Building a Business Model for Funding Undergraduate Research

This article discusses a set of projects that build on the following concepts: the private sector has the ability to fund undergraduate research projects, the private sector is hungry for projects that focus on the scholarship of application and engagement, and students can be empowered beyond a particular research project in this funding model. Through a student-run organization, several departments came together for consulting research projects. Although formal research projects are not the sole activity of the organization, many have been accomplished and presented at academic meetings, highlighting a “theory-to-practice” approach. Most of the client work scaffolds students’ learning of research methods, support students’ ability to participate in other research experiences, and provide real examples of completed projects that assist students in applying to graduate school or seeking work in the professional world.