10:30:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T15:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/?page_id=9497"},"modified":"2026-07-27T14:32:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T18:32:18","slug":"student-research-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/student-research-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">At Bates, you don&#8217;t just learn what is known; you gain the tools to discover what isn&#8217;t.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A distinctive characteristic of a Bates education is the emphasis on student research. At Bates, every student is a scholar. Research opportunities from across the curriculum extend learning beyond the classroom. Students immerse themselves in research questions, shaping their undergraduate experience as their interests evolve and deepen, while being mentored by Bates faculty who are leading scholars and artists in their fields. Opportunities abound in faculty labs, field stations, studios, museums, archives, and in locations around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-garnet-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a179b8a26948bf52b9e14b9fc1182276\">Summer Research Opportunities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile is-image-fill-element\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 52%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the beautiful Maine summer, the Bates campus is home to 30 to 50 students engaged in full-time research with a faculty member.&nbsp;Another 20 to 30 Bates students receive funding to conduct research around the country and the world.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/files\/2026\/02\/250718_Nubble_Light_6479-copy-copy-900x745.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19762 size-full\" style=\"object-position:50% 50%\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:41px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why Bates?: Do high impact research at the undergraduate level\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2cYjeGfDKLU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Geneva Laurita, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, on research at Bates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI have really enjoyed my ability to get out into the field at Bates. The school does that really well \u2014&nbsp;lab experience, field experience. You\u2019re not just always in the classroom.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u2014 Amanda Power &#8217;26<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-garnet-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cfcdb1086b776f30d93b27388cff011a\">Short Term<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile is-image-fill-element\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 52%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Short Term is a unique opportunity for coursework that cannot be offered in the fall and winter regular semesters. It is a four-week period in May during which students immerse themselves in one course, either on the Bates campus or by traveling to destinations around the globe.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/files\/2026\/02\/160517_GeoST_580_alt-900x600-1.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19764 size-full\" style=\"object-position:50% 50%\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-garnet-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7ca949ebd8b38a55c26a66295510638a\">Senior Thesis and Capstone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile is-image-fill-element\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 52%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A hallmark of the Bates curriculum is the senior thesis or capstone, which allow students to explore a topic in depth with faculty mentorship. Completing one or the other is required for most majors. <\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/files\/2026\/02\/210723_Sebastian_Leon-_Fallas_Lab_0009-900x600-1.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19769 size-full\" style=\"object-position:50% 50%\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-garnet-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5bc462a82c148daf28054abad666c7ad\">Presenting and Publishing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile is-image-fill-element\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 52%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bates affords students an exceptional opportunity to attend and present research at national and international scholarly conferences. In addition, many students collaborate with faculty as co-authors on papers published in academic journals.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/files\/2026\/02\/Nick_Balacsio_Hadley_Blodgett_Carnegie_0198A-900x600.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19820 size-full\" style=\"object-position:50% 50%\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is just too cool to happen. And then, I was on a plane.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u2014 Hadley Blodgett \u201926 on presenting her thesis research at a conference in <br>Greenland <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-garnet-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c293d4b3ed59a0f71799288871be9333\">Community-engaged research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Community-engaged research (or community-based research) is a type of academic inquiry conducted with deep collaboration from a community partner for whom the project is beneficial. Under the advising of faculty in their discipline, and with support from Harward Center Staff, students can apply their research skills to off-campus contexts in reciprocal relationships with local organizations that can use added capacity for work such as data collection or analysis, literature review, or best practice scans. At Bates, CER can be found in community-engaged learning courses such as ECON 344: Finance and Society, PSY 379: Youth Sociopolitical Development, and ENVR 417: Practicum in Community-Based Research.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students can also pursue CER through independent study or senior thesis, and are eligible to apply for the Harward Center\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/harward\/community-engaged-research-fellows-program-application\/\">Community-Engaged Research Fellowship<\/a>, which supports students undertaking independent CER projects each winter semester. CER Fellows engage in an ungraded bi-weekly seminar with an interdisciplinary cohort of peers, receive a small stipend to support their work, and benefit from additional advisory support from Harward Center Staff. Recent CER Fellows\u2019 thesis titles include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;Investigating Educational Outcomes for Providence Community Advocacy,&#8221; Christian Cabello (Mathematics)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cDeveloping a Whole Sense of Self Among Somali Refugee Daughters: a Mixed-Methods Approach to Identity Exploration,\u201d Maggie Kornfeind (Psychology)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cEcosystem Cycling: Comparison Across Land Usages to Predict Forest Regeneration via the Lens of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Mycorrhizal Fungi,\u201d Heidi Nydam (Environmental Studies: Ecology and Earth Systems)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Interested in learning more about CER? Contact Associate Director of Community-Engaged Research &amp; Learning, Morgan Kinney at <a href=\"mailto:mkinney2@bates.edu\">mkinney2@bates.edu<\/a>.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:55% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"624\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/files\/2026\/07\/CEL-work-2026.webp\" alt=\"Students in Prof. Emily Kane\u2019s SOC 250: Privilege, Power, Inequality, share their research on the socioemotional learning benefits of Rosati Leadership Academy\u2019s youth soccer program with Chris White, Executive Director.\" class=\"wp-image-10890 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/files\/2026\/07\/CEL-work-2026.webp 624w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/files\/2026\/07\/CEL-work-2026-400x300.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/files\/2026\/07\/CEL-work-2026-200x150.webp 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students in Prof. Emily Kane\u2019s SOC 250: Privilege, Power, Inequality, share their research on the socioemotional learning benefits of Rosati Leadership Academy\u2019s youth soccer program with Chris White, Executive Director.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-garnet-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b4533786de3d3e248761a38374e8eadb\">Support and Resources<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/files\/2026\/02\/486601943_1051289523694537_1786351919553013794_n.webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/files\/2026\/02\/486601943_1051289523694537_1786351919553013794_n-900x600.webp\" alt=\"Students conduct research\" class=\"wp-image-19768\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5000149857635245;object-fit:cover;width:389px;height:auto\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/global-education\/off-campusstudy\/finances\/barlow-grant-opportunities\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/global-education\/off-campusstudy\/finances\/barlow-grant-opportunities\/\"><strong>Barlow<\/strong> <strong>Thesis Research Grants<\/strong><\/a> support senior thesis research in the student\u2019s study abroad country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/earth-climate-sciences\/bouley-creasy-fund\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/earth-climate-sciences\/bouley-creasy-fund\/\">Bouley-Creasy Fund<\/a><\/strong> supports thesis research in field-based geologic mapping.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/harward\/community-engaged-research-grant-application\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/harward\/community-engaged-research-grant-application\/\">Community-Engaged Research Grants<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;support material costs related to promising research projects undertaken by Bates students in collaboration with local or statewide community partners.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hoffman Research Support Grants<\/strong> aid students in all disciplines engaged in research, covering travel to a research site, research supplies, or other related expenses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/inbre\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/inbre\/\">INBRE Summer Fellowships<\/a><\/strong> for research and science education&nbsp;support research in cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, and neuroscience with preference given to projects focused on functional genomics.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/research-opportunities\/summer-grants-summary\/otis\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/research-opportunities\/summer-grants-summary\/otis\/\">Otis Fellowships<\/a><\/strong> provide major funding for students who have designed an independent project focusing on the relationship between individuals, societies, and the natural world.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/research-opportunities\/summer-grants-summary\/phillips-student-fellowships\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/research-opportunities\/summer-grants-summary\/phillips-student-fellowships\/\">Phillips Fellowships<\/a><\/strong> provide major funding for an international or otherwise cross-cultural experience.&nbsp;Fellowships may focus on research, community engagement, the arts, career exploration, or some combination.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/stem-summer-grants\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/stem-summer-grants\/\">STEM Student-Faculty Research Grants<\/a><\/strong> support students in collaborating with Bates faculty mentors on research in the sciences and math.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/summer-research-apprenticeships\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/summer-research-apprenticeships\/\">Summer Research Apprenticeships<\/a><\/strong> provide support for students in all disciplines working full time for 8 to10 weeks as a research assistant to a member of the faculty.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Summer Research Fellowships<\/strong> provide support of full-time research for 8\u00a0weeks in the summer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/research-opportunities\/summer-grants-summary\/technos-international-week-in-japan\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/research-opportunities\/summer-grants-summary\/technos-international-week-in-japan\/\">Technos International Week Fellowships<\/a> <\/strong>provide complete support for two students to travel to Japan for two weeks in early June.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-garnet-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b5d86da35623faf493931bc9cbda3a7a\">A Coastal Laboratory<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bates\u2013Morse Mountain and Shortridge <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light has-custom-content-position is-position-bottom-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-19775\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/files\/2026\/02\/bates-morse-mountain.webp\" style=\"object-position:11% 74%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"11% 74%\"\/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"is-style-default has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-13c013565cd116f0259af78e87c04864 wp-block-paragraph\">A spectacular 600+ acre conservation area comprised of varied woodlands, wetlands, and ponds leading to the Atlantic Ocean affords endless opportunities for research for Bates faculty and students. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:35px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button with-arrow with-arrow\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/bates-morse-mountain-shortridge\/\">Bates-Morse Mountain and Shortridge<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Shortridge Summer Residency<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Shortridge Coastal Center provides the opportunity for students, faculty, and researchers to work in a unique coastal setting over the course of a summer. Students conduct field research; engage with state agents and community members regarding coastal change, sea level rise, and public policy; serve as interns in local conservation organizations; and work as artists-in-residence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/files\/2026\/02\/DSC_0487.webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/dof\/files\/2026\/02\/DSC_0487-900x600.webp\" alt=\"Shortridge Center research\" class=\"wp-image-19776\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video wp-embed-aspect-16-9\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<lite-youtube videoid=\"B2xpqHwm_po\" params=\"modestbranding=1&#038;rel=0\" playlabel=\"See and Hear: Bates\u2013Morse Mountain Conservation Area\" title=\"See and Hear: Bates\u2013Morse Mountain Conservation Area\" >\n\t\t\t<\/lite-youtube>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:35px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button with-arrow with-arrow\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/bates-morse-mountain-shortridge\/research\/\">Shortridge Summer Residency<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At Bates, you don&#8217;t just learn what is known; you gain the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":116,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_hide_ai_chatbot":false,"_ai_chatbot_style":"","associated_faculty":[],"_Page_Specific_Css":"","_bates_restrict_mod":false,"_batesModPostContentOverride_prepend":false,"_batesModPostContentOverride_append":false,"_batesModPostContentOverride_append_before_footer":false,"bates_author_byline_override":"","_hide_page_title":false,"_header_override":"","_template_width_override":"","_dimp_site_id":"","_dimp_override_contact":false,"_table_of_contents_display":false,"_table_of_contents_location":"","_table_of_contents_disableSticky":false,"_is_featured":false,"_sidebarChoice":"","footnotes":"","_bates_seo_meta_description":"","_bates_seo_block_robots":false,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_id":0,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_twitter_id":0,"_bates_seo_share_title":"","_bates_seo_canonical_overwrite":"","_bates_seo_twitter_template":""},"class_list":["post-9497","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/116"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9497"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9497\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10918,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9497\/revisions\/10918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}