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  • OUR is Hiring! Now Accepting Applications for Illinois Undergraduate Research Ambassadors!

    OUR is seeking highly motivated and personable undergraduate students from all majors who are eager to guide and support their peers through the Illinois undergraduate research experience. If you have previous experience in research or creative inquiry, whether through coursework, assisting faculty, research staff, or graduate students, or conducting a project of your own, we invite you to apply to become an Illinois Undergraduate Research Ambassador. In this role, you will have the opportunity to help other students navigate their own research journeys.

    Deadline to apply is Monday, March 18, 2024 at 11:59pm.

  • Less than One Month Left to Apply to the Undergraduate Research Symposium 2024!

    Less than one month left to apply to present at the 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS)! The URS, set for Thursday, April 25, 2024, is the signature event of Undergraduate Research Week (April 21-27, 2024) 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 8 at 11:59 pm.


    Please see full post to learn more.

  • Demystifying the Academic Research Enterprise

    We are excited to announce a new resource for students who want to learn more about undergraduate research. "Demystifying the Academic Research Enterprise: Becoming a Successful Scholar in a Complex and Competitive Environment" by Dr. Kelvin K. Droegemeier is now available via MIT Press open access. This book serves as a guide for students across disciplines, offering insights into the essentials of academic research and how to thrive in a research environment.

  • RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY: 2024 Community-Academic Scholars Program

    The Community-Academic Scholars program is a 10-week summer research experience that empowers undergraduates in all majors to address critical issues in Champaign-Urbana. Scholars work with an Illinois researcher and a community organization on a research project designed to directly benefit the community members served by the partner organization. Review the project descriptions and the scholar's role within each project to find projects that best match your strengths and background. Apply by Feb. 6.  This is a Summer 2024 research opportunity.

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

  • Apply for the Aspiring Researchers Alliance

    The Office of Undergraduate Research is now accepting applications for the Aspiring Researchers Alliance, a program to guide and support students through the process of securing an undergraduate research experience. Deadline to apply is Monday, February 5 at 11:59 PM.


  • Our Undergraduate Research Ambassadors Are Here to Help!

    Whether you're just beginning to explore the world of undergraduate research or are a seasoned researcher seeking support for your next steps, our Ambassadors are here to offer tailored advice based on your experience, interests, and goals. Our Ambassadors are excited to meet with you and are dedicated to ensuring you feel empowered to take your next step in your undergraduate research journey.

  • Undergraduate Research Symposium 2024 - Now accepting student presenter applications!

    The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is now accepting submissions for the 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS), set for Thursday, April 25, 2024. The URS is the signature event of Undergraduate Research Week (April 21-27, 2024) 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.


    Click to learn more.

  • Invite Your Parents to the Fall Undergraduate Research Showcase! Saturday, November 11

    Dear Students & Families,

    We invite you to attend our upcoming Undergraduate Research Showcase. This new event offers a small glimpse into the world of exceptional research being conducted by our talented undergraduate researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

    During this one-hour event, coinciding with Dad's Weekend, you will have the privilege of witnessing research presentations by three invited presenters, followed by an open panel and Q&A session.  This event is a perfect chance for students interested in learning more about undergraduate research at Illinois to get their questions answered by experienced student presenters. The event is free to attend and open to the public. Feel free to bring your family and friends. Light refreshments will be served.

    Event Details:

    Invited Presentations:

    VR-Based Electrocardiogram Training Simulator (Arnav Shah, Senior in Computer Science)

    VR technology provides an immersive way to train healthcare professionals cost-effectively. However, incorporating clinical feedback into the simulation design is a challenge. We discuss a pipeline for creating an ECG training simulator and present the results of usability and validity assessments. Researchers can use the proposed approach to develop other VR-based medical training simulators.

     How are Caregivers included in Alzheimer's Disease & Related Dementias (ADRD) Clinical Trials? (Eve Rubovits, Senior in Community Health)

    Family caregivers of people with ADRD have significant responsibilities within healthcare, and yet these responsibilities are not necessarily communicated clearly through clinical trial information. This study aimed to assess types of caregiver information given through an analysis of ADRD trials on clinicaltrials.gov from the last 30 years.

     Hg UMEs: A Tool for Developing Next-Generation Batteries (Curtis Althaus, Junior in Chemistry and Astrophysics)

    With a huge global push to find alternative sources of energy, the ever-increasing demand for clean power is met with a similarly urgent demand to store it. Through the use of mercury ultramicroelectrodes, I am exploring the ways in which Lithium interacts at a battery cathode surface to develop a ground-up model for novel-electrolyte development. This could enable new high-capacity, fast-charging Li-ion batteries that are greatly needed in technologies like electric cars, smartphones, and space exploration.

  • informational flyer

    Foundations of Academic Research and Creative Activity Course - Spring 2024

    We are excited to showcase a new Spring 2024 course available for Illinois students. The "Foundations of Academic Research and Creative Activity" course is thoughtfully designed for undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-docs across all academic disciplines, including the arts, humanities, social sciences, STEM, and more.

  • Maleiha Carino Foundation Scholarship for Cancer Research Advancement

    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.

  • Research Opportunity - Mechanobiology of metastatic crosstalk in cancer

    Position for an undergraduate researcher available in the Taher Saif lab at MechSE. The project's primary goal is to investigate how mechanical properties of the tumor microenvironment influences metastatic progression. We shall explore the crosstalk between cancer cells and other cells (e.g. cancer associated fibroblasts) in the tumor. 

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

  • Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program Apps are Due this Friday, October 6!

    The application for URAP @ UI, our Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program, is now open. Deadline for applications is October 6, 2023 at 11:59 pm.

  • informational flyer

    AI, Economics, and Big Data Research Talk

    The Department of Economics is hosting a talk on September 19 about artificial intelligence and big data. We encourage you to stop by and learn about some of the cutting-edge research in this area!

  • Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP @ UI) - Undergrad Applications

    The application for URAP @ UI, our Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program, is now open. Deadline for applications is October 6, 2023 at 11:59 pm.

  • Apply for the Aspiring Researchers Alliance

    The Office of Undergraduate Research is now accepting applications for the Aspiring Researchers Alliance, a pilot program to guide and support students through the process of securing an undergraduate research experience. Deadline to apply is Wednesday, September 13 at 11:59 PM.


  • Undergraduate Research Workshops - Fall 2023 Calendar

    The Office of Undergraduate Research announces its Fall 2023 calendar for the Planning Your Research Journey Workshop, Getting Started in Research Workshop, Proposal Writing for Undergraduate Researchers Workshop, Research to Resume Workshop, and our 15-minute Research Bites.

    We will have both in-person and online workshops available for each offering. Information for each workshop including how students can register can be found in this post.

  • Monthly Research Newsletter

    Are you eager to stay up-to-date on all undergraduate research happenings at the University of Illinois? Look no further! 🎉 Sign up for OUR's monthly Undergraduate Research Newsletter to be kept current about undergraduate research programs, events, and resources.

  • 2023 Undergraduate Research Symposium Award Winners!

    Congratulations to our 2023 Undergraduate Research Symposium award winners! 

  • Image of Research - 2023 Undergraduate Research Competition

    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.

  • Apply to be a Summer 2023 Community-Academic Scholar!

    Interested in doing research with impact this summer? The Community-Academic Scholars Initiative (organized by the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute) matches undergraduates with research projects designed to directly benefit community members served by the partner organization. We are pleased to announce that the Summer 2023 student application period is now open. The deadline to apply is Feb. 6 at 11:59 p.m.

  • 2023 Summer Programs at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA)

    The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) is seeking undergraduate applicants for two summer 2023 student programs. Please share with your students. See full post for more information.

  • OUR is Hiring Undergraduate Research Ambassadors!

    OUR is seeking highly motivated and personable undergraduate students who are eager to guide and support their peers through the Illinois undergraduate research experience. If you have previous experience in research, whether through coursework, assisting faculty, research staff, or graduate students, or conducting a project of your own, we invite you to apply to become an Illinois Undergraduate Research Ambassador. In this role, you will have the opportunity to help other students navigate their own research journeys.

    Deadline to apply is Monday, February 6, 2023 at 11:59pm.

  • RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY: Genomics/Physiology of Nitrogen Metabolism and Photosynthesis

    The Brooks lab is looking for an undergraduate research assistant who is interested in gaining experience in plant 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.

  • Undergraduate Research Symposium 2023 - Now accepting student presenter applications!

    The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is now accepting submissions for the 2023 Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS), set for Thursday, April 27, 2023. The URS is the signature event of Undergraduate Research Week (April 23-39, 2023), and brings together students, faculty, and staff from all disciplines on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus to learn more about undergraduate research and its potential to change the world. Over the course of the day, students present their work in concurrent oral and poster presentations (including creative performances and art exhibits), the breadth and scope of which reflect not only the wide range of academic disciplines at the University of Illinois, but also speak to the caliber of our undergraduates. 

     

    All undergraduate students currently involved with research are eligible to present. For more information on the URS, including answers to frequently asked questions, please visit: http://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/symposium.html

     

    Deadline for submitting an application to the URS is March 10, 2023, at 11:59 pm. 

  • Inaugural cohort of research teams to participate in national advocacy program

    Four teams of Illinois faculty, staff, and undergraduate researchers were selected to take part in a new program to build national awareness of the benefits of undergraduate research as a high-impact educational practice. These four Illinois teams were funded and supported by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Office of the Provost.

  • 2023 Mayo Clinic SURF | Illinois pre-selection closes Nov. 7

    If you are interested in pursuing a career in the biomedical sciences as a PhD or MD-PhD, Mayo Clinic’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship is an excellent opportunity to work alongside scientists at one of the world’s leading biomedical research centers. Up to seven fellowships are reserved for sophomores and juniors nominated by a University of Illinois selection committee.

    Apply by Nov. 7 to be considered for this special pre-selection process.

    Get details and apply: https://go.illinois.edu/SURF

  • Call for Papers: The Undergraduate Journal of Service Learning and Community-Based Research

    SUBMIT your paper to The Undergraduate Journal of Service Learning and Community-Based Research

    We are seeking undergraduate research papers and reflection pieces for our special issue: “Health Topics in Community-Based Research and Service Learning”

    This Special Issue can include topics of service learning and community-based research projects that:

    • improve community health outcomes
    • reduce health disparities
    • address physical, emotional, and social health

    Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis through the end of January 2023!

    Submissions will be accepted through the journal website (ujslcbr.org).

    If you have any questions, please contact the special issue editor Dr. Amelia Huelskamp (huelskampa@uncw.edu) or the general journal address (ujslcbr@uncw.edu).

  • Undergraduate Research Support Grant Deadline is Friday, October 14

    The deadline for applications to the Fall 2022 Research Support Grant competition is Friday, October 14, 2022.

  • Present at the Sustainability Research Symposium

    The Sustainability Research Symposium is a casual event to highlight the work being done for sustainability on campus. It is open to undergraduates, graduates, and faculty & staff. The event will take place on October 25th from 5-8pm at the Siebel Center for Design. If you are interested in participating as a presenter, please fill out this sign-up form by October 18th to ensure a spot. Reach out to Maiah Caise (maiahdc2@illinois.edu) with any questions.

  • Applications to Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program Due Thursday!

    Applications for the Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program is due October 4, 2022 at 11:59 pm.

  • Engineering Research Fair - Fall 2022

    The Grainger College of Engineering Undergraduate Research in cooperation with International Programs in Engineering (IPENG) are sponsoring this fall's Engineering Research Fair and 3rd International Research Symposium on September 27, 4:00 - 6:00 PM at Illini Union Rooms A, B, and C.

  • International Internship Opportunity in the Humanities

    Are you looking for an internship opportunity?

     

    Consider applying for the Electronic Textual Cultures Lab (ETCL; etcl.uvic.ca) which has been approved to host two twelve-week undergraduate Mitacs Globalink Internships for May–July 2023.

     

    Applications are due to Mitacs on September 22nd, 2022, via their website

     

    • Digital Scholarship Internship: Open Scholarship and Digital Humanities
    • Digital Scholarship Internship: Canadian Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Commons and Digital Humanities Training

     

    For successful applicants, Mitacs provides round-trip airfare to Canada; stipends for housing, food, and incidentals; and health insurance, among other supports.

  • Undergraduate Research Support Grant and Conference Travel Grant - Applications being Accepted

    The Office of Undergraduate is now accepting student applications to the Research Support and Conference Travel Grants for the Fall 2022 semester. For more information including how to apply for funding, please view the full article.

  • Calling student authors! Undergraduate Journal of Service Learning and Community-Based Research

    Did you write a paper last year that you are interested in publishing? Consider submitting your work to the Undergraduate Journal of Service Learning and Community-Based Research!

    The Undergraduate Journal of Service Learning and Community-Based Research is seeking student submissions, faculty/staff reviewers, and faculty/staff editorial board members. 

    This refereed, multidisciplinary, online undergraduate journal’s goal is to advance knowledge in new scholarly arenas by presenting intellectual and reflective work by undergraduates. This journal seeks undergraduate contributions to the literature on service learning and community-based research. To submit a paper or learn more about the different submission categories, visit our website. Student submissions for the Fall 2022 issue are due by September 16th, 2022 and are accepted on a rolling basis. Submissions received after that date will be considered for our next issue, with a submission date of January 31st. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Jill Waity, journal editor, at ujslcbr@uncw.edu

    If this deadline doesn't work for you, there will be new deadlines later in the fall semester and next spring! 

    Contact Merinda Kaye Hensley if you would like to talk about publishing your research in an undergraduate research journal - there are many more journals that we could explore! mhensle1@illinois.edu 

     

  • RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY: NCSA SPIN Program Fall 2022

    The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) has a history of nurturing innovative concepts, and some of the best ideas have come from highly motivated, creative undergraduate students. The Students Pushing INnovation (SPIN) internship program was launched to provide University of Illinois undergraduates with the opportunity to participate in hands-on research and contribute to interdisciplinary projects covering focused research areas in Culture and Society, Earth and Environment, Bioinformatics and Health Sciences, Material and Manufacturing, Data and Computational Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, and Digital Agriculture. 

    The deadline for applications is September 4, 2022.

  • Sign up for OUR's monthly email newsletter

    It is now easier than ever before to stay notified! Sign up for the Office of Undergraduate Research monthly email newsletter to receive occasional emails about research programs, events, opportunities, and helpful information for current and aspiring undergraduate researchers. Students are encouraged to sign up at: go.illinois.edu/subscribeOUR

  • OUR's Director Elected Division Councilor to Council on Undergraduate Research

    OUR's Director -- Dr. Karen Rodriguez'G -- has been elected as an Undergraduate Research Programs Division Councilor for the Council on Undergraduate Research. She will serve from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2025.

  • 2022 Undergraduate Research Symposium Award Winners!

    Congratulations to our 2022 Undergraduate Research Symposium award winners! 

  • Undergraduate Research Week 2022 Is Here!

    Undergraduate Research Week 2022 (April 24 - 30)

    Undergraduate Research Week 2022 is here and the final program has been posted!

    The Undergraduate Research Week showcases the best of undergraduate research and creative inquiry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Campus events include special exhibits, and colloquia sponsored by individual departments, programs, and units, highlighting the best of our students’ work. The Undergraduate Research Symposium (All day on Thursday, April 28 in the Illini Union) is URW’s day-long signature event where hundreds of students from all academic disciplines share their research through oral panels, poster presentations, and performances. We invite you to come be inspired!.

    You can find a link to the URW 2022 program here: http://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/researchweek.html

    Stay up-to-date on URW events by following us on Twitter @ugresearch_UI,  Facebook @UGResearchIllinois, and Instagram @ugresearch_UI

  • RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY - WRITING ACROSS ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE

    The Writing Across Engineering and Science (WAES) research group is looking for undergraduate research assistants (https://publish.illinois.edu/waes/). We support engineering and science faculty and graduate students as they learn, incorporate, and adapt practices from writing studies research in ways that enrich both their technical learning objectives and their students’ communication skills. We also research the effectiveness of this support.

    For more information, please see full blog post.

  • Weekly Drop-in Hours for URS Applicants & Presenters

    The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is hosting weekly virtual drop-in hours to support students applying to and presenting at the 2022 Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS). Stop by and ask questions about your application, presentation, other questions about the Symposium. Details included in full post.

  • RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY: LLVM RESEARCH GROUP

    We are looking for skilled and motivated undergraduate students to work on several projects in the LLVM Research Group. We are a group in the Illinois CS Department led by Prof. Vikram Adve, and we focus on building compilers for heterogeneous parallel systems and novel hardware. We are currently looking for multiple students to work on a variety of projects. All these projects are open projects, and we are looking for students who are interested in working with us long term. As such, we require a commitment of 15 hours per week for Fall and Spring terms, and 40 hours per week for Summer. The pay will be based on seniority level with an average of $17.00/hour.

    For full description, including how to apply, please see full posting.

  • Undergraduate Research Symposium 2022 - Application Due March 15, 2022

    The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is currently accepting submissions for the 2022 Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS), set for Thursday, April 28, 2022. The URS is the signature event of Undergraduate Research Week (April 24-30, 2022), and brings together students, faculty, and staff from all disciplines on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus, as well as corporate partners and sponsors, to learn more about undergraduate research and its potential to change the world. Over the course of the day, students present their work in concurrent oral and poster presentations (including creative performances), the breadth and scope of which reflect not only the wide range of academic disciplines at the University of Illinois, but also speak to the caliber of our undergraduates. 

     

    All undergraduate students currently involved with research are eligible to present. For more information on the URS, including answers to frequently asked questions, please visit: http://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/symposium.html

     

    Deadline for submitting an application to the URS is Sunday March 15, 2022, at 11:59 pm. 

  • Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at Purdue

    Applications for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) at Purdue University are still open!

    Deadline to apply is February 15, 2022 (less than two weeks away)!

    This is a paid research opportunity (summer stipend). 

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

  • RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY: Undergraduate Research Assistant in Railroad Safety and Data Analysis

    The Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC) Rail Safety and Risk Group is looking for undergraduate research assistants who excel in programming (Python, R, Matlab, VBA, SQL), ArcGIS, machine learning techniques, and statistics skills, to assist in various railroad safety, risk, and data analyses projects.

    This is a paid position. Opportunities for Spring, Summer, Fall 2022.

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

  • Image of Research - 2022 Undergraduate Research Competition

    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.

  • RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY: Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute

    The Community-Academic Scholars Initiative matches undergraduate students with an academic mentor and a community partner to collaborate over the summer on a project designed to directly benefit community members served by the partner organization.

    This is a paid research experience. For more informationabou the Initiative and how to apply, see full posting. 

    Deadline is February 10, 2022.

  • RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY: NRES - Environmental Justice Undergraduate Research Position

    [In]Secure Landscapes lab is hiring for Spring and Summer 2022!

    Join a multidisciplinary research project to study equity in the transition to renewable energy in Illinois. Focuses incude policy, infrastructure, mapping, and economics. Open to all majors.

    For more information, see full posting. Deadline to apply is January 30, 2022.

  • Introduction to Scholarly Research Program

    The Slavic Reference Service is offering a multi-part instruction program designed to help students become more comfortable with conducting research and writing academic papers. 

  • Undergraduate Research Symposium 2022 - Now accepting student applications!

    The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is now accepting submissions for the 2022 Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS), set for Thursday, April 28, 2022. The URS is the signature event of Undergraduate Research Week (April 24-30, 2022), and brings together students, faculty, and staff from all disciplines on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus, as well as corporate partners and sponsors, to learn more about undergraduate research and its potential to change the world. Over the course of the day, students present their work in concurrent oral and poster presentations (including creative performances), the breadth and scope of which reflect not only the wide range of academic disciplines at the University of Illinois, but also speak to the caliber of our undergraduates. 

     

    All undergraduate students currently involved with research are eligible to present. For more information on the URS, including answers to frequently asked questions, please visit: http://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/symposium.html

     

    Deadline for submitting an application to the URS is Sunday March 15, 2022, at 11:59 pm.