Skip to content
a group of research students looking at a sample
CAFLS Advantage

CAFLS Students Discover

CAFLS Undergraduate Research Initiative

The CAFLS Undergraduate Research Initiative offers funding to individual undergraduate students enrolled in a CAFLS major working under the mentorship of a CAFLS faculty member.

Each funded project is awarded $500 for expenses. Undergraduate researchers present their project for judging at the Clemson Student Research Forum each spring with an opportunity to win a monetary prize and recognition.

Braeden Mull

“I think that undergraduate research can help you refine skills that aren’t always present in the classroom or within coursework. It led me to pursue a Master’s degree and working with a faculty member 1 on 1 showed me that Clemson faculty wants the best for their students. ”

Braeden Mull
Agribusiness, Class of 2024
CAFLS Undergraduate Research Initiative Participant

Steps to Participate

  • Identify a Faculty Mentor

    Identify a faculty mentor with whom to conduct research. You should discuss a topic and plan for conducting the research, and the materials required for the application process with your faculty mentor.

  • Complete Application for Funding - Deadline September 25

    The application requires your faculty mentor's name, project title (150-character limit), project description including objectives (2,500-character limit), and proposed budget for use of the $500 in research funds.

    Apply
  • Conduct Research

    Conduct research over the academic year under the guidance of the faculty mentor, utilizing the $500 allocated for research expenses.

  • Submit Abstract

    The Clemson Student Research Forum (CSRF) is an annual poster forum. The call for abstracts is open to all Clemson graduate and undergraduate students that participate in mentored research.

    Submit Your Abstract
  • Share Findings

    Prepare your poster and present your research at the Clemson Student Research Forum. Judges will evaluate your poster and presentation.

    Learn More
  • Discover - Deadline May 9

    Submit your final poster and reflection to the office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

    Submit Via Email

Faculty Information

Faculty are limited to two funded projects per academic year under this program. By participating, the student and mentor agree that the program deliverables can be shared publicly to promote CAFLS programs.

Faculty members are encouraged, to the extent possible, to educate and involve the student on as many research stages as possible (e.g. theory, question formulation, data collection, data analysis, communication of findings) so that students can develop a sense for the general research process.

Undergraduate Research Awards

Ashlee Romp

1st Place

Ashlee Romp

Topic: Alexa, Turn up the Serotonin: The effect of 5-hydroxytryptophan (HTP) treatments in sheep on circulating serotonin levels and resulting behavioral changes

Major: Animal & Veterinary Science

Abigail Zirbel

2nd Place

Abigail Zirbel

Topic: Energy metabolism in C2C12 myoblast cells exposed to marginal to severe iron depletion is influenced by substrate availability

Major: Food Science & Human Nutrition

Tucker Cribb

3rd Place

Tucker Cribb

Topic: Wild Hogs on the Clemson Experimental Forest: Radio/GPS tracking invasive wild hogs in Clemson, SC

Major: Wildlife & Fisheries Biology

CAFLS Advantage
CAFLS Advantage | 101 Barre Hall Clemson, SC 29634 864-656-3013