Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Undergraduate research is a great way to dive into topics you’re passionate about while building important skills like problem-solving and critical thinking. It lets you explore new ideas, make cool discoveries, and even shape your future career. Plus, it’s an awesome chance to get hands-on experience and see how what you’re learning in class applies to real-world problems! The University of Utah has a wealth of research opportunities for undergraduates.
Many of these programs are for the University of Utah. If you’re interested in working with an ESS faculty member, here are ways you can get in touch: talk to faculty or graduate TAs after class, stop by office hours, send an email, or visit our ESS faculty page to see faculty members’ research areas of interest.
ESS Research Opportunities
ESS Postdoctoral Research Associate Susana Velásquez-Franco is seeking 2-3 students interested in working on mineralogy, geochemistry, volcanic signatures, and vegetation reconstruction using pollen grains from tropical dry forests, cloud forests, and rainforests. These positions are unpaid but open for Summer and Fall. We strongly encourage students to apply for funding through the UROP program (the Summer application is open until March 7th). Reach out to Susana with any questions!
Revealing Environmental Change Through Lake’s Memory
Natural wetlands can be seen as environmental sensors, holding long-term memories of past conditions. These memories can extend short-term instrumental records, facilitating a long-term perspective for land use and land management planning strategies.
Students joining this Stream research will learn:
- Utilize Natural History Museum collections as a reference for organism identification, taxonomy, and ecological studies
- Use the lake’s records to understand climate and environmental change
- Explore the legacy of ecological disturbances, including past wildfires in the face of climate variability and climate change
- Field and laboratory methods to study sedimentary environments
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP)
The Office of Undergraduate Research's UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program) gives students a $1,200 stipend and educational support while they help with a professor’s research or creative project—or even work on their own project with a professor’s guidance. You can apply for UROP every semester, and you may be able to renew it for another semester.
Check out the UROP website for info on deadlines, eligibility, what’s expected from students and mentors, and a list of current Spring 2025 UROP Scholars.
Summer 2025 deadlines are coming up! Student applications are due by Friday, March 7th, and the mentor reference is due by Friday, March 14th.
Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund (SCIF)
The Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund (SCIF) is the University of Utah’s green grant program. Grants are awarded to projects that enhance the sustainability of the U’s campus and community. SCIF encourages ideas that operate at the crossroads of academics and operations and work to facilitate collaborative efforts among various members of the campus community. Students, faculty, and staff from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. SCIF applications are open now.
Undergraduate Research Symposiums
Each semester, the Office of Undergraduate Research puts on the Undergraduate Research Symposia (URS). It’s a chance for University of Utah students working with faculty mentors to showcase their research in a scholarly setting, where they can present their work to fellow students, faculty, and other members of the U community. Undergraduates from all fields at the U are welcome to present their research and creative projects.
The spring symposia is open to in-person poster presentations, oral presentations, and creative presentations and will take place on Wednesday, April 2nd at the Union building. The registration deadline is March 9th.
The summer symposia will be on Thursday, July 31st at the Alumni House. This symposia is for in-person poster presentations only.
CSBS Research Day
CSBS Research Day will be held on April 23rd in Gardner Commons room 2900. Undergraduate and graduate students are welcome. More details to come!
Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR)
SPUR is a competitive program that offers undergraduates a 10-week summer research experience with a University of Utah professor. It’s a great chance to dive into research across different fields and get hands-on experience. Applications typically open November 1st and close in late January.
Interested in applying next year? Check out 2025 projects here and learn more about the application process. This year, Dr. Jennifer Follstad Shah's SPUR project is on climate anxiety amongst undergraduates.
Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) Resources
OUR Research Opportunity Database:
Check out dynamic research opportunities with faculty at the U. Opportunities may be paid, volunteer, for a senior/honors thesis, or for independent study credit or course credit. Faculty can also post research opportunities in this database.
OUR Funding Fridays:
The Office of Undergraduate Research's Funding Fridays are a weekly workshop for undergraduate researchers applying for OUR funding (UROP, SPUR, Travel & Small Grants and other opportunities). This is a drop-in and work session space for students to get information about applying for opportunities (in-person in SILL Center room 005 or on Zoom). This event will take place on Fridays through the spring semester (January 10th - April 18th, 1pm-3pm).
Opportunities with The Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy
The Wilkes Center offers undergraduate funding through the Wilkes Scholars Program, as well as Research and Conference Travel Awards.
Wilkes Scholar Program:
The Wilkes Scholars Program (WSP) gives outstanding undergraduate students the chance to tackle important climate issues facing our state, region, and world through transformative research. As a Wilkes Scholar, you’ll team up with a mentor to advance research related to the mission of the Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy — catalyzing innovative science and solutions to address climate change.
Research and Conference Travel Awards:
The Wilkes Center Research and Conference Travel Award (RCTA) helps both grad and undergrad students cover travel costs for either conducting research or presenting their climate science and policy research at a conference.
Attending a conference also offers great networking opportunities that could lead to future research or job connections. The award offers up to $500 to cover eligible expenses.
This is a one-time award, so students can only receive it once during their academic career. Funds are given out on a first-come, first-served basis.
Stay tuned for more research opportunities! If you're
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