Engaging in Research

Interested in learning about research in its many forms? How does research SPARK interest? How does research build skills for life, careers, and beyond?

There are course opportunities to see how research moves from the lab, to the archives, to museums, to the outdoors and more! 

Applications for the WiSER Research Assistant program are open for the 2025/26 academic year in the spring semester.

Fostering FGCU’s culture of integrating student and faculty scholarship, the WiSER Research Assistant Program enables faculty to hire undergraduate research assistants (priority given to federal work study students) and graduate research assistants (restrictions apply) for 10 hours per week between 18 August 2025 and 24 April 2026.

WiSER students contribute to faculty scholarship in any discipline, participating in activities such as, but not limited to literature review; data collection; source analysis; art work, bench and field experiments, theatre production, music performance; writing, editing, and manuscript formatting. Faculty mentor students in the process of scholarly inquiry as they prepare a project for dissemination, learning about how to do professional research and navigate protocols for human subjects, animal welfare, and lab safety. Faculty applying to the WiSER Eagle Research Assistant program mentor students in how to comply with all university procedures. Please see the Compliance document for the guidance as found on the Research Compliance section of the ORSP website. Students benefit from this program by developing transferable skills important for both graduate school and employment. Additionally, students participate in professional development seminars.

 Please see the Compliance document for the guidance as found on the Research Compliance section of the ORSP website.

The application deadline is 22 August with priority given to applications received by 1 August.

For more information on how you can get involved in the WiSER program, email Santiago Luaces. 

FIll out your own personalized map to plan what High-Impact-Practices you want to include in your journey at FGCU!

Click here to download your own roadmap and add experiences and career-readiness practices!

You can pick out experiences that excite and fascinate you like:

Visit Career Development Services (CDS) and find out what you can do with your major 

Develop a resume and have it reviewed by CDS 

Take a career interest inventory to discover more about your skills, abilities, inclinations 

Review the “What can I do with this major?” resource  

Come to a SISR Meet & Greet: talk to SISR Ambassadors about research in your major 

Attend Scholar Series, Provost Seminar Series, Art Exhibitions, and follow the presenters on Linked In 

Join 2-3 clubs: FGCU Student Registered Organizations (RSOs) 

Learn about study abroad 

Start your service-learning hours and think about how they might connect to your career 

Attend Showcase of Undergraduate Research (SURI) (December) and/or Eagle X Research Day (April); learn about other students’ projects 

Earn good grades, get to know your professors, join the RSO in your major 

Consider applying to Honors 

Find your mentors, sit in the front row, ask questions, go to office hours 

Earn your first digital badge and make a plan for completing more of them 

Visit the FGCU Internships office and learn about opportunities—is there something you can do in the summer that aligns with your career goals? 

 Present at SURI or Eagle X 

Do informational interviewing with two other students and one professional person and shadow one of them 

Take a professional writing course 

Identify the next digital badge to earn; explore LinkedIn Learning for professional preparation courses 

Investigate opportunities: Foundation scholarships, Office of Competitive Fellowships (OCF), REUs 

Round out your experiences: study abroad, add a minor, try for a service-learning award, apply for a Seidler Undergraduate Research Fellowship or a design competition or an REU 

Attend the Job Fair and take a professional photo; create a Linked In account and add your photo 

Discover and build your personal brand; what do friends and family say are your more interesting qualities, skills, and abilities?  

Go to one career event and watch two videos each semester on CDS YouTube channel; get some popcorn, friends, and take some notes 

Visit Azul’s Attire for help building a professional interview outfit 

Engage in a WiSER research assistantship (SISR) 

Get more involved in your RSO; become a reliable team player in two of them 

Explore opportunities through FGCU’s internship office; apply for one 

Update your resume with interesting class projects, independent studies, leadership roles, activities, service-learning experiences, awards 

 Complete a second internship 

Attend the Job Fair and talk to three employers 

Go to two career events and watch two career videos on the CDS YouTube channel 

Earn a second or third digital badge 

Apply for an REU, competitive fellowship (OCF), or study abroad; research grad schools 

Invest in your mentor relationships; ask them about their career journeys and to introduce you to colleagues and contacts for informational interviews 

Take on a leadership role in your RSO or in a class project or become a SISR Ambassador 

Explore LinkedIn Learning’s professional preparation courses; do a practice interview and get feedback from their AI 

Discover and build your personal brand 

Present at SURI or Eagle X, FURC, NCUR, or a regional conference in your field 

Engage in a WiSER research assistantship (SISR) 

Target an area of specialty for service-learning connected to career interests; identify a story you can tell to illustrate this (e.g., your leadership, teamwork, adaptability, flexibility, critical thinking, communication, etc.) 

Update your resume with interesting class projects, independent studies, leadership roles, activities, service-learning experiences, awards 

Publish in a student journal: Aquila, Mangrove Review, FURJ, or a disciplinary journal 

Attend senior thesis defenses or showcases; talk to seniors about their plans for grad school or industry; attend career events in your major 

Engage in a WiSER research assistantship (SISR) 

Take qualifying exams for grad school (LSAT, GRE, GMAT) 

Write a personal statement and review it with your mentor 

Present at SURI or Eagle X, FURC, NCUR, or a regional conference in your field 

Apply for a competitive fellowship (OCF) 

Do an Honors thesis, senior thesis, capstone project 

Update your resume with interesting class projects, independent studies, leadership roles, activities, service-learning experiences, awards 

Publish in a student journal: Aquila, Mangrove Review, FURJ, or a disciplinary journal 

Scrub & align all social media with your personal brand 

Practice your elevator pitch: who are you? What’s your brand? What impact do you want to have? 

Complete an internship, practicum, art exhibition, performance, or capstone—what are you learning? What stories about your experience can support this? 

Conduct mock interviews  

Hone your elevator pitch 

Assemble an interview suit—check out Azul’s Attire 

Draft and review cover letters, resumes, job materials, personal statement 

Complete service-learning hours 

Line up professional references, request letters of recommendation  

Click here to request a consultation or classroom visit if you like to a) discuss incorporating students into your research by developing a CURE (Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience which carries the Research and Scholarly Designated attribute) or by working with a WiSER Eagle Student Research Assistant or b) request a class visit to discuss with your students the value of research and opportunities to engage in and disseminate scholarship.

We would love to chat with you and your class!

FGCU offers an online Compliance course through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). The training course includes basic background in the elements of the revised Public Health Service (PHS) federal regulations on financial conflicts of interest and investigator and institutional responsibilities. Click here for the FGCU compliance training website.

To stay up to date on our upcoming workshops and events, follow us on Eagle Link.