MIT Practices in this Area

• Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). MIT’s UROP is one of the premier undergraduate research programs in the country. Ninety percent of undergraduates participate in at least one UROP at some point during their time at MIT (MIT Facts, 2017).
• Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Mini-UROP program. The program, which launched in 2016, pairs 1^st year undergraduates with graduate student mentors and provides opportunities for first-year students to engage in mini-research projects during IAP.
• MIT’s First-year Advising Seminars (FAS). A subset of FASs are excellent examples of course-based research experiences. For example, in 6.A01 a Mens et Manus seminar, students make a simple loudspeaker, a brushless motor, and engage in the final independent project which also involves, designing and making. The projects provide real-world context for the material students learn the science General Institute Requirements courses (GIRs).
• The Facilitating Effective Research (FER) Program. Through the FER Program, The Teaching + Learning Lab in collaboration with the UROP office supports the development of graduate student and postdoctoral mentors for the research program. Program participants: reflect on their individual mentoring and advising experiences and on how different behaviors influence mentoring relationships; discuss how to establish and articulate expectations, and on how to keep communication channels open and flowing; apply strategies to begin to plan and manage research projects and tasks (FER).

Programs of Note

• University of Georgia: Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities The CURO program is notable because it allows all UGA undergraduates to “pursue faculty mentored research regardless of discipline, major or GPA as early as their first year. Programming supports students in identifying and selecting opportunities, choosing a mentor, and presenting and publishing their work.”
• Monmouth College: The Summer Opportunity for Intellectual Activity (SOflA) SofIA is an intensive three-week program held just before the beginning of the fall semester. It is based on the notion that entering students are interested in participating in and benefit from undergraduate research even before their first class at Monmouth College. In our program, incoming students pursue a scholarly project in a small group of two to four students, along with a faculty member and returning students who act as mentors. The projects allow students to explore hands-on and creative learning. By collaborating with the Monmouth College faculty and the admission staff, the program supports and fosters the development of student scholarly activities. (Moore, Fasano, & Downing, 2016).
• University of Pittsburg: Department of Biology – Introductory Research Lab Courses These CUREs fulfill the Department of Biology’s traditional lab requirements while providing students with course-based, authentic research experiences.
• University of Texas, Austin: College of Natural Sciences – Freshmen Research Initiative (FRI) The FRI website states that it is the Nation’s Largest University Undergraduate Research Program, and that it “gives first-year students the opportunity to initiate and engage in real-world research experience with faculty and graduate students.” UT, Austin – College of Natural Sciences also offers undergraduate research experiences for upper division students.

For additional institutional undergraduate research efforts, see the Council on Undergraduate Research - Institutional Undergraduate Research Programs Page.