Columbia University Business Scholars (CUBS) Program
The Columbia University Business Scholars (CUBS) Program is administered by the Office of the Vice Dean for Research and the Behavioral Research Lab (BRL). The program is designed to introduce select current Columbia and Barnard undergraduates to a career in business research by providing them the opportunity to work on research projects with faculty and PhD students and to run studies in the BRL as research assistants. The program exposes the CUBS to research challenges tackled in a business school setting, teaches them basic research and data-analytics skills, and provides insight into careers in academia.
What kinds of projects do CUBS work on?
Each CUBS is matched to research projects based on their individual skill set, ensuring a good fit for the student, faculty and their project. CUBS can work on a variety of tasks depending on their skills and expertise, ranging from designing and running behavioral experiments to data management, statistical analysis, or building models for quantitative studies. This personalized matching process allows CUBS to gain invaluable experience in research while contributing to their faculty mentor’s work throughout the semester.
Faculty as Mentors
CUBS are not just research assistants - they are students selected for their interest in learning about academic research and pursuing careers in academia. As a faculty mentor, you will provide guidance by sharing your research process, encouraging curiosity and questions, and helping students see how ideas evolve in an academic setting. This mentorship experience is a key part of what makes the CUBS program transformative for our students.
Who can participate as a CUBS mentor?
Any full-time faculty member can request a dedicated CUB for their research projects. Research project applications are reviewed and matched during two annual application periods - in May and November.
Note: Exceptions to the application window will be considered on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the program coordinators.
Program Details
The CUBS Program runs year-round, with two annual application periods for faculty research projects. Faculty members receive up to 80 hours of CUBS support per fiscal year at no cost, while junior tenure track faculty are eligible for up to 160 hours per fiscal year at no cost. After that, they will be charged at a rate of $23 per hour of their CUB’s work. Students typically work five hours per week in person, but may be available for additional hours depending on their schedule and the project’s needs.
Faculty Research Proposals
The faculty research proposal period for the Fall 2026 semester is now open.