Lucia Shen is spending their fifth year on Carnegie Mellon University’s campus exploring new ideas and enjoying interdisciplinary work, especially by creating a website to bring current students and alumni closer to the University Archives.
Related: Archives and CMU History, Using the Libraries, Research Assistance
Carnegie Mellon University’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) pits doctoral students against the clock and each other to explain complex research and captivate their audience in just three minutes. Ten finalists will compete in the 2026 3MT Championship at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, in the Cohon University Center’s McConomy Auditorium. A livestream will also be available.
Related: Events and Exhibits, Research Assistance, Scholarly Communications
Each February, the Libraries celebrates Love Data Week as a way to recognize all of the ways the CMU community interacts with data in their research and beyond. This year’s Love Data Week, held Feb. 9–13, explored the theme “Where's the Data?” It encouraged participants to think about the journey of their data from collection to access to preservation.
Related: Events and Exhibits, Research Assistance, Open at CMU
On Feb. 23, the international scientific journal "Nature" highlighted the work of STEM Librarians Melanie Gainey and Chasz Griego. The piece, which appeared in the journal's career section, explores the ways librarians can serve as key research partners who help to scour the literature, manage data and make science open.
Related: About us, Research Assistance, Using the Libraries, Open at CMU
The Sustainability Initiative is pleased to partner with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development to offer five new Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships. These fellowships will fund summer research focused specifically on the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals. Fellowships applications are open now, and close on Feb. 18, 2026.
Related: Sustainability, Research Assistance
Carnegie Mellon University Libraries Associate Dean for Digital Infrastructure G. Sayeed Choudhury has received a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to launch the Ecosystem for Next Generation Infrastructure (ENGIN) Software Foundation. This two-year initiative represents the next strategic phase of the Carnegie Mellon University Open Source Programs Office (OSPO), housed within the University Libraries. The ENGIN Software Foundation (ESF) aims to fill a critical and widely recognized gap in the academic open source ecosystem.
Related: Open at CMU, Awards and Achievements, Giving Opportunities and Impact, Research Assistance
This fall, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries hosted a dynamic series of open science events that brought researchers, librarians, and thought leaders together to share resources, exchange ideas, and tackle real-world challenges. Through engaging programming — from an interactive unconference to a global symposium — CMU Libraries reaffirmed its role as a national model for how academic libraries can lead in advancing transparent, collaborative research.
Related: Events and Exhibits, Open at CMU, Research Assistance
Carnegie Mellon University Libraries and the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation are pleased to announce four fellowships to support original research and creative work in CMU’s rare and distinctive collections, hosted jointly by the Posner Center for Special Collections and Hunt Institute. Fellowship applications are now open, and close on January 11, 2026.
Related: Special Collections, Research Assistance, Using the Libraries
This past summer, the Sustainability Initiative partnered with the Office of Undergraduate Research to offer several Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships related to Sustainability. These opportunities funded summer research that focused specifically on the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals.
Related: Sustainability, Research Assistance
Members of the wider Pittsburgh community can be an integral part of the research process for numerous disciplines, offering specific expertise and valuable perspectives that shape studies and expand impacts. But these relationships can also bring challenges, from establishing and continuing meaningful relationships to managing funding. Are there ways that CMU can better support partnerships between researchers and the community, empowering critical dialogue and information sharing?
Related: Events and Exhibits, Research Assistance, Using the Libraries
