Getting Involved in Undergraduate Research

According to the Council on Undergraduate Research, undergraduate research is “an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline." There are SO many reasons to become involved in undergraduate research. Just to start, you will be taking the opportunity to develop skills necessary to improve your marketability in graduate school applications, your career, and in your personal life. You will gain experiential education that is translatable to real-world skills that are requisite for jobs. You will have the opportunity to develop and hone networking and social skills. And you get to do all of this while contributing to cutting-edge research in any field here at the U. In addition, research is fun. You get to immerse yourself in a project led by top researchers and develop skills and personal attributes that will continue to benefit you throughout your life.

How do I find a lab or research?

Tips for Finding Research

Example Email to a Professor

How do I get funding for research?

There are several ways to get paid for the research you do. Here are the more common ways that students work toward:

Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR)

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

How do I present my research?

One of the best parts of doing research is presenting at conferences.

Here are some opportunities available to students at the U:

Make sure to include your presentations on your resume and curriculum vitae (CV)!

You can also ask your research mentor about opportunities to submit your work for publication.

What is an REU?

National Science Foundation (NSF) funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel. Undergraduate students supported with NSF funds must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions. An REU Site may be at either a US or foreign location. Students must contact the individual sites for information and application materials. NSF does not have application materials and does not select student participants. A contact person and contact information is listed for each site.

To search for an REU site or for more information about REUs, click here.

For information about our department's REU offerings, click here.

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