Undergraduate Students

Estudiantes Universitarios de Licienciatura

For undergraduates, research opportunities exist during the academic year for CU-Boulder students, and during the summer for students from CU-Boulder and institutions nation-wide.

Academic Year Research Opportunities

Oportunidades para Investigaciones Durante el Año Escolar

During the academic year, students may apply for funding to pursue entry-level or advanced undergraduate research through a variety of programs. Students typically spend 8 - 10 hours per week in a lab participating in a research project with a faculty mentor and a team of scientists. For most programs, students are required to submit a final report or poster of their research results. Some programs provide travel funds to allow students to present their research findings at a national conference.

The following programs support undergraduate research throughout the academic year:

NIH/HHMI Scholars Program for Diversity in Biosciences
Jointly funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the NIH/HHMI Scholars Program supports underrepresented and/or first generation, low-income undergraduates in bioscience fields. Students who are admitted receive a partial tuition scholarship and an hourly wage to participate in a comprehensive, multi-year research program. Both entry-level and advanced research opportunities are available.

Bioscience Undergrad Research Skills and Training program (BURST)
CU-Boulder's Biological Sciences Initiative offers an hourly wage to undergraduates interested in gaining entry-level research experience in bioscience areas through the BURST program. Students may earn $2,000 - $2,500 during an academic year or summer.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program provides funding to undergraduates to engage in research and creative work across all CU-Boulder academic disciplines. Students must be full-time and in good standing to apply for UROP funds.

Summer Undergraduate Research Internships

Prácticas de Investigaciones Durante el Verano

Summer Multicultural Access to Research Training (SMART) Program
The SMART program offers ten-week research internships for historically underserved undergraduates in science and engineering each summer. The internships provide hands-on experience in research and an introduction to graduate education at a major research institution. Under the guidance of a faculty mentor, interns design, carry out, and formally present research projects in their area of interest. Interns earn upper division credit, and receive all expenses and stipend. Application deadline is mid-February.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates
Several NSF funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs allow students to actively participate in research in a particular field. Students engage in faculty-supervised research and receive a stipend, travel, and living expenses. CU-Boulder currently has REU programs in the following areas:

• Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution (Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)
• Environmental Fluids: Science, Accessment, and Treatment (Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering)
• Functional Materials Science and Engineering (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
• Liquid Crystals (Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center)
• Physics (Department of Physics)
• Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology (Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology Center)

Summer Research - Early Identification Program (SR-EIP)
CU Boulder is a proud member of The Leadership Alliance, which offers undergraduate opportunities through the Summer Research - Early Identification Program.