Illinois Office of
Undergraduate Research

The Data Mining Group (DMG) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is seeking motivated undergraduate students for a summer research opportunity in machine learning, large language models (LLMs), information retrieval, and AI agents. Students will work closely with PhD researchers on ongoing projects related to retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), search agents, reinforcement learning for LLMs, and trustworthy AI systems. Responsibilities may include literature review, implementing and running experiments, analyzing results, and contributing to research prototypes and papers.

This is a paid research opportunity for the summer.

For more information, including how to apply, please see full description.

The Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium (CAURS) is one of the nation’s largest undergraduate research conferences, bringing together hundreds of students from across disciplines to showcase their work and connect with peers, faculty, and industry professionals. Join the excitement on April 11, 2026, in Chicago. Abstracts due by March 1!

Less than one month left to apply to present at the 2026 Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS)! The URS, set for Thursday, April 30, 2026, is the signature event of Undergraduate Research Week (April 26 - May 2, 2026) and brings together students, faculty, and staff from all disciplines at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It's also open to friends, families, and the public who are interested in learning about undergraduate research and its impact. The deadline to apply is March 13 at 11:59 pm.

Please see the full post to learn more.

The Image of Research — UR Edition is a multidisciplinary competition celebrating the diversity and breadth of undergraduate student research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. All undergraduate students are invited to submit entries consisting of an image and brief text that articulates how the image relates to the research. “Research” is defined broadly to include creative and scholarly work in all fields. The image submitted can represent your work either concretely or abstractly. Perhaps it is an image of your research itself, an activity related to your research, or the impact of your research.

For more information, see full post.

The Community-Academic Scholars (CAS) program is a 10-week summer research experience empowering undergraduates in all majors to address real-world challenges across health, equity, and community well-being in Champaign-Urbana. Scholars are matched with an Illinois researcher and a community organization to work on a project designed to directly benefit the community members served by the partner organization. 

This is a paid research experience.

For more information, including how to apply, please see full blog post.
 

Looking to get involved in research or hone your research skills? The Office of Undergraduate Research offers a number of undergraduate research workshops to all students throughout the university. From getting started with the research process to learning to effectively present your work at a conference or symposium, these workshops give students a clearer understanding of participating in different aspects of research as an undergraduate. 

The Brooks lab is looking for an undergraduate research assistant who is interested in gaining experience in physiology and genomics. Work in the lab is aimed at understanding how photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism are coordinated and how these processes will respond to climate change. 
 
 Duties will include growing plants, helping carry out experiments, analyzing data, and assisting with general laboratory maintenance. Specific techniques that are used in the lab are RNA/DNA extractions, PCR, cloning, and measuring nitrogen and photosynthetic traits by various techniques. 

This is a paid research experience, and is ongoing.
 
 For more information, including how to apply, please see full blog posting.

The Maleiha Carino Foundation Scholarship for Cancer Research Advancement recognizes outstanding contributions made by undergraduate researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the field of cancer research. This encompasses various aspects of cancer research, including basic, translational, clinical, and social/cultural dimensions.