undergraduate research apprenticeship program uiuc

Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP)

The Illinois Office of Undergraduate Research is currently accepting applications for the Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP) . URAP offers undergraduate students with little or no research experience the opportunity to work with graduate students and post-doctoral scholars on their research projects, explore the culture and process of research, and build on their existing abilities within a community of scholars. Running each Spring semester, the Program consists of two equally important parts: a one-on-one research experience with their research mentor, and the Introduction to Research course. The course is designed to complement the research mentoring experience, orienting undergraduate mentees to broader topics in the research process

2022-2023 URAP Mentor Project Descriptions

Informational Meetings

September 7 , 3:00 - 4:00 PM Via Zoo September 15 , 3:00 - 4:00 PM David Kinley Hall, Room 123 September 23 , 3:00 - 4:00 PM Lincoln Hall, Room 1002

Application Deadline

• October 6, 2022

• My.SiebelSchool

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Undergraduates are an essential part of our leading-edge research. There are many ways to contribute to impactful research early in your career, from summer programs to paid research positions with faculty.

Year Long Research

• Clare Boothe Luce Research Scholars an ISUR-affiliated program supporting undergraduate women in research and teaching in science, mathematics, and engineering. Eight scholars are selected and funded each year.
• C3SR-Undergraduate Research in Artificial Intelligence is an IBM-Illinois and ISUR partnership funding undergraduate AI and cognitive computing research, from theory to practical application while working with a C3SR faculty mentor.
• The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) SPIN is an academic internship program for undergraduate students to participate in supercomputing, visualization, data analytics, and similar fields with five weekly paid hours.

Semester Long Research

• CS Job Portal is our department's employment opportunities with course assistant and undergraduate research positions.
• PURE (Promoting Undergraduate Research in Engineering) is a student-run research program connecting first-year and second-year students with graduate student mentors to jump-start their research careers. 

Summer Research

• The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) INCLUSION program is a 10-week program for students from underrepresented communities to work in pairs with mentors on research aimed toward social impact based around open-source software development.
• Summer Research Program for Undergraduates (SRP)  students work on state-of-the-art research with university faculty while attending professional development programs aimed at making students strong researchers and graduate school candidates
• Mind in Vitro Undergraduate Summer Research Program undergraduate researchers work with faculty mentors and graduate students on projects related to Mind in Vitro while participating in the Illinois summer research program networking, socials, lunches, and seminars.

Mentorship Opportunities

Showcase Opportunities

• Engineering Research Fair is hosted by Grainger Engineering every semester for researchers to share their work and labs and for companies recruiting researchers.
• Undergraduate Research Symposium is a yearly campus-wide research symposium for undergraduate researchers to present the results of their research and gain experience presenting work to a wider audience.

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Title Illinois Mathematics Lab

Formerly known as the Illinois Geometry Lab, the Illinois Mathematics Lab’s mission is to enhance and support undergraduate research within the Department of Mathematics and engage local, state, and national communities through mathematics outreach. 

Title Illinois Risk Lab

Established in 2018, the Illinois Risk Lab (IRisk Lab) serves as an industry-academic collaboration hub, facilitates integration of discovery-based learning experience for students, and showcases state-of-the-art research in all areas of risk analysis and advanced analytics.

Other opportunities for undergraduates in mathematics

Illinois combinatorics lab for undergraduate experiences (iclue).

This program, initiated in Spring 2017 by the combinatorics research training group at UIUC, is for undergraduate students who are seriously interested in graduate coursework in mathematics. Activities can take various forms, including research projects, combinatorics education initiatives (visiting local high schools), seminars with academic visitors, and conference travel.

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Career pathways ⌄, professional development advice ⌄, jobs and internships ⌄, pre-health at illinois ⌄, resources for international students ⌄, undergraduate research, value of research opportunities.

• Enrich your educational experience
• Have the opportunity to work closely with a faculty mentor
• Explore issues and methods in your field of interest
• Gain valuable skills for graduate school, professional school and/or future careers
• Build confidence
• Improve your communication skills

Participating in a research project is an excellent chance to develop your overall career readiness and many of the skills that employers value.

Title Undergraduate Research Certificate Program

Sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research, the Undergraduate Research Certificate provides an added credential to present to employers and graduate schools. Although the certificate will not appear on your transcript, you can add it to your resume. You will be provided a printed document showing completion of certificate requirements.

Research Opportunities on Campus

At Illinois, there are research opportunities available in every college and in a variety of disciplines. It is important to note that you can do research outside your major.  You are not restricted to conducting research that is related to your degree.

You can choose from various types of research projects including:

• An individual project - a thesis, independent study, or creative project that allows you to explore the unique topics that interest you.
• A course-based research project - an individual or group class project designed to develop applied research skills.
• An assisted research project - working closely with a faculty member or graduate student on an existing project to gain valuable training in how to conduct research.
• Study abroad that incorporates research - taking your research abroad in a program designed with a research component.

Talk to faculty members, your academic advisor, and teaching assistants about your interest in research. The Office of Undergraduate Research provides many resources to help you: 

• Identify research opportunities across campus
• Fund your research
• Present and publish your findings

Dates: June 3 - July 26, 2024

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers a summer research program that provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to explore careers in research. The program at Illinois provides students with an experience that will help strengthen their knowledge, skills and understanding of graduate school.

Since 1986, the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) at Illinois has brought talented undergraduate students from across the US and its territories to our campus as an introduction to graduate study, research and the admission process.

The many activities offered through the SROP give participants an opportunity to establish important relationships with faculty in their respective fields of study and conduct graduate-level research under the supervision of a renowned University of Illinois faculty member. Participants will also become acquainted with the culture of graduate school and learn what is needed and expected of them as graduate students in their discipline at the University of Illinois.

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Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program

Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP @ UI) - Undergrad Applications

Program Description

The Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program ( URAP@UI ) offers undergraduate students with little or no research experience the opportunity to assist advanced graduate students with their research projects. Through a one-on-one research experience with their graduate student mentor, undergraduate students will have the opportunity to learn what it means to do research, create knowledge, and produce scholarship.

Undergraduate students selected to be part of the program will begin work with their mentors in Spring 2021. As part of the program, students will (1) attend regular weekly class meetings (GC 295, Introduction to Undergraduate Research, 3 credit hours) with OUR/Grad College instructors; and (2) work one-on-one with their graduate mentors, an average of 5-6 hours per week. As part of the course requirement, students will complete a final project, consisting of a poster, to be presented during “Undergraduate Research Week,” an annual event sponsored by OUR.  Please note that due to COVID19, GC295 course sections will be online . Also, in their project abstracts, graduate student mentors have indicated whether work with their undergraduate mentees will be: in-person preferred, open to discussion (whether remote or in-person), or remote only.   Any in-person research work must meet all campus and unit safety protocols . For more information on undergraduate research during the pandemic, please see our COVID19 guidelines  here . 

For more information about URAP,  including graduate project abstracts , and how to apply to the program, please visit our website .

Informational Meetings

Get tips on creating a good statement of interest, why you should participate, and get your questions answered at our Informational meetings. Meetings will be held over Zoom on the following dates:

• September 8 from 2 - 3pm:  https://illinois.zoom.us/j/98295467560?pwd=cVFQRGJYSDNkczhyUjB4S3Q2K3Bndz09  (password: URAP)
• September 16 from 2 - 3pm:  https://illinois.zoom.us/j/91680677874?pwd=RXczcTVsS1U3TUhYN0pMYWlmWG5Kdz09  (password: URAP)
• September 25 from 2 - 3pm:  https://illinois.zoom.us/j/95758308557?pwd=RlBxYzVaMmJUckdrNUU1NXFpMGtLZz09  (password: URAP)

Application Deadline

Deadline for applications is  October 9, 2020 at 11:59pm.

For more information and to apply, please visit:  http://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/programs/urap.html

Illinois Office of Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate research symposium.

The signature event of Undergraduate Research Week

Thursday, April 24, 2025 9 AM - 5 PM

• 2024 Program
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The signature event of Undergraduate Research Week, the Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS) has been held on the University of Illinois (U of I) campus since 2008. The number of undergraduate students participating has grown from a few hundred in its inaugural year to well over 800 students. 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. Our students are innovative and engaged, eager to learn from their advisors and mentors. Their projects also demonstrate the ongoing institutional commitment to supporting and expanding research opportunities at the U of I and beyond.

2025 Undergraduate Research Symposium

Date : April 24, 2025 Time : 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Location : Illini Union (1401 W Green St, Urbana) --> Posters : Rooms A,C, & South Lounge --> Oral / Performance Presentations : 2nd Floor --> Exhibits & Demonstrations : Room B Application deadline: TBD

Why Present?

• Gain valuable presentation experience.
• Receive feedback that could further your research.
• Contribute to and learn about recent advancements in your field.
• Bolster your résumé or curriculum vitae.
• Presenting at the URS satisfies one of the requirements for the Undergraduate Research Certificate!

Time Commitment:

All Symposium presentations take place on Thursday, April 24, 2025. Poster sessions and exhibits are an 1 hour and 15 minutes long. Oral panel sessions are an hour long with individual presentations being 12 minutes long (with an additional 3 minutes for question/answer). Performance and Creative Showcase panels are also an hour long with individual presentations being 12 or 24 minutes long (with an additional 3 minutes for question/answer). Each panel will consist of up to 3 presentations. Students are expected to be present for the full duration of their session or panel. In the application, presenters will indicate their availability for five time periods over the course of the Symposium. They will then be assigned to a poster, oral, exhibit, or performance panel session based upon availability and presentation category (see Application Requirements below).

Application Requirements:

• The name(s), NetID, email, UIN, gender, race/ethnicity, college, major, year in school for each presenter. *Please note, graduate students, faculty, and staff should NOT be included as presenters in the application. We only allow undergraduate students to be presenters at the URS.
• Contact information research mentor(s) supervising the work.
• Title of the oral presentation, poster, exhibit, or performance. This title can be revised after the application has been submitted.
• Presentation abstract (not to exceed 200 words). Abstract will only be used internally by OUR for panel assignments.
• Presentation category that best applies to your research topic (e.g., Cells and Molecules, Data and Information, Food Systems, Health and Wellness Humanities and The Arts, Science and Technology, Social Science and Human Behavior, to name a few).

Applications will be accepted November 2023 - March 8, 2024. Check back for link to apply. NO LATE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED!

Eligibility and Application:

• All current undergraduate students are eligible to present at the URS, including students who graduated December 2022.
• To submit an application, use the "Apply to Present" link at the left.

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program – UIUC Students Only

What is urop.

NASA’s Illinois Space Grant Consortium (ILSGC) is happy to announce its 21st Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) will take place in the summer of 2024. UROP is a program designed to cultivate and support research partnerships between University of Illinois undergraduates and faculty members. All projects focus on NASA-related science and/or engineering research.  We want to invite highly motivated undergraduates to apply to participate in UROP.

We envision this program to involve about 20 University of Illinois undergraduate students who will:

• Contribute actively to an intensive research project for 10 weeks (40 hours per week) over the 2024 summer;
• Participate in the weekly seminar series (presentations on research ethics, technical writing, and preparing presentations) organized by the Summer REU committee throughout this summer;
• Write an abstract summary, create a poster, and participate in a one-day symposium to share your research with your peers and any other interested people.

We believe this program provides a unique opportunity for students to become involved in NASA-related STEM research activities.

The selected students  will participate in research activities for 10 weeks  between May 13 and August 2, 2024, under the supervision of a faculty member and their graduate student(s). Your faculty mentor sets the start and end dates, but we expect you to commit to 10 weeks of intensive research. The program is supported by the NASA Space Grant and faculty contributions. Students will each receive a total maximum of $7,000 in support.  Students are expected to participate in the program for approximately 40 hours per week.

Funding will be released incumbent upon authorization of funds by NASA. Placements will not be made until NASA has authorized the funding.

HOW DO I FIND RESEARCH PROJECTS SUPPORTED UNDER UROP?

The research project descriptions submitted by the faculty are listed below.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Current student at University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign
• Highly-motivated undergraduate student
• Provide current transcript
• Provide a current resume or CV
• Complete the online application

WHEN DO I APPLY? WHAT IS THE TIMELINE?

• November 6, 2023 – Student Application Opens
• January 21, 2024– Student Application Closes
• January 22, 2024 – Applicant information/recommendation sent to faculty/mentor
• February 16, 2024 – Faculty/Mentor selections sent to Heidi
• February 23, 2024 – Offer letters sent to students (earlier if possible)
• Students have two weeks from their dated offer letter to accept or decline the offer
• April 14, 2024 – Student stipends and appointments established
• May 13 or 20, 2024 – UROP starts (flexible upon Faculty/Mentor approval)
• July 19 or 26, 2024 – UROP ends (flexible upon Faculty/Mentor approval)
• July 26 – Present your research at the STEM Symposium

HOW DO I APPLY?

The application opens on november 6, 2023, the application closes on january 21, 2024.

• Complete and submit the  application form . 
• All application materials are submitted through the online site; this includes your resume and transcript/academic history. Transcripts/Academic Histories should be PDF documents.  You do not have to submit an official transcript, but the document does need to   include your GPA .

Completed application form WITH transcripts/academic histories are due by January 21, 2024.

Sometimes, an interview may be arranged between the student and faculty mentor before the final selection is announced.

Program Requirements:

Attend at least 5 of the summer seminar series talks.

Complete the pre- and post-program surveys.

Complete NASA STEM Gateway Registration

Participate and present at the UROP symposium at the end of the summer. Submit a title and create a 10-12 minute presentation or poster on your summer research activities.

As part of NASA’s requirements for awards, UROP students must register on NASA STEM Gateway and participate in Illinois Space Grant’s longitudinal tracking program. Student participants will be contacted for information regarding any publications or proposals resulting from the student’s research experience. This tracking also determines the long-term benefits of the NASA Space Grant Program.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact:

Heidi Bjerke Senior Coordinator, Illinois Space Grant Consortium 217-300-0151 [email protected]

2024 Projects

Adaptive transportation management of air and ground logistics for distributed energy supply.

Dr. Eleftheria Kontou and Hyunhwa Kim

Civil and Environmental Engineering 

Project Description: The proposed research aims to solve the complex energy supply problem with deployed air and ground vehicles in both safe and disrupted environments. The undergraduate research assistants will assist with developing a novel decision-support framework for planning and managing adaptive transportation systems for such multimodal energy logistics. The project sets out to develop optimization models for a bi-directional energy supply logistics network, where electric ground and aerial vehicles can supply backup power to various customers, a practice extremely useful in humanitarian and hazard recovery conditions.

Student Information: The students should have a basic familiarity with optimization models (particularly deterministic ones), facility planning, systems engineering, and scientific computing (having fundamental experience coding in Python).

Number of positions available: 2

Kontou Research Group

Design of haptic interactions in VR for medical training

Caroline Cao and Avinash Gupta

Prairie Research Institute

Project Description: Over the past decade, Virtual Reality technologies have undergone rapid development, leading to the creation of VR-based simulation environments across various domains. Although there are several VR based simulators designed for medical training, few provide realistic haptic interactions. Haptic devices and gloves have been shown to be effective in specialized surgical training such as laparoscopy and arthroscopy. However, such devices cannot be used for general medical and surgical training without extensive modification or improvement. The Jump Simulation Center Urbana – Carle Illinois College of Medicine is taking the lead in creating VR based counterparts to the existing high fidelity physical simulators and mannequins currently used for medical training. The design of effective and human centric haptic interactions will play a key role in the development of such VR simulators. A participatory approach will be utilized for the design of the haptic interactions in which engineers, computer scientists, surgeons, simulation experts and curriculum designers will be involved. The developed interactions will be first validated by experts and further tested by medical students. Based on the feedback of the experts and medical students, the interactions will be enhanced. This project addresses a critical gap in current medical training technologies, ensuring that VR-based simulations not only represent real-world scenarios but also provide an immersive haptic experience.

Students will work with a team of engineers, computer scientists, surgeons, and simulation designers. Students will use their programming skills to design touch feedback through haptic devices and virtual reality environments on head-mounted displays. Experience with game development engines such as Unity or Unreal is desirable.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7109804735938838528/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios

Recruitment Poster

Design of Tunable Polymers for Multi-Material 3D Printing

Dr. Nancy Sottos, Dr. Connor Armstrong, and Pranav Krishnan

Materials Science & Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Project Description: Frontal polymerization (FP) allows for rapid and energy-efficient fabrication of geometrically complex structures via additive manufacturing (AM, known as 3D printing). This work aims to enable FP AM of complex structures with regions of distinct material characteristics through a combined materials science and mechanical engineering approach. Previously, the Sottos group has demonstrated FP of multi-monomer resins, allowing us to tune material properties through varying ratios of different monomers. This has enabled the creation of simple structures with spatially varied material characteristics including stiffness or elasticity. However, this concept has yet to be applied to 3D printing due to mismatches in “printability” between resins. Printability of a resin is determined by the ability to form a gel and the ability to maintain a polymerization front. We will design new materials for 3D printing by analyzing printability of multi-material resins. The printability trends extracted from this work will inform the control algorithm of the 3D printer.

The manufacturing approach involves the design and operation of a multi-material 3D printing apparatus which will dynamically control monomer ratios for AM. Specifically, dynamic alteration of deposition nozzle speed during fabrication..

Multifunctional Composite Structures with Damage Sensing Capabilities

Dr. Jeff Baur and Ivan Wu

Aerospace Engineering

Project Description: The work involves manufacturing composite tubes/beams with embedded heaters using the newly acquired Continuous Fiber 3D printing machine acquired from Continuous Composites Inc. The goal is to develop composite structures such that if the composite is damaged in space due to debris impact or radiation, the embedded heaters can re-activate dormant monomers to self-heal the composite. Additionally, with the use of thermography, we hope to develop an algorithm that can inform us the structure damages of the composite with IR images of the composite. From this information, the heaters can locally heat the structures for self-healing purposes.

Student Information: The student will work on rapid prototype of components to help with the manufacturing process. As such, the student should have an understanding of CAD and FDM printing. The student should also have a surface knowledge of electronics and circuits as we will be working with resistive heaters and other automation software to help with the manufacturing of composites.

Student will also explore the possibility of using the thermal signature generated externally (through passive uniform heating) or internally (through active Joule heating of embedded conductive wires) at the surface of the composite structure to infer the location, size and shape of internal damage.

As such, any previous experience with composite manufacturing and mechanical testing is preferred.

Multi-scale Morphology Control of 3D-Printed Structures using Frontal Polymerization

Dr. Sottos and Pranav Krishnan

Materials Science and Engineering

Project Description: My research focuses on developing materials for 3D-printing sustainable and strong engineering polymers for applications in the energy and aerospace industries. Our lab works with a novel energy-efficient manufacturing process called Frontal Polymerization, that allows us to fabricate tough thermoset polymers and composites with a very small energy input.

My goal is to derive inspiration from nature to design 3D-printed materials and structures that are morphogenic (have hierarchical microstructures and patterns that enhance their structural and functional properties). We will work to create this material morphogenesis by harnessing intrinsic instabilities in the frontal polymerization process. These lead to phenomena like crystallization or phase separation that give controlled gradients in material properties on the scale of micrometers.

Zooming out, we aim to also have controllable material property gradients on the scale of millimeters using multi-material printing. Via a custom-built printhead that incorporates active mixing of multiple monomer materials, we will be able to tune the composition of our inks for printing on-the-fly. An example of this is to have different mixtures of stiff thermoset and soft elastomer inks, to have regions of varying stiffness 3D printed within the same structure. Incorporating these multi-scale gradients in 3D printed structures using Direct-Ink Writing can open up a wide range of high-performance structural and functional applications.

Student Information: An undergrad would be involved in the material synthesis, characterization and data analysis, as well as 3D printing or mechanical testing if they are interested. Materials chemistry will compose a large part of the project, exploring new chemistries and their ability to develop morphogenic properties during 3D printing. Materials characterization tools such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Shear Rheometry, and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) would be in use – students will be trained on these techniques. A background in Chemistry, Materials Science or similar is preferred, or prior research experience in a chemistry lab environment.

Students who are looking to apply to graduate school in the future and are interested in longer-term research projects that will continue past the summer will be given preference.

More Project Information

Radar-based Environmental Sensing

Project Description: This project explores the use of radar for sensing the under-canopy layers of the forest such as soil or biomass moisture. The research activities include the use of signal processing and machine learning for estimating water content from wireless reflections. Required expertise: Python programming, signal processing, and deep learning. If you are interested in this project, review this paper ( https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3300061.3345440 ).

Recyclable Thermoset Composites for Aerospace Applications

Dr. Jeff Baur and Saurabh Bagare

Project Description: Frontal Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (FROMP) enables energy efficient manufacturing of thermoset polymers and composites. However, the end-of-life strategies of these engineering materials is still a question that remains to be answered. Imagine 30 years down the line where we have composite aircraft and spacecraft structures that are at the end of their service lives. They would just exist on the surface of the Earth and increase the carbon footprint. We have demonstrated, that by using something called cleavable crosslinkers in the resin matrix, we can chemically deconstruct a thermoset composite and retain the fibers back, which can then be used for the next generation lifecycle. The challenge being, is the composite still worthy of aerospace applications?

This project involves manufacturing, analysis, and characterization of deconstructable thermoset polymers and composites using cleavable covalent crosslinkers. We aim to perform thermomechanical tests to see how the composite, or the polymer compares to the currently used thermosets, and find ways to either equate, or exceed the state of the art. We will also study how the material behaves, or changes, when exposed to real-life conditions like heat, oxidation, UV exposure, and mechanical wear and tear. The quality of the results will be assessed and then considered for high impact Journal Papers and Conferences, thereby sharing it with the greater scientific audience.

Student Information: As an undergraduate student, you will be involved in manufacturing, testing, characterizing, and analyzing the thermomechanical properties of various deconstructable thermoset polymers and composites, that are manufactured through frontal polymerization. You will be able to independently form the test matrix and observe how the objective variables like the resin chemistry, initiation temperature, mechanical load affects the various parameters of the material like fiber volume fraction, ultimate tensile strength, and deconstruction.

Because the project is highly experimental in nature, the student is expected to learn and adhere to all the lab safety instructions and protocols of a chemistry/materials lab. The student must physically be present in the lab and conduct experiments. There is no scope for remote work here. This also means that the student will get access to some of the most extensive materials research facilities, which happen to be on the college campus! The student can expect to work on synthesis and characterization. Studying the properties of different combinations of materials, manufacturing them, then discussing with the greater audience through collaboration is something that we will be doing almost every day.

F ull Project Description

Seismic and Electrical Geophysics to Find Boundaries of Glaciofluvial Aquifer in East Central Illinois

Jason Thomason, Riley Balikian, and Kisa Mwakanyamale

Project Description : Student(s) will acquire geophysical data in the field and carry out basic processing of geospatial and geophysical data. This includes a significant amount of time outside in the summer heat doing fairly labor-intensive work. It will also include time doing processing of geospatial data using geographic information systems (GIS) software and may include processing of seismic data and some electrical data, depending on background and training of student. The exact research project(s) will depend on the interest of the student(s) but have in the past included synthesis of multiple datasets to delineate aquifer boundaries in 3D, comparison of ambient seismic (HVSR) datasets to existing data, and spatial analysis of existing well and 1D data to determine subsurface (hydro)geologic properties at specific sites. Student(s) will be trained on software, skills, and geologic background, and geophysical techniques. Student(s) will be part of a team of 1-4 other students.

Student Information: Much of the time will be spent acquiring data in the field, so student(s) will need to have the ability to carry equipment in field conditions. Travel to/from sites is taken care of by ISGS/PRI. When not in the field, student(s) will analyze data in a geographic information system (GIS) software and software specific to the geophysical method. Basic knowledge of geospatial data and earth sciences is preferred. Background in python will help with data processing but is not required. Subject matter includes seismic geophysics (acoustic waves) and electrical geophysics.

Number of positions available: 2-4

Study of Spatial Visualization Training Effectiveness for Engineers

Dr. Brian Woodard

Project Description: Decades of research involving many thousands of participants has consistently shown that spatial skills are one of the strongest predictors of future success in STEM coursework and STEM careers independent of math and verbal ability. Fortunately, research also shows that visuospatial skills are malleable, and individuals may need different methods to practice and improve their skills. For example, a series of studies showed that gender differences in STEM education could be reduced by enhancing visuospatial skills through computerized training that involves different forms of practice in solving visuospatial problems. Based on this background information, The Grainger College of Engineering has been offering an elective spatial visualization training course for first-year students since 2019. Data have been collected regarding these students’ spatial visualization abilities before and immediately after the course. Additionally, a large dataset is available showing the long-term impact of the training course on these students’ success in their subsequent STEM courses. Data organization, analysis, and visualizations are needed to investigate and publicize these efforts, illustrating the impact of this particular course and the importance of spatial visualization skills more generally in STEM.

Student Information: A successful student for this project will have an interest in Engineering Education research. Skills with programming for organizing datasets and creating visualizations are required. Experience with CAD (preferably NX), a rendering program like Blender, and other visualization programs (like Photoshop, Inkscape, etc.) are also beneficial.

Tailored Interfaces in Frontally Cured Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset Composites

Dr. Nancy Sottos and Tyler Price

Material Science & Engineering

Project Description: Frontal curing is a rapid, energy-efficient manufacturing process for producing high volume fraction thermoset composites. In frontal curing, the heat generated from an exothermic reaction is sufficient to overcome losses to the environment and reinforcement, allowing a self-sustaining linear front to propagate through the material and rapidly convert liquid monomer into solid thermoset polymer matrix. In this work, we utilize continuous carbon fiber reinforcement and frontally cure a matrix of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) with Grubb’s second-generation catalyst and a phosphite inhibitor. We evaluate the strength of the interface formed in frontally cured carbon/pDCPD composites using the single fiber fragmentation test (SFFT). In SFFT, a tensile specimen with a continuous, stiff reinforcing fiber parallel to the loading axis is incrementally loaded to repeatedly fracture the fiber. We use birefringence to observe the fiber’s fragmentation until the number of fragments saturates. The number and length of fragments at saturation is related to the interfacial shear strength through a shear lag analysis. Ongoing work seeks to improve the interfacial adhesion in frontally cured carbon/pDCPD composites to match the performance of traditional high- performance carbon/epoxy composites.

As an undergraduate research assistant, you will participate in the design, manufacturing, testing, and analysis of frontally cured composites. You will observe how engineering (e.g. pre-tension, pre/post-cure cycles) and chemical (e.g. comonomers, fiber treatment) approaches impact their manufacturability and interfacial strength. In addition, you will characterize properties of the composite that are influenced by interfacial adhesion such as short beam interlaminar shear strength.

Student Information: We are seeking a student who is interested in learning about composite interfaces, mechanical characterization and polymer composite manufacturing. Experience with LabVIEW and a background in polymer science are preferred, but not required. The student should be comfortable handling chemicals and operating mechanical testing equipment and optical microscopes

Turbulence and metamaterials: fluid-structure interaction for flow control

Dr. Theresa Saxton-Fox, Elizabeth Torres De Jesus and Nissrine Aziz

Project Description: Students will help design and execute experiments to study the fluid-structure interaction of turbulent flows passing over solid surfaces that are designed to respond in unusual ways to the fluid. We will understand how the fluid and solid motions can be coupled and how we can use that coupling to reduce flow disturbances.

Student Information: Knowledge of CAD may be useful, as students may need to help design new testing configurations. Some background in solid and fluid mechanics is helpful but not a requirement. Willingness to work independently and a strong ability to problem solve are very helpful.

Visualizing Invisible Wireless Signals

We are developing a mixed-reality app that can visualize wireless signals between WiFi devices in homes and buildings and their interaction with objects and people in the environment—desired expertise: blender, unity, familiarity with LiDar and Mesh reconstruction algorithms. If you’re interested in this project, please take a look at this paper ( https://meghanclark.com/uploads/papers/clark21xrshark.pdf ).

Estimating Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Emissions over Lifecycle

Dr. Elle Wroblewski

• Understanding aircraft emissions
• Understanding commercial air travel
• Mathematics Competancy SIMULATED EXPERIMENT ON A COMPUTER INVOLVES:
• Work on extending the capabilities of a collaborator’s program which calculates aircraft emissions over missions
• Use simulated hybrid-electric aircraft performance predictions to evaluate viability of aircraft with sustainable retrofit drivetrains
• Validate predictions with literature and data
• Debugging code
• Validating changes to code
• Student-suggested topics of investigation RESEARCH TOPIC AREAS – LEARNING AREAS
• Programming
• Aircraft emissions in atmosphere and during taxi
• Aircraft routing and airport infrastructure
• Electrical power draw and powerplants
• Regional air infrastructure
• Climate impact investigation
• Aircraft emissions estimation, electric grid emissions estimation
• Technical writing
• Time management

Illinois Office of Undergraduate Research

• undergraduate research week

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Undergraduate research apprentice program (urap @ ui) - undergrad applications.

Program Description

The Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program ( URAP@UI ) offers undergraduate students with little or no research experience the opportunity to assist advanced graduate students with their research projects. Through a one-on-one research experience with their graduate student mentor, undergraduate students will have the opportunity to learn what it means to do research, create knowledge, and produce scholarship.

Undergraduate students selected to be part of the program will begin work with their mentors in Spring 2021. As part of the program, students will (1) attend regular weekly class meetings (GC 295, Introduction to Undergraduate Research, 3 credit hours) with OUR/Grad College instructors; and (2) work one-on-one with their graduate mentors, an average of 5-6 hours per week. As part of the course requirement, students will complete a final project, consisting of a poster, to be presented during the Undergraduate Research Symposium, an annual event sponsored by OUR. Please note that due to COVID19, GC295 course sections will be online . Also, in their project abstracts, graduate student mentors have indicated whether work with their undergraduate mentees will be: in-person preferred, open to discussion (whether remote or in-person), or remote preferred.  Any in-person research work must meet all campus and unit safety protocols . For more information on undergraduate research during the pandemic, please see our COVID19 guidelines here . 

For more information about URAP, including graduate project abstracts , and how to apply to the program, please visit our website: http://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/programs/urap.html

Informational Meetings

Get tips on creating a good statement of interest, why you should participate, and get your questions answered at our Informational meetings. Meetings will be held over Zoom on the following dates:

• September 8 from 2 - 3pm: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/98295467560?pwd=cVFQRGJYSDNkczhyUjB4S3Q2K3Bndz09 (password: URAP)
• September 16 from 2 - 3pm: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/91680677874?pwd=RXczcTVsS1U3TUhYN0pMYWlmWG5Kdz09 (password: URAP)
• September 25 from 2 - 3pm: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/95758308557?pwd=RlBxYzVaMmJUckdrNUU1NXFpMGtLZz09 (password: URAP)

Application Deadline

Deadline for applications is October 9, 2020 at 11:59pm.

For more information and to apply, please visit: http://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/programs/urap.html

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USC Undergraduate Research Associates Program

USC is one of only 146 Research I (RU/VH) universities among the 4,000 institutions of higher education in the United States. Undergraduate education at a research university offers special opportunities to students that are not available in other academic institutions. The ability to integrate research activities with professional and liberal education provides USC with a distinctive model of undergraduate education that sets us apart from other institutions.

The basic idea of learning as inquiry is the same as the idea of research. Even though advanced research generally occurs at the graduate level, undergraduates can also learn by performing research. In the sciences and social sciences, undergraduates can become junior members of the research teams that now engage professors and graduate students. In the humanities, undergraduates should have the opportunity to work with primary materials, perhaps linked to their professor’s research projects. As undergraduates advance through a program, their learning experiences should become closer and closer to the activity of the graduate student. By the senior year, the able undergraduate should be ready for research of the same character and roughly the same complexity as the first-year graduate student. The research university needs to make that zone of transition from senior to graduate student easy to enter and easy to cross. For those students who do not continue on to graduate school, the ability to identify, analyze, and resolve problems will prove invaluable in professional life and in citizenship. (Boyer Commission Report, 1998)

Providing support for collaborative research between undergraduate students and faculty members is best accomplished through approaches that blur the distinction between research and teaching. Such approaches should maximize faculty participation and enhance the learning experience of students.

The Undergraduate Research Associates Program is administered by the USC Office of Academic Programs. The goal of this program is to provide resources that enable faculty to integrate undergraduates into their scholarly and professional activities.

Faculty engaged in research with undergraduate students are invited to submit proposals to the Office of Undergraduate Education for additional funding by Thursday, February 22, 2024. The funding period covered by this Call for Proposals is July 2024 through June 2025. Student stipends will be disbursed by the Office of Academic Programs, and all stipend requests must be submitted by the end of the Spring 2025 semester. Students are encouraged to apply for multiple sources of funding (e.g. URAP, SOAR, SURF) but can only receive funding from one source in a given term.

Current Grant Period

Summer 2024 (July and August only), Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Summer 2025 (May and June only)

Application and Guidelines 

Application process and deadline.

Proposals should be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Education no later than Thursday, February 22, 2024. The funding period covered by this Call for Proposals is July 2024 through June 2025 (funding requests due by the end of the Spring semester). Students are encouraged to apply for multiple sources of funding (e.g. URAP, SOAR, SURF) but can only receive funding from one source in a given term.

Complete proposals will include:

• Faculty Proposal Application. (link to https://provost.sma.usc.edu/prog/urap )
• Description of the research projects or collaborations in which the individual undergraduate students will participate.
• Clear definition of the role of the undergraduate researcher(s), including the number of hours per week that students are expected to spend in the research. (For a semester stipend of $1,500, eight to ten hours per week for at least 10 weeks is typical. For a summer stipend of $3,000, twenty hours or more per week for at least eight weeks is typical.)
• The process and criteria for selecting student researchers, which will assure that students who participate in these projects have demonstrated academic excellence, are well suited to the project structure and content, and will benefit academically from the experience.
• Details regarding oversight and supervision by the proposing faculty.
• Discussion of the integrative and/or group activities in which the undergraduate researchers will engage.
• Nature of the final research report that will be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Education by each participating student(s).
• Budget. (See the criteria noted in Guidelines)

Proposals are solicited from USC faculty in all disciplines to support undergraduate students as members of faculty research teams. Proposals may be submitted by individual faculty members or by groups. Limited funding may also be available as matching funds for departmental undergraduate research initiatives.

Projects may be proposed for individual students or for student teams. Within specific proposals, members of a faculty group may choose to work individually with students and share responsibility for the group components of the project (see below). Special consideration will be given to proposals that supplement existing external grants in order to support undergraduate researchers.

Funding is not provided for students registered in directed research courses, for graduate research assistants, or for projects in which undergraduate researchers will be supervised exclusively by graduate students.

• Students will be paid in the form of research stipends, which are regarded as merit-based financial aid. The standard stipend for an academic semester is $1,500, assuming an average of eight to ten hours of student research per week. The standard summer stipend is $3,000, assuming an average of at least twenty hours of student research per week for at least eight weeks. Awards per proposal are limited to a maximum of $6,000 (limited to $3000 per student per academic year). Please note that students hired as undergraduate researchers in this program cannot simultaneously receive additional funding from the USC Provost’s Research Fellowship, Student Opportunities for Academic Research program (SOAR), or Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF).
• The period covered by the current Call for Proposals is July 2024 through June 2025. Student stipends will be disbursed by the Office of Academic Programs, and all stipends must be paid by the end of the Spring 2025 semester. Faculty members who hire students for summer research (May and June 2025) must submit student information by the end of the Spring semester.
• In addition to students’ individual involvement in research activities, projects should generally include some regular integrative or group activity. Examples of such activities are research seminars, colloquia, and participation in regional or national conferences. As part of their research experience, students are expected to receive training in ethical issues (e.g., human subjects training where appropriate) and in relevant forms of information retrieval and scholarly communication.
• Each undergraduate research project should culminate with an appropriate report of the completed work (for example, a formal research paper, poster presentation, or similar demonstration of scholarly or creative accomplishments). All examples of student work should be submitted to the Office of Academic Programs before the end of the Spring 2025 semester. Failure to submit a research report will result in ineligibility for future funding.
• Undergraduate students must be enrolled in at least 12 units in the upcoming Fall or Spring semesters.
• Undergraduate students whose degrees have been posted are ineligible to receive URAP funds.
• Progressive Degree students are ineligible to receive URAP funds.
• All full-time students who receive financial aid must consult with their financial aid counselor before they agree in receiving a URAP payment. In addition, they must update their current address (with their apartment number) on MyUSC/OASIS at the beginning of the semester or the month prior working on a URAP project.

Funding Criteria

A faculty panel will review proposals and funding decisions will be made on the basis of the following criteria:

• The quality of the proposed research project.
• The level of educational benefit to the undergraduate research assistants.
• Proposing faculty’s previous experience working with undergraduates, particularly in a research and/or collaborative environment.
• The extent to which the project involves collaboration among faculty, particularly across academic units and/or disciplines.

Proposals that are project-based extensions of existing courses are not likely to be funded.

At least 90% of the project budget must be devoted to student research stipends.

At most 10% of the budget may be for materials and supplies.

Illinois Office of Undergraduate Research

Find a Researcher

• Find Undergraduate Researchers

Need an undergraduate researcher?

The Office of Undergraduate Research can help faculty recruit Illinois undergraduates to work in their research groups. Submit your research opportunity using the link provided: https://go.illinois.edu/submitopportunity , and we will post the opportunity in the Research Opportunities for students.

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UIC Aspire grant offers free tuition, fees for incoming students

September 3, 2024

For some students joining UIC next fall, their tuition and mandatory fees will be free, thanks to a new grant program that aims to make higher education more affordable and accessible.

The UIC Aspire grant will cover the cost of tuition and mandatory fees for new UIC students who meet residency and income requirements starting fall 2025. The program reflects UIC’s mission to provide the broadest possible access to the highest levels of educational, research and clinical excellence.

“This tuition-free program is a game-changer for underserved students, covering all tuition and fees to ensure that financial barriers don’t stand in the way of their dreams,” UIC Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda said. “Access to higher education is essential for building a more equitable society. We are so very excited about the vast opportunities that UIC Aspire will unlock for students and their families.”

Incoming students will be considered automatically for the grant after completing the FAFSA form, the federal student aid application. The award will fill the gap between Pell and MAP grants to cover the cost of tuition and fees.

To qualify for the grant, students must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
• Be an Illinois resident.
• Have a family income and assets of $75,000 or less.
• Be admitted as a new first-year or transfer student.
• Be an undergraduate seeking their first bachelor’s degree.
• Enroll in at least 12 credit hours per semester.

The grant program will expand access to UIC’s transformational education, said Kiely Fletcher, vice provost for enrollment management.

“By being able to offer $0 tuition to students from day one, we’re able to make the cost of attendance transparent to students and parents at the start and put the UIC mission of providing a wide range of students with the opportunity for a quality education into action,” Fletcher said.

Students are eligible to receive the UIC Aspire grant for a maximum of four academic years, and they are not required to live on campus to be eligible for the program. Scholarships and other aid, such as student loans, could be used toward housing and other college costs like food or books.

Prospective students and families can find answers to frequently asked questions on the UIC Aspire website and can learn more at the UIC Open House Sept. 21.

Christy Levy 312-996-0662 [email protected]

Campus , Students , UIC today

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