Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate research is a great opportunity to take advantage of! There are likely undergraduate research opportunities at your institution or at nearby institutions that you might be able to participate in. These opportunities can be found by reaching out to your program coordinator.

There are also many other types of research experiences where you travel to a laboratory outside of your institution. Below is a list of a couple of those opportunities. For each opportunity, we provide a brief synopsis and tentative deadline based on prior years, but to obtain the most accurate and up to date information, please visit the specific website.

Summer Research Opportunities Program

Due: Early February

“SROP is a gateway to graduate education at Big Ten Academic Alliance universities. The goal of the program is to increase the number of underrepresented students who pursue graduate study and research careers. SROP helps prepare undergraduates for graduate study through intensive research experiences with faculty mentors and enrichment activities.”

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National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates

Due: Spring Semester

The National Science Foundation facilitates many different Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs). An REU site includes multiple undergraduate students who work with faculty members on research projects. Students typically receive stipends and, in some cases, housing and travel assistance. These programs can be found and applied to through the NSF webpage. You can search the current REU opportunities based on your interests.

REU applications vary; however, most REUs require at least one letter of recommendation, transcripts, resume, and a cover letter/statement of interest. The application deadlines vary; however, because most REUs take place over the summer, applications are typically due during the spring semester.

Stone Laboratory’s REU

Due: Early February

“Over six weeks, participants use scientific equipment, explore the Lake Erie islands, and collect important data to help solve the most pressing issues for the Great Lakes region. While taking a six-week course at Stone Lab, REU students spend their non-class days focused on research. Working closely with their research supervisor, they collect data, learn how to write about their discoveries and give a final presentation to their peers — learning the research process from start to finish and gaining valuable professional experience.”

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NSF LSAMP REU in Costa Rica

Due: Early February

“Students selected for the program will live at La Selva Research Station or Las Cruces Research Station for their eight-week summer program. From this program, you can expect to gain the following: 1) research skills in the field, 2) communication skills through training in scientific writing, oral presentations, science blogging, and videography, and 3) exposure to the landscape and cultural surrounding the research stations, including environmental topics such as biodiversity conservation and agroecology”

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Students participate in NSF LSAMP REU in Costa Rica

National Institute for Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship Program

Due: Mid March

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP) offers competitive scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral, and social science health-related research. The program offers:

  • Scholarship support
  • Paid research training at the NIH during the summer (10 weeks)
  • Paid employment and training at the NIH after graduation (must serve 1 year)

For more opportunities, you can also visit Pathways to Science. The database includes many different research experiences and summer institutes

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