Past Project Examples
Biological Sciences
Sample Proposal #1 Sample Proposal #2
Agronomy & Plant Genetics
- Pollen Viability and Germination of Northern Wild Rice (Zizania Palustris L.)
Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics
- Optimizing the Parameters for the Consensus Approach to Protein Stabilization
- Effects of Human APOBEC3A in a Novel Cancer Model
- Determining the Inhibitory Effect of CaM and FKBP12.6 on Cardiac Calcium Release Channel Model of Heart Failure
- Engineering HUH Endonucleases to Direct DNA Sequence Specificity
- A Proof-of-Concept Study to Develop the Reporter-Based Assay for Identification of Potential Senotherapeutics
Biology
- Using Phenotypic Traits in Brassica Rapa to Measure Abiotic Stress Response
- Metal Contaminants in Floral Nectar
- Investigating the Enzymatic Activity of Nectar Protein NmNec3 and Pigment Precursor Properties in the Color-Changing Nectar of Nesocodon Mauritianus
Ecology, Evolution & Behavior
- Predicting the Ability of Amino Acid Auxotrophic E. coli to Regain Biosynthetic Capabilities
- Examining How the Toxic Cross-Feeding Relationship Between Escherichia Coli and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Affects Escherichia Coli Evolution
- Investigating and Comparing the Effects of Oxytocin on the Social Behaviors of Male and Female Cheetahs
- Investigating the Genetic Basis, Composition, and Relative Fitness of Various Phenotypes of Multicellular ‘Snowflake’ Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
- Quantitative Analysis of Polygenic Risk Scores and Microbiome Diversity as Predictive Models of Complex Disease
- Burning the Fat to Boost Longevity: Testing the Mechanisms of Drosophila Lifespan Extension via Lipid Remodeling
- Unlocking a Capsaicin Pathway in Tomatoes Through Deconstructed Viral Vectors
Neuroscience
- Investigating the Role of ApoE 4 in Postsynaptic Deficits in Parkinson’s Disease Dementia
- Chemogenetic Inhibition of Nucleus Accumbens PV+ Interneurons Modulates Opioid Induced Reward-Related Behavior
- To Examine Roles of Microglia in Early Brain Development
Pediatrics
- Investigating the Long Term Neurological Effects of Hyperglycemia in Mature Brains and the Effects of a High Fat Diet on Hyperglycemia
- Optimization of Gene Editing to Affect Monocyte Activation and Differentiation
- Myogenic Analysis of DUX Family Genes DUXA and DUXB
Breastmilk Fungi and Establishment of the Infant Gut Mycobiome - Investigating Methylene Blue as a Facilitator to Reverse the Effects of Developmental Iron Deficiency
Pharmacology
- Structure-Activity Relationship Study of a Novel N1-Biphenyl Fluoroquinolone With Anti-Proliferative Activity
- The Role of the Alpha6 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Subunit in Alcohol and Nicotine Consumption
- The Influence of SLC39A8 And HGFAC on Acute Alcohol Behavior and Metabolism
- The Role of HGFAC on Alcohol and Nicotine Consumption in Mice
Plant Biology
- Examining the Role of MET1 in the Setaria Viridis Methylome
- Investigating Fungal Interspecies Competition in Ectomycorrhizal Communities
- Exploring Rapid Evolution of Early Post-Germination Allocation Strategies in Clarkia Santiana ssp. Santiana in Response to the Recent California Megadrought
Design
Architecture and Landscape Architecture
- Photographic Bias in Architecture
- Reconceiving Juvenile Rehabilitation
- IN | OUT, Dreaming-Nature
- Indoor-Outdoor (The Vast Divide Between Out And In)
Design, Housing, & Apparel
- Creating a User Experience and Interface for Underrepresented K-12 Children to Promote Design and Making
- Light and Well- Being: An Analysis of the WELL Building Standards
- Defining Gender Neutral Fashion
- Post Occupancy Evaluation In Design
- The Application of Eye-Level Marketing Theory to Idea Selection During Team Based Brainstorming Sessions
- Translating IR Spatial Positioning Circuitry to Softlines 2019
Education & Human Development
Sample Proposal #1Sample Proposal #2
Child Development
- Shared Reading: Black and White vs. Color Book
- Examining the Association Between Positive Self-Concept and Immune Functioning
- Phonetic and Semantic Features in Young Children's Foreign Word Learning
Educational Psychology
- Struggling to Succeed
Family Social Science
- Early Childhood Family Education Staff Perspectives Toward the Integration of Technology
- Prevention of Human Trafficking with Migrant Workers and Their Family
Institute of Child Development
- Bridging Transitions: Formation of Attachment Among Children in Childcare Settings
Kinesiology
- Sensitivity to Changes in Dynamic Affordances for Walking
- Comparing Total and Regional Body Composition Measurements Between a Handheld Electrical Impedance Myography Device and Dual X-ray Absorptiometry
- Investigating the Effects of Exergaming on College Students’ Psychosocial Outcomes
- The Role of Chromaticity in the Visual Control of Stance
Sociology
- Ethnographer Analysis of the Court Systems
Sports Management
- The Examination of Women Coaches in Ireland: A Report on Third Level Sport Institutions 2017-2018
Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences
Sample Proposal #1 Sample Proposal #2
Agronomy & Plant Genetics
- Identifying the Optimum Planting Depth of Kernza Cultivars in Three Minnesota Soils
- Evaluating Allele Frequencies at a Seed Shatter Locus in Natural and Cultivated Stands of Northern Wild Rice
- Developing a Naturally Derived Bioherbicide to Control Garlic Mustard
Animal Science
- Modern Alfalfa Varieties Population and Stem Counts to Predict Yield
- Pilot Study to Investigate the Effect of Individual Versus Pair Housing During the Preweaning Period on Dairy Calf Well-Being
- Examining Microbial Environments Present in Dairy Cattle and Dairy Hutches
- Role of Nuclear Actin Polymerization in Regulating Non-Cell Death Etosis in Airway Epithelial Cells Exposed to Fungal Allergens.
Applied Economics
- The Economics of Renewable Energy in Minnesota
Entomology
- The Effect of Pesticides on the Behavior of Native Pollinators
- Edible Insects - The Food to Save the World
Fisheries & Wildlife
- The Influence of Snow Pack on Canid Space Use in Altered Landscapes
- Northern Goshawk Nest Site Characteristics in the Black Hills National Forest
- Robot-Assisted Conservation Research on Two Federally Endangered Mussels: Observational Data Needed to Reveal life History Requirements
- Survival of Two Strains of Stocked Walleye (Sander Vitreus)
Food Science & Nutrition
- To Isolate Bacteriophage from Ready to Eat Foods Such as Salad or Deli Meat and See if Bacteriophage Can be Found That Kill Listeria
- Detection of a Population-Specific Mutation in a Zinc Transporter Gene Using Blood DNA and qPCR
- Importance of Diet and Cooking Knowledge from Childhood to Collegiate Years
- Protecting Food Flavorings from Deterioration
Forest Resources
- The Relationship Between Pine Barrens Knowledge and Acceptance of Barrens Restoration Strategies
- Where Will the Ash Wood Go? Gaining Forest Industry Perspectives on the Use of Ash Wood in Anticipation of Emerald Ash Borer
- Using Stable Isotopes and Fallout Radionuclides to Track Winter Precipitation
- Impacts of Experimental Warming and Drought on Tree Stomatal Density and Size
Horticultural Science
- Development of Tuber Stachys as a Potential Vegetable Crop
- Evaluation of Interspecific Compatibility in Perennial Flax
- A Comparison of Hydroponic Cultivation Systems for Commercial Hop Production
- Introgression of the Non-Native Invasive Knotweed on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota
- Intraspecific Pollen Tube Competition
- Differences in Cover Crop Biomass Production Across Planting Methods
- Assessing Cold Hardiness of Two Kiwi Berry Species (Actinidia Arguta and Actinidia Kolomikta) by Microscopically Comparing Cold Damage in Shoot Tissues
Soil, Water, & Climate
- Soil “A” Horizon Development Relative to Plant Community Diversity and Agricultural Abandonment
- Microbial Community Structure and its Effect on Nitrogen Cycling Dynamics in a Kura Clover Living Mulch System
- Evaluating Enzyme Activity in Agricultural High Tunnels Compared to Open Fields in Minnesota and Kentucky
- Impacts of Earthworm Invasion on the island of Ta’u in American Samoa
Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences
- Domesticated Birds Take Down P. Tenuis
- Evaluating Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Methods in Minnesota
Liberal Arts
Anthropology
- The Price of Legitimacy: Representation, Self-Perception, and Organizing Strategy at el Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha
Art
- The Liquid Architecture of Fantasy
- Exploring Narrative through the Storyteller, Written Text, and Visual Art
- Touch Board: New Technology’s Potential for Making Art Interactive
- Assimilation and Pleasure in the Archive
- Voice to Vision
- Imagining the North Country, 1600 - 1900
Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature
- The Media Coverage of Sanctions and Its Implications
Economics
- Price Discrimination in a Perfect Information Inelastic Setting: A Case of FAFSA and Higher Education
English
- European Christian Pilgrimage to the Holy Land During the Early Modern Period
French & Italian
- 'Where Were the Women?' The Story of the Women Who Collaborated in France 1940 – 1944
- Linguistic Change and the Urbanization of Roman Markets
Geography
- Deep Learning Computer Vision Tree Ring Detection
- Impact of Contraceptive Availability and Knowledge on Desired Family Size and Spacing in Niger
History
- Dight Institute Archives and The History of Eugenics
- The Role of Black Feminism Within the Black Power Movemen
- Illustrating an Emperor: Understanding the Life and Reign of Maximilian I Through Theuerdank
- The Denmark Vesey Conspiracy: Conceptualizing Crime and Religion in Slaveholding Societies
- The Discovery, Acquisition, Authentication, and Distribution of Christian Relics in Europe and the Holy Lands in the Premodern Era
- The Effects of Coca Production on 21st Century Latin American Development
- Making the Makers: Conceptualizations and Representations of the Pregnant Body in Shakespeare’s World
- American Expertise and Yugoslavia’s Tourism Industry During the Cold War
- Doing Digital History: Twenty-First-Century Methods for Researching the Past
Institute of Linguistics
- Lexical Restrictions on That-Trace Effects in Indonesian
- The Long Term Impact of the SSBI CARLA Summer Institute Course
Journalism & Mass Communication
- The Emerging Trend of Brand Ambassadors and Influencers
- Multitasking Part 2: The Effectiveness of Advertisement on a Cross-Cultural Population
Political Science
- Paris Agreement and MENA
- Changing Perceptions of People with Disabilities Activism, Protest, and Narrative
- Examining School District Consolidation and Urbanization- A Case Study of White Bear Lake School District
- The Unintended Effects of Global Nonproliferation Policies on the Value of Nuclear Weapons to Norm-Defying States
Psychology
- Women and Minority Experiences of Workplace Bias
- Trauma History, Attachment Dimensions, and Relationship Quality
- Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Following LPS-Induced Inflammation
- Enhanced Neural Coding and Sound Perception in Musicians
- Internal Attributions of Control in School Age Children and Subsequent Perceptions of Control During Stress in Adolescence
- Interaction Between Goal-Driven and Habitual Behavior in Visual Search
- Understanding the Role of Trauma on Social Decision-Making and Trust
- Pitch Perception of Complex Melodies at High Frequencies
- The Role of Cultural Values in the Empowerment of Latina Womxn
- Relationship Between Impulsivity and Bipolar Spectrum Disorder Among College Students
Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences
- Standardizing the Viscosity of Common Liquids for Pediatric Dysphagia Patients Using IDDSI Testing Protocols
- Establishing Standardized Thickening Recipes Using Infant Cereals to Reach Consistent Viscosity Levels for Infant Feeding
- Standardizing Treatment Viscosity Recipes for Pediatric Patients With Dysphagia
- A Comparison of Patient and Clinician Attitudes Towards Remote Adjustment of Self-Fit Hearing Instruments
Theatre Arts & Dance
- Mental Health Visibility Through Performance: An Integration of Dance and Psychology
- Embodiment of Technique of Innovation on Nationalized Dance
- Embodiment of Aesthetic through Indigenous Memory
Science & Engineering
Sample Proposal #1 Sample Proposal #2
Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics
- Aircraft Flutter Suppression using Conic-Sector-Based-Control
- Attitude Control of a Spacecraft Flexible Appendage Using Parallel Feedforward Control
- Improved Low-Cost Real Time Tracking System Using Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs)
- Motion Tracking with an Absolute Orientation Sensor
- Evaluating the Accuracy of Conventional Drag Prediction and Validation Methods for Small Electric UAVs
Astronomy
- Infrared Observations of Variable Stars and Transient Astronomical Events
- Observation of Variable Stars in Infrared
Biomedical Engineering
- Development and Validation of the Subject-Specific Computational Models Using Electrophysiological Single-Unit Activity
- Subject-Specific Modeling of Epidural Spinal Cord Stimulation for Paraplegia
- Understanding the Role of Fibrinolysis Inhibition in Cell-Laden 3D Fibrin Networks
- Direction of Information Flow in Working Memory Network in Humans
- Characterization and Modulation of Cellular Distribution and Protein-Protein Interaction of Fused in Sarcoma (FUS)
- Predicting SCD through multi-scale nonlinear-dynamics-based risk stratification
- Development of a FRET-Based Biosensor to Monitor the Pathological Protein Aggregation in Parkinson’s Disease
Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
- The Removal and Transfer of Excess Nutrients from Wastewater to a Biochar Fertilizer
- Evaluating the Water Quality Impacts of Floating Treatment Wetlands in a Stormwater Retention Pond
- Biogas Production and Upgrading Through Solid State Anaerobic Digestion Food Waste and Bioelectrichemical Treatment of Leachate
- Investigating Interactions Between Mucor and Plant Roots
- Conversion of Paper Mill Residues to Fermentable Sugars
- Growing Selenium Nanoparticles on Ceramic Materials for Mercury Removal
- Solid-State Fermentation of Feather Meal to Produce More Sustainable Animal Feed
Chemical Engineering & Materials Science
- Characterization of Phase Transitions in Non-Equilibrium Many-Bodied Systems
- Optimization of Biomass Waste-to-Energy Supply Chains with Modular and Mobile Production Units in Minnesota
- Engineering Cellular Metabolism to Improve Function of NK Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy
- Deterministic Integrated Production and Maintenance Scheduling Incorporating Various Equipment Health Models
- Gelation Temperature as a Function of Percent Allylation in Aqueous Methylcellulose Solutions
- Analysis of Crack Patterns in Drying Silica Suspensions and Hydrodynamic Interactions with Active Matters
- Ion Gel Gating with Boron Nitride Buffer Layer in Strontium Stannate Thin films
- Effect of Channel Morphology on Capillary Flow
- Processing of Spatially Gradient Nanocrystal Films
- Synthesis of Copper Indium Sulfide (cis) Quantum Dots
- Engineering Substrate Stiffness to Enhance Hepatocyte Differentiation from Embryonic Stem Cells
Chemistry
- Developing a Method to Select Training Sets for an Active Space Selection ML Classification Mode
- Characterizing Gas Sensing Proteins in M. tuberculosis Through X-ray Crystallography
- The Reactivity and Redox-Induced Nucleation and Growth of Goethite on Synthetic Aluminum Substituted Hematite Nanoparticles
- Optimization of a BET Family BRD4 Domain 1 Inhibitor as a New Anti-Cancer Agent
- Synthesis, Characterization, and Adsorption of ZIF-8 Nanoparticles on a Macroporous Support Using Rhodamine B and Methylene Blue Dye
- Difunctionalization of Arenes from Aryne Intermediates Generated by Diradicals
- Synthesis of [24]azacyclacene
- Optimization of Solid-Contact Potassium Ion-Selective Electrodes Made with Colloid-Imprinted Mesoporous Carbon
- The Relationship between Heme Redox Potentials and Activity in TB Dormancy Signaling
- A Light Activated Cancer Drug
- Characterization of Organocatalysts with Enhanced Electrophilic Activities via UV-Vis Spectroscopy
Civil, Environmental and Geo Engineering
- Manipulation of Fluvial Bathymetry Through Yawed Porous Grids
- Comparative Study of Los Angeles Abrasion and Impact Loss to Other Standard Aggregate Toughness Tests
- Effect of Cement Fineness on Fresh Grout Properties with Admixtures in Post Tension Grout
Computer Science & Engineering
- Incorporating Semantic Information to Improve Surface Normal Prediction
- Empirical Study of the Spread of Misinformation in Social Networks
- Controlling Growing Tasks via Altering the Secondary Agent Ratio
- Designing a Computer Game for the Empirical Study of Human-Robot Collaboration
- Reconstructing 3D Human body model from 2D images using HUMBI (Human Multiview Behavioral Imaging) dataset
- Application of the Diving by Inflation Variation Engine
- Transferring Solutions for Machine Learning Based Collision Avoidance from Simulation to Real Life
- Detection and Tracking of Key Facial Points
- Development of Autopilot Control System Design Framework for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) - Parametrization and Validation with EdgeBot
- Failure Detection and Diagnosis for Underwater Robotics Using Neural Network Optimization and Onboard Sensors and Software
- Strafing Gain: A Novel Redirected Walking Technique in Virtual Reality
Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Selenium (IV, VI) Reduction by Fungi Under Oxic Conditions
- Exploring Morphological Patterns in Diurnal Raptors Using 3-D Beak Data
- Replication of a Referenced Setting Using Non-Prehensile and Prehensile Movements of the Robot Arm
- The Design of the Topological Insulator Using LC Networks Circuit
- Using DNA Strand Displacement to Implement Binary Logic Operations
- Using SAT Solvers for the Synthesis of Acyclic Logic Functions
- Optimization with Cyclic Combinational Circuits: Design, Analysis, and Synthesis
- The Flexible Solar Cell
- Efficient Digital Filters Using a Hybrid Binary-Unary Number Representation
- An Investigation on the Efficiency of Wide-Band Gap Devices in Grid-Tied Inverters
Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Scheduling Analysis of an M Health Outpatient Clinic
Mechanical Engineering
- Microfluidic Fabrication of Solid-shelled Capsules Using Paraffin Wax
- Numerical Investigation of Plasma-Assisted Gas Reforming
- Isothermal Compressed Air Energy Storage System
- Improving the Preservation of Bioprinted Tissue
- Characterizing Freezing Response for Natural Killer Cells
- Short-Term Energy Storage Solution for the Hybridization of Hydrostatic Transmissions in Wind Turbines
- Development of a High Throughput Plate Reader Based hHINT1 Kinetics Assay as an Alternative to Classic Fluorometric Assays
- Design and Synthesis of a ssDNA-based SuFEx Probe Targeting APOBEC3B Cytosine Deaminase
Physics & Astronomy
- Study of Low-Q² Resonance Suppression to Reduce Systematic Uncertainties on NOvA Experimental Results
- Measuring the Switching Window of Ferromagnet-InSb Nanowire Quantum Devices in MuMax3 Simulations
- Investigating Cosmic Ray Acceleration Mechanisms in Blazars Using X-rays
- Hydrodynamic Simulation of Stellar Core Convection
- To Study the Effects of Atmospheric Oxidation on the Dark Conductivity of Free Standing Nanocrystalline Thin Films
- Role of Surface Doping Layer in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas
- Democratizing Cryogenics: Determining the Feasibility of Manufacturing a Low Cost, Self-Sufficient Liquid Nitrogen System
- Optimization of Stretched Exponential Model for Amorphous Semiconductor Alloys
- Anneals and Growth of HgBa2CuO4+
- Growth, Characterization, and High Pressure Behavior of Potassium Doped Bismuthate Crystals
- Measurements of Carbon Dioxide Diffusion Rates in Thin Film Plastics