Student research

U of M Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

UROP participants conduct research, scholarly, or creative projects in partnership with a faculty member. UROP offers financial awards twice yearly to full-time undergraduates. Applications are judged both on the quality of the proposed project and its benefit to the student. For U of M students only.

Other programs

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds a large number of research opportunities through its Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. Opportunities are available in schools throughout the U.S. and in some foreign locations.

Opportunities nationwide

Browse REU Sites for opportunities in the physical sciences and all engineering disciplines. The Department of Energy also sponsors science undergraduate laboratory internships at various DOE National Laboratories and at DOE headquarters. Apply directly to the institution that is hosting the program of interest.

Los Alamos National Laboratory
Year-round programs (summer, part time, full time) for undergraduates and graduate students in technical fields.

National Security Agency (NSA)
Undergraduates and graduate students have opportunities for summer and seasonal internships at the NSA. Applicable fields of study include mathematics, computer science, biometrics, software engineering, foreign languages, liberal arts, and others.

National Institute of Standard and Technology Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF)
Program for undergraduates majoring in math, science, or engineering. Students can participate in any of seven NIST laboratories: Building and Fire Research, Chemical Science and Technology, Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, and Physics.

Undergraduate students supported with NSF funds must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions.

Opportunities at the University of Minnesota

Many of following opportunities are open both to University students and to those from other schools.

Bioinformatics Summer Institute
Full-time, 10-week internships for undergraduates; part of the Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Biomedical Engineering Summer Research Program
Ten-week program through the Life Sciences Undergraduate Research Programs

Chemistry Summer Undergraduate Research Program
Ten-week research program

Electrical and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Research Program
Ten-week research program in such fields as biomedical engineering, robotics, magnetic recording technology, optics and nanotechnology

Geology and Geophysics Summer Internship
Ten-week program focused on the theme of "geofluids"

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) Summer Research Programs
Ten-week research program with industrial internship opportunities the following summer

McNair Summer Research Program
Research apprenticeships for first-generation college students

Mechanical Engineering Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates
Ten-week program in such areas as medical device design, air quality and pollution control, engines and diesel research, flow visualization and turbulence, computational heat transfer, MEMS and nanotechnology, smart window design, and design of competition vehicles

Multicultural Summer Research Opportunities Program
Ten-week program in various disciplines for students who are historically underrepresented in their field or who are first-generation college students

National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics
Program for undergraduates in civil engineering, geosciences, or ecology
FFI: 612-627-4522

Physics and Astronomy Summer Research Experience
Ten-week program for juniors and seniors interested in postbaccalaureate studies

Undergraduate Internship Program in Scientific Computing and Graphics
Full-time, 10-week internship with stipend focuses on the application of computational approaches and visualization methods to supercomputing research. Projects are available in aerospace engineering and mechanics, biochemistry, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, civil engineering, electrical and computer engineering, geology and geophysics, materials science, math, mechanical engineering, physics, and veterinary pathobiology.