Lab opportunities
Wet labs, dry labs, field stations and clinical sites across every division — with live OPEN NOW roles in the feed below.
DISCOVER
Research & Education
Labs
Grad School
Funding
Study Abroad
DISCOVER · Research & Education
Pursuetruthlikeit’sworship.
From your first lab bench to your dissertation defense, Watch Altars walks the academic road with you. Find research you can join this week, funding you can actually win, mentors who pray as readily as they advise, and a Triton community that treats scholarship as an act of faithfulness.
Research happening now: Scripps climate-sensor team analyzing kelp-forest data
Jacobs robotics lab field-testing a reef survey drone
Cognitive Science fMRI study recruiting participants
Sanford Consortium stem-cell team published in Cell
Research happening now: Scripps climate-sensor team analyzing kelp-forest data
Jacobs robotics lab field-testing a reef survey drone
Cognitive Science fMRI study recruiting participants
Sanford Consortium stem-cell team published in Cell
“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” — Proverbs 25:2
Geisel Library · UC San Diego0+
Active research openings
$0M+
Undergrad funding pool
0+
Faculty & lab mentors
0
PhD & master’s programs
0+
Tritons publishing & presenting
01 · UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH HUB
Start research before you think you’re ready
You don’t need a 4.0 or a perfect plan — you need a question and a first email. Watch Altars helps you find the program, write the outreach, and pray through the nerves. UC San Diego’s Undergraduate Research Hub runs every program below.
Funded · any majorWe’ll help you apply
TRELS
Up to $1,500 to conduct research, a creative project, or public service under a faculty mentor. The on-ramp most Tritons take first.
$1.5k
Award
All yrs
Eligible
2x/yr
Cycles
Earn creditFind a mentor
Faculty Mentor Program
Sophomores and up work as research assistants for a UC San Diego professor, earn 199-series credit, and present at the spring symposium.
4 units
Per qtr
Soph+
Eligible
Symp.
Present
Federal TRIOExplore the PhD path
McNair Scholars
Intensive doctoral preparation for first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students — stipend, GRE prep, and graduate application support.
Stipend
Paid
PhD
Track
Cohort
Support
Summer · paidSee summer funding
UC Scholars Program
An 8-week, full-time summer research experience for any major considering grad school — paired with a faculty mentor and a graduate-prep seminar.
8 wks
Summer
Stipend
Paid
Any
Major
STEM & transferSee support services
CAMP & EMPOWER
CAMP supports STEM students with research and skill-building; EMPOWER serves transfer engineering students with scholarship and mentorship. Community-first programs.
STEM
Focus
Transfer
Welcome
Mentor
Matched
Research for credit
Enroll in 99/199-series units to turn lab work into transcript credit. Ambassadors help you scope the contract with your professor.
Faith integration
Meet Christian faculty researchers and join a monthly “Bench & Belief” circle wrestling with research ethics in the light of Scripture.
02 · GRADUATE RESEARCH & EDUCATION
For the long obedience of a doctorate
Graduate school is a marathon of faith as much as intellect. Watch Altars surrounds master’s and PhD Tritons with prayer partners, writing accountability, and a community that remembers your work is worship.
Physics PhD
Particle, condensed-matter, biophysics & astrophysics tracks.
5–6 yrs · fully funded
Bioengineering PhD
Tissue engineering, systems biology & medical devices.
5 yrs · RA/TA funded
Neurosciences PhD
One of the nation’s top programs, Sanford Consortium affiliated.
5–6 yrs · fellowship
Cognitive Science PhD
The discipline UC San Diego helped invent — interdisciplinary by design.
5 yrs · funded
Earth & Ocean PhD
Climate, geophysics & marine biology at the legendary Scripps pier.
5–6 yrs · funded
Computer Science PhD
AI/ML, systems, theory, HCI & security research groups.
5 yrs · RA funded
History PhD
Science studies, global & intellectual history strengths.
6 yrs · TA funded
Economics PhD
Econometrics, behavioral & development economics.
5 yrs · funded
MBA & Master of Finance
Professional graduate business with a tech-and-innovation lean.
MS Data Science
Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute’s applied master’s degree.
MS / MEng
Research (thesis) and professional (course-based) engineering tracks.
MPH
Epidemiology, health behavior & global health concentrations.
Master of Int’l Affairs
School of Global Policy & Strategy — policy, economics & the Pacific.
MFA
Studio art, computing in the arts & speculative design.
Grad & Postdoc Bible Study
Thursday evenings at the Sanford Consortium — a passage, a meal, and honest talk about science, doubt and calling among researchers.
Dissertation Prayer Partners
Paired accountability for the lonely years — someone who prays over your defense, your data, and the days you want to quit.
Research + Ministry Track
Quarterly forum on how your dissertation serves kingdom purposes — from public-health equity to creation care to ethical AI.
Faculty & Grad Mentor Dinners
Monthly table fellowship pairing Christian faculty with grad students navigating academia, family, and faith all at once.
Graduate research in motion
Mapping coral heat-stress genes
Sahar Nadeem, 4th-yr Marine Biology PhD at Scripps, sequences reef DNA to predict which colonies survive warming seas — and leads the Thursday grad Bible study.
Fairness in clinical AI
Marcus Bell, CSE PhD candidate, audits diagnostic models for bias across patient groups — a project he frames as loving his neighbor with code.
Memory & the aging brain
Grace Liu, Neurosciences PhD, runs fMRI studies on memory consolidation and mentors three undergrads through the Faculty Mentor Program.
03 · LIVE OPPORTUNITIES FEED
Roles opening right now
A living board of current research openings across campus. Filter, then let an ambassador help you send the first email today.
Updating live
Researcher voices
“I cold-emailed a Scripps PI in week 2 of freshman year. By spring I was a co-author. The ambassador literally helped me edit the email and prayed with me before I hit send.”
EO
Ella Okafor
Marine Bio · co-author
“TRELS funded my first project. I had no idea funding like that existed until a senior in my major group walked me through the form.”
RV
Rohan Verma
Bioengineering · TRELS ’25
“McNair changed my trajectory. First-gen, no roadmap — and now I’m starting a funded PhD. My prayer partner heard every rejection and every yes.”
JM
Jasmine Mora
Psychology · McNair Scholar
Found one that fits?
An ambassador replies within 48 hours.
04 · ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES
You were never meant to study alone
Tutoring, coaching, libraries, and study groups — plus faith-based circles where the whiteboard and the prayer list share a table.
TutoringTutoring Centers
OASIS, CALAC, and the Math Testing & Tutoring lab — drop-in help across calc, chem, physics & writing.
Center Hall · Geisel · free
Study GroupsCourse Study Groups
Supplemental Instruction & ambassador-led groups for the weed-out courses — organized by class and college.
40+ active groups
LibraryGeisel Library Resources
Research databases, subject librarians, special collections & 24-hour study floors during finals.
7M+ volumes
Academic Coaching
One-on-one coaching on time management, study skills & exam strategy through the Teaching + Learning Commons.
Writing Support
The Writing Hub for essays, peer review, and dissertation chapters — appointments or drop-in.
Faith-Based Study Circles
Weekly circles that open with a short devotional and close in prayer — then grind through problem sets together.
05 · FUNDING & SCHOLARSHIPS
Money you can actually win
The funding exists — most students just never hear about it. Here’s the map, plus the application timelines that matter.
This year’s funding pool
Application timeline
OCTOBER
TRELS fall cycle opens
Draft your proposal in an ambassador workshop.
JANUARY
Summer program apps due
UC Scholars, McNair, REU deadlines cluster here.
MARCH
Departmental scholarships
Most major-specific awards close end of winter.
ROLLING
Conference travel grants
Apply once your abstract is accepted.
$5k
Avg. summer research stipend
200+
Named scholarships listed
$1.5k
Typical conference travel grant
48hr
Ambassador proposal review
06 · STUDY ABROAD & GLOBAL EDUCATION
Take your studies — and your faith — across borders
UC San Diego sends Tritons to 40+ countries. We help you find believers wherever you land and weave mission into the journey.
Where Tritons go
Hover a location to see the program focus.
UCEAP Exchange
A term or year at 40+ partner universities worldwide.
Research Abroad
Tyler Center fellowships fund summer research overseas.
Global Seminars
Faculty-led short courses — 5 weeks, one country, two classes.
Mission + Study
Pair a term abroad with a Watch Altars missions partner church.
07 · CONFERENCES & PUBLICATIONS
Share what you find
Research isn’t finished until it’s told. From your first poster to your first paper, here’s where Tritons present.
FlagshipUCSD Undergraduate Research Conference
The spring showcase where hundreds of Tritons present posters & talks. Ambassadors host a poster-prep night beforehand.
National Conferences
ABRCMS, SACNAS, ACS, IEEE & discipline meetings — travel grants help you get there.
Publishing Opportunities
Undergraduate journals & co-authorship on lab papers — the Writing Hub helps you draft.
Poster Sessions
Workshops on poster design, the 60-second pitch, and answering tough questions with grace.
Faith + Academia Journals
Pointers to Christian scholarly journals & conferences integrating faith with the disciplines.
Lightning Talks
Monthly student research lightning rounds at the DISCOVER mixer — low stakes, real practice.
Recently presented
"Microplastics in La Jolla kelp forests" — poster, UCSD URC. Authors: A. Reyes & the Scripps benthic team.
"Bias auditing for triage models" — talk, national health-informatics meeting. Author: M. Bell, CSE.
"Sleep, memory & the aging hippocampus" — co-authored paper, accepted at a neuroscience journal.
08 · WORKSHOPS & TRAINING
Build the skills the syllabus skips
Methods, coding, scientific writing, lab safety, presentation — plus seminars on integrating faith with scholarship. A rolling calendar of hands-on sessions.
04
APR
Intro to R for Research
Data wrangling & plots · Geisel Data Studio · 2 hrs
09
APR
Scientific Writing Bootcamp
Structure a paper from abstract to discussion · Writing Hub
12
APR
Lab Safety Certification
Required before bench work · EH&S · 90 min
17
APR
Presenting With Confidence
Public speaking for poster & talk sessions
22
APR
Faith & Scholarship Seminar
Integrating belief with your discipline · with Christian faculty
Skills you’ll build
09 · GRADUATE SCHOOL PREPARATION
The road from undergrad to grad school
A step-by-step journey — and a community praying you through every deadline.
1
GRE / Test Prep
Study groups & practice tests where needed.
2
Build the List
Match programs to your research fit, not just rank.
3
Statement of Purpose
Writing Hub & mentor edits on your SOP.
4
Recommendations
How to ask for strong, specific letters.
Discern & Decide
Pray through offers with a faith-based mentor.
Grad-bound Christian cohort
A monthly group of Tritons applying to grad school together — sharing drafts, deadlines, and prayer.
10 · FAITH-BASED RESEARCH ETHICS
Where conviction meets the lab bench
Honest, charitable conversations about how Christian faith shapes the questions we ask, the methods we trust, and the integrity we keep.
This month’s discussions
Can faith and evolution coexist?
A biology grad student & a campus pastor model how to hold scientific honesty and deep belief in the same hand.
The ethics of AI we build
When does optimizing a model stop loving the neighbor it affects? A CSE-and-philosophy crossover night.
Stewardship & creation care
Scripps researchers on climate work as a form of faithfulness to the world God called good.
Integrity under publish-or-perish
Resisting data massaging and ghost authorship when the pressure is real and the stakes feel high.
Christian Scholar Network
Bioethics
Philosophy of Science
Climate & Creation
AI & Ethics
Medicine & Mercy
Data Justice
Faculty, postdocs & students who’ve opted in to mentor on faith-and-research questions across disciplines.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Psalm 19:1 — read at every Scripps faith-and-science night
11 · RESEARCH MENTORSHIP NETWORK
Find someone a few steps ahead
Faculty, grad students, peers, and alumni — plus prayer partners who keep your academic journey tethered to your faith.
Your mentorship web
YOU
Faculty PI
Grad mentor
Peer mentor
Alumni guide
Prayer partner
Find a mentor
120+ mentors have opted in this term.
12 · EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES LIBRARY
Everything in one shelf
Databases, study materials, tutorials, podcasts and daily devotions — searchable, all in one place.
Online Databases
JSTOR, Web of Science, PubMed, IEEE Xplore & more — via Geisel proxy.
Access listStudy Materials
Course-specific guides, past problem sets & concept sheets by major.
BrowseVideo Tutorials
Short skill videos — stats, LaTeX, citation managers, lab techniques.
WatchPodcast Series
“Bench & Belief” — Triton researchers on faith and scholarship.
ListenDevotional Resources
Daily devotions written for students in the thick of midterms.
Today’s devotionSkill Pathways
Curated learning tracks from beginner to research-ready.
Start a track
13 · GET INVOLVED
Your first step is smaller than you think
Three ways in — flip a card to see how to start.
Path 01
Join a research lab
Hover to see how →
Join a lab
- Browse the live opportunities feed
- Draft outreach with an ambassador
- Apply for TRELS to fund it
- Start & present at the spring URC
Path 02
Join a study circle
Hover to see how →
Study circle
- Pick your course or major
- Find a faith-based circle near you
- Show up — devotional, then problem sets
- Bring a friend next week
Path 03
Find a mentor
Hover to see how →
Find a mentor
- Use the mentor matcher
- Pick faculty, grad, peer or alumni
- Add a prayer partner if you want
- Meet for coffee — we’ll cover it
Opening this week
Success stories
From freshman to first-author
Ella started in a Scripps lab in week 2 and co-authored a paper by sophomore spring. She now leads the marine-bio study circle.
McNair to a funded PhD
Jasmine, first-gen, used McNair + a prayer partner to land a fully funded psychology PhD offer this spring.
A TRELS-funded summer
Rohan won TRELS for his bioengineering project, presented at the URC, and is now mentoring two freshmen.