Drew students who wish to pursue a research project with a Dana fellow do so with the concurrence and encouragement of their department chairs. Students typically receive course credit for their research.

More than half of the students who have participated in the program have written theses on their work leading to graduation with honors. In addition, almost all have gone on to graduate or medical schools.

Areas of research include biochemistry, microbiology, parasitology, pharmacology, polymer chemistry, physical chemistry mathematical physics, and the design of experiments. Examples of recent topics explored by students include the chemotherapy of parasitic infections, the synthesis of compounds for inhibiting the craving for cocaine, the physical chemistry of lipid absorption, the use of microorganisms to degrade hazardous wastes, and studies of nuclear scattering.

Students find that their research is excellent preparation for the rigors of graduate school or medical school. Leith Dwyer, a recent graduate and now a Ph.D. candidate in physics at the University of Michigan commented, "My experience at Drew was ten times better because of my participation in the RISE program."