Research Opportunities
Undergrad students from all over the world have the unique opportunity to conduct a research project in conjunction with a USFQ faculty member in various fields of study. This program is called The Latitude Zero: Ecuador Research Initiative (LOERI).
Starting Summer 2015, USFQ offers in-person Research Opportunities as part of the LOERI program and from Summer 2020 these opportunities are also offered online.
Why Apply
- Mentorship opportunities and team building experiences possibly resulting in the opportunity for joint research publications.
- Apply research methods and skills, enhancing employability and graduate school prospects.
- Networking opportunities with local and international experts in the field.
- Exposure to multicultural perspectives and Ecuador’s diversity of environment, people and language.
Research Options
Research opportunities based on USFQ’s faculty expertise, campus facilities, and research stations. Students are encouraged to contact opi@usfq.edu.ec to explore possible options.
- Matching protocols and information in games by Pedro Romero
- Dual Mode Logic for High Speed and Energy Efficient Circuit by Ramiro Taco
- Isolation and characterization of micro/nanocellulose fibrils from cocoa pod husks by Lourdes M. Orejuela-Escobar
- Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Biorefinery: Separation and Isolation of Micro/nanocellulose using deep eutectic solvents by Lourdes M. Orejuela-Escobar
- Bioeconomy and Biorefinery of Agroindustrial Residues by Lourdes M. Orejuela-Escobar
- Sustainable Biodiversity Use, Circular Bioeconomy and Biorefinery by Lourdes M. Orejuela-Escobar
- Adsorption bed kinetics for organic and inorganic pollutants removal from water using lignocelullosic biomass and their recovery using Deep Eutectic Solvents by Lourdes M. Orejuela-Escobar
- Obtaining high value-added compounds from residual lignocellulosic biomass for potential industrial applications by Lourdes M. Orejuela-Escobar
- Brewer´s Spent Grain (Hordeum vulgare) Fractionation: Cellulose, Arabinoxylan and lignin Recovery using autohydrolysis and a deep eutectic solvent by Lourdes M. Orejuela-Escobar
- A Meta-Analytics review of how consumers cope with boredom by Franklin Velasco
- Human Genetics by Vanessa Romero.
- Activity patterns of medium and large mammals in the eastern foothills of the central Andes of Ecuador by Carolina Reyes-Puig
- Overlapping Cities by Maria Isabel Paz
- Fluidized bed technology readiness in Ecuador by Juan Proano-Aviles
- Hypercomplex analysis, Fractional Calculus by Antonio di Teodoro
- Mitochondria as a living drug in regenerative medicine by Andrés Caicedo
Application & Fees
Students who would like to start enhancing their skills and participate in LOERI should complete the USFQ Online Application and should be accepted by the USFQ Professor/Researcher Lead. On the USFQ Cumbayá Campus online application, check the box under Program Information that states “I plan to participate in the LOERI program” and provide the requested information. You will be contacted by USFQ with further details.
Application on a rolling basis.
Costs
- Without credit: US $600 independent students, US$500 USFQ Alumni and participating students from a partner institution.
- 3 academic credits (transcript from USFQ*): standing tuition fees of the USFQ semester.
Please contact opi@usfq.edu.ec with any questions about the program or application process.
* One transcript included; extra transcripts carry additional fee.
Testimonials
"I’ve been exposed to a lot of research experience that would be difficult to access in the U.S."
University of New Mexico (Biology)
"I’ve never had this much one-on-one time with a professor. It’s been really helpful. It’s great to have someone point out aspects I hadn’t thought of in my studies."
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (Environmental Health Science)
"The hands-on experience in a different setting than in the U.S. helped me learn how to view things from a different perspective."
Oregon State University (Bioengineering)