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Research

Team up with professors on cutting-edge research.

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With all your mind

No matter where you look in modern culture, Calvin researchers, writers, and performers are there. They seek justice and celebrate peace. They work to diagnose and solve problems. 

The world is in need of what you have to offer. 

100+

Students researchers hired in the sciences and humanities every summer

125+

publications resulting from student/faculty research every year

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centers and institutes engaging global concerns in Christian scholarship

First-Year Research Opportunities

Start building your résumé with experiences that set you apart. Dive deeply into an area that you’re passionate about. 

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Two students working in the science lab

Collegiate Scholars

Collegiate Scholars want to grow as leaders while pursuing their academic goals. They seek out extra-curricular activities and opportunities to engage with their community.

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common good collective students doing a survey

Cohorts

Calvin's cohorts blur the line between the classroom and the real world. Together with students and faculty from different majors, you'll pursue a common theme all throughout your college experience, starting in your first year.

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Students and faculty conduct small mammal research at the Calvin ecosystem preserve.

Ecosystem Preserve and Native Gardens

Become an environmental leader and care for creation by working on Calvin's 100+ acres of native plants and natural habitats.

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students working on the dunes

First-Year Research in Earth Sciences (FYRES)

Learning about science by doing science is the heart of the FYRES experience. Students investigate interesting questions about Lake Michigan coastal dunes, and the resulting knowledge is used by dune managers and scientists working with the dunes.

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Michaela Blain

Observatory

Calvin boasts access to two fully-equipped observatories, one on Calvin's campus and a robotically-operated telescope in Rehoboth, New Mexico. The telescopes are used by students at all levels, from first year non-science majors to fourth year physics majors.

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students examining an experiment

Phage Research

Calvin’s biology department offers a special research program for a select group of first-year students. You’ll isolate and analyze a unique bacterial virus, called a “phage.”  Then you'll catalog your data in an international DNA sequence database.

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honors students walking

Honors Scholars

Honors Scholars desire to learn in community and seek interdisciplinary academic experiences. They develop skills of scholars in their field alongside faculty mentors.