Undergraduate Research
Welcome to the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR)
The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) seeks to increase the number of students participating in and completing mentored undergraduate research and internship opportunities by collaborating with FAMU’s colleges and schools as well as external entities. These opportunities are designed to encourage and motivate undergraduate students to fully leverage these unique extensions of their academic careers. It is our intention, as a result of these experiences, to better position students to enter the workforce with applied knowledge and skills essential to their success.
OUR will enable students to easily access information about these offerings and apply for investigative projects and programs in which they have a keen interest.
Tiffany Wilson Ardley, Ph.D., is the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research at Florida A&M University
(FAMU). She is also a tenured Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and the
Director of the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences program in the College
of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health.
She has served as the Director of Graduate Programs in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Assistant Director of Undergraduate Programs in Pharmaceutical Sciences. In 2017 she led the implementation of the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) degree program where she is the current Director. This new BSPS degree is the only one in the state of Florida and the first one at an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) with a College of Pharmacy. In 2022 she was named the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research for FAMU. This office serves as the hub for all undergraduate research activities across campus.
Our History
Florida A&M University’s Provost, Dr. Maurice Edington established the FAMU OUR in 2019. One of the signature activities of the OUR is the World Class Scholars Research Experience for Undergraduates (WCS REU), which launched that same summer. The inaugural summer REU supported 37 students from 17 majors to work with a FAMU faculty research mentor for eight weeks during the summer semester. Since that time, hundreds of students from most of the University’s colleges and schools have participated in the WCS REU initiative.
Research Scholarships and Awards
Biomedical research is the branch of science that focuses on the prevention and treatment of diseases that cause death and sickness in animals and human beings. This general branch of science includes various aspects of both the physical and life science. The Merck Pathways to Successful Biomedical Careers Award will support undergraduate student research in an effort to strengthen their skills to prepare them for tomorrow’s biomedical research workforce. Awards for undergraduates are $10,000 per year for a maximum of two years. Allocations for awardees will be divided into semesters and awarded based on progress.
The application can be found at the link below and requires:
- A complete application
- A brief statement about how this award will further advance your biomedical research interests and your future interests in biomedical research.
- A letter of recommendation from your biomedical research mentor on official letterhead stating the title of your research topic, your involvement in the research and your knowledge, skills and abilities which would make you a good candidate for the Merck Pathways to Successful Biomedical Careers Award.
- An unofficial transcript
The deadline to apply is Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at 11:59 PM
Please contact Tiffany Ardley, PhD at tiffany.ardley@famu.edu for any questions.
