Undergraduate research overview

As a student at the University of Minnesota, the opportunities to get involved in research are numerous. Here are a few key places to start.

Paid positions – Working hourly in a research setting can be a great way to get initial exposure, training, and experience working in a faculty research group.
Course credit – Students can work with faculty to develop a project and submit a Directed Research or Directed Studies contract for course credit.
UROP – The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program provides students with semester-long funding for research projects. Applications are accepted twice per year, once near the beginning of Fall semester, and once near the beginning of Spring semester.
Summer Research Experiences – Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) can be a great opportunity to engage with research groups, locally or nationally. Most opportunities are full-time programs that last approximately 10 weeks.
Internships – Internships can help students gain experience in a particular field. These internships are often off-campus, and can be research-based or focus on careers skills beyond research.

GopheResearch – GopheResearch is an online tool available to University students and faculty to both find and share research opportunities on campus. This one-stop search is a great option for students to find what faculty have open positions in their research groups.
Biology 2996 – Directed Introduction to Research - Get experience working in a faculty research group in this one-credit course where you can attend group meetings, read and discuss research papers from the group, learn basic lab and/or field techniques, assays, and approaches used by the research group, and learn to keep a lab or field notebook.
Dean’s Research Program – Consider applying for a paid research position in a faculty research group to gain valuable hands-on research skills, work with a team to think through complex problems, and come up with novel solutions through the Dean’s Research Program.
Contact faculty members – Do some research on the type of research content or experience you’d like to pursue. Reach out to faculty in those research areas and see if they have open positions or opportunities in their group.