For Students - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions
UMD undergraduates can become involved in faculty-mentored research in a number of ways. Some students join a research program like FIRE or Gemstone at the time they matriculate, but there are numerous other pathways to getting involved in research as a UMD undergraduate. Students may conduct research through participating in independent study and Vertically Integrated Projects (VIPs) courses, or they may complete a capstone or honors project. The university also offers a number of research programs during the summer months and academic year (including our office’s IRIE and SPIRE programs), and numerous students also get involved in research projects with individual faculty members by responding to listings in our ForagerOne database of research opportunities or contacting faculty independently. Beyond the UMD campus, UMD students also participate in research at other universities and at research institutes, government agencies, and private companies.
Additional Resources:
Our office provides listings of on- and off-campus research programs; visit our student support website and click on the “UMD Programs” and “Beyond UMD Resources” tabs.
For an in-depth discussion of pathways to research involvement, we suggest enrolling in our office’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities and Competencies (UROC) open learning resource.



