SuperNova Undergraduate Research Fellows

The SuperNova Undergraduate Research Fellows Program challenges motivated undergraduate students between sophomore and senior year to build upon their STAR or undergraduate research experience in progressively demanding undergraduate research experiences, courses, and projects. The program is designed to document and recognize students for participating in research-related activity throughout their time at Drexel.

Throughout the program, students will document and reflect on their research-related experiences through digital badges. Students accepted into the SuperNova Undergraduate Research Fellows Program can seek one of two designations by graduation:

  • Undergraduate Research Fellow: To be recognized as a Research Fellow, students must earn a minimum of sixteen (16) points.
  • SuperNova: To be recognized as a SuperNova, students must earn a minimum of thirty-two (32) points. These students will have this achievement noted on their transcript and will graduate with academic distinction.
Program Structure Progress through the SuperNova Program is tracked through a digital badging platform, Badge List.
Activity Requirements Points
Active Research Part-time (10+ hours/week) 2.5 points per term
Active Research Full-time (40+ hours/week)
5 points per term
Active Research STAR/iSTAR 6 points
Conference Presentations On-campus presentations 1 point per presentation
Conference Presentations Undergraduate research conferences 1 point per application; 2 points per presentation
Conference Presentations Discipline-specific conferences 2 points per application; 3 points per presentation
Participation in undergraduate leadership programs Includes Honors Program Mentors, among others. 1 point per term of active participation
Research methods courses or research-related courses Defined as a course with a strong research component, as determined by faculty. 1 point per course
Research grant applications Includes Undergraduate Research Mini-Grants, among others. 2 points per submitted application; 3 points per awarded grant
Completion of fellowship applications through UREP Required to work with UREP to receive points through the SuperNova Program. 3 points per submitted application; 5 points per awarded fellowship/scholarship
Research publications Must be submitted to and published in a peer-reviewed journal or publication. 3 points per submitted application on which student is listed as an author; 5 points per finalized publication
Patents Patent disclosure 2 points
Patents Patent application 5 points
Patents Patent issue 10 points

How to Apply

In the SuperNova Undergraduate Research Fellows Program, we are looking for students who are already engaged in research and who are interested in continuing to make research a central pillar of their undergraduate education.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the SuperNova Program, you must:

  • Be at least a second-year student
  • Have completed STAR/iSTAR or two terms of active research (full-time or part-time, defined as 10+ hours per week)

Application

The 2025 SuperNova Undergraduate Research Fellows application is now closed. All decisions will be communicated to applicants by the beginning of the Fall Term.

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