STUDENT SUPPORT

Opportunities with University System of Maryland Partners

The table below lists undergraduate research opportunities offered by partners within the University System of Maryland.

Type	Partner and Location	Opportunity Name	Description
Summer Internship Program	University of Maryland Extension, Various Locations	Workforce Development and Extension Internship Program	The Workforce Development and Extension Internship is a ten-week full-time summer experiential learning and professional development opportunity for undergraduate students interested in a career in agriculture and natural resources.
Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP)	University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore (Supported by MPower)	UM Scholars Program	This MPower-supported summer program offers participating University of Maryland, College Park undergraduates the opportunity to contribute to biomedical research projects led by faculty researchers at the School of Medicine.
Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP)	Maryland Department of Health, Baltimore, and University of Maryland, Baltimore (Supported by MPower)	Summer Research Positions	This MPower-supported summer program provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Maryland, College Park to work on public health research with experts from the Maryland Department of Health and the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Volunteer Research Assistant Position	University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore	Volunteer Research Assistant Position, Laboratory of Professor Joseph Cheer	Student volunteers contribute to basic neuroscience research utilizing rodent models; applicants should be willing to devote at least 15-20 hours/week to work in the lab in the summer and 10 hours/week during the academic year. To inquire, send an email and attached resume to Professor Cheer.

Opportunities in the United States

The table below lists undergraduate research opportunities within the United States.

Program Name	State	Full Location Information	Description
Food and Drug Administration National Center for Toxicological Research Summer Student Research Program	AR	Jefferson, AR	This program provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to participate in translational scientific research used to guide decision-making at the Food and Drug Administration.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory Internships and Fellowships	CA	Pasadena, CA	These programs provide undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to undertake science and engineering research relevant to space exploration.
University of California at Los Angeles Summer Program for Undergraduate Research	CA	Los Angeles, CA	The University of California, Los Angeles offers a set of summer programs for undergraduates interested in research and doctoral study in a range of fields.
American Enterprise Institute Internships	DC	Washington, DC	Many internship positions provide opportunities to contribute to research into public policy and foreign policy issues.
Arms Control Association Research Internships	DC	Washington, DC	Among other duties, interns may conduct research into policy issues related to nuclear weapons and arms control.
Brookings Institution Internships	DC	Washington, DC	Some internships at the Brookings Insitution provide opportunities to contribute to the institution's research in the fields of economics, public policy, and international affairs.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Internship Program	DC	Washington, DC	Some interns at the Center contribute to its research work on fiscal policy, social policy, poverty, and related topics.
George Washington University Summer Program Advancing Research in Cancer	DC	Washington, DC	This program provides participants with the opportunity to contribute to research in the areas of cancer immunology and immunotherapy, cancer therapies and epigenetics, and cancer engineering and technology.
Institute for the Study of War Internships	DC	Washington, DC	The Institute offers some internships with a research focus; interns conducting research examine topics related to national security and ongoing and potential military conflicts.
Institute for Women's Policy Research Internship Program	DC	Washington, DC	Some internships at the Institute provide opportunities to contribute to research on topics like women's political participation, poverty, and family policy.
Library of Congress Internships	DC	Washington, DC	The Library of Congress offers a wide range of undergraduate internships, some of which provide research opportunities.
National Academy of Social Insurance Internships	DC	Washington, DC	These internships enable students to work with a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance at an organization conducting work related to social policy; some internships have a research focus.
National Gallery of Art Internship Program	DC	Washington, DC and online (hybrid model).	This program offers participating undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to work within a department of the National Gallery; some positions offer opportunities to support research into art held in the National Gallery's collections.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Internships	DC	Washington, DC	Some interns may have opportunities to contribute to the museum's research work related to the Holocaust.
Georgia Institute of Technology Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering and Science	GA	Atlanta, GA	Seeking to improve graduate school access for members of groups underrepresented in science and engineering, this program provides summer research opportunities on the Georgia Tech campus.
American Bar Association Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program	IL	Chicago, IL	This program offers summer research opportunities to a diverse cohort of undergraduates interested in pursuing careers in law and social science.
Purdue University Summer Research Opportunities Program	IN	West Lafayette, IN	A program designed to improve access to graduate school for members of groups underrepresented in the graduate student population, this program offers undergraduates summer research opportunities in a wide range of fields.
Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital Four Directions Summer Research Program	MA	Boston, MA	This summer program provides students committed to the health of Native American communities with opportunities to undertake research with faculty at Harvard Medical School.
Historic Deerfield Summer Fellowship Program in Early American History and Material Culture	MA	Deerfield, MA	Fellows in this program spend a portion of their time conducting research on topics relevant to the history and material culture of New England.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Summer Research Program	MA	Cambridge, MA	With the aim of promoting diversity and inclusion within graduate education and research, this program provides summer research opportunities in a range of fields for undergraduates.
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Diversity Summer Internship Program	MD	Baltimore, MD	This summer program provides a diverse cohort of undergraduates interested in public health and the biomedical sciences with the opportunity to conduct graduate-level research.
Johns Hopkins University Laboratory for Child Development Internships	MD	Baltimore, MD	Summer interns participate in all aspects of the lab's research projects relating to child development, including testing subjects and data analysis.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Summer Internship Program	MD	Baltimore, MD	This summer internship program provides a diverse cohort of undergraduates with research opportunities in public health and the biomedical sciences.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Internship Program	MD	Locations across MD.	The Maryland Department of Natural Resources offers internships, some of which provide research opportunities.
National Institutes of Health Department of Bioethics Post-Baccalaureate Fellowships	MD	Bethesda, MD	Open to recent graduates, this program provides fellows with opportunities to examine ethical questions raised by clinical practice, medical research, health care policy, and related topics.
National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program	MD	Bethesda, MD	This program, which requires a commitment to post-graduation work at the National Institutes of Health, provides summer research internships and scholarships to students from less advantaged backgrounds with a strong interest in health-related issues and biomedical, behavioral, and social science.
Space Telescope Science Institute Space Astronomy Summer Program	MD	Baltimore, MD	This program offers undergraduates a range of opportunities to contribute to the work of the Space Telescope Science Institute; some opportunities involve contributing to astrophysics research projects.
Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship	MN	Rochester, MN	This program provides participants with biomedical research opportunities.
University of Missouri-Columbia Summer Undergraduate Research Programs	MO	Columbia, MO	The University of Missouri-Columbia offers multiple summer programs that provide intensive summer research experiences for undergraduates interested in a range of fields.
American Association of Medical Colleges Member Undergraduate Research Programs	Multiple.	Locations across the US.	Many members of the American Association of Medical Colleges host summer research programs for undergraduates interested in biomedical research and related fields; this site provides a listing of these programs.
American Gastroenterological Association Undergraduate Research Awards	Multiple.	Locations across the US.	These programs, which serve students from groups traditionally underrepresented in biomedical research, provide support for undergraduates who wish to conduct research related to gastroenterology.
Amgen Scholars Program	Multiple.	Locations across the US.	This program offers summer research opportunities for undergraduates with interests in the biomedical sciences, bioengineering, and other STEM fields.
Association of Public Health Laboratories-Centers for Disease Control Environmental Public Health Lab Fellowships	Multiple.	Locations across the US.	This opportunity, for which recent graduates are eligible, enables participants to contribute to research work in public health science.
Big Ten Academic Alliance Summer Research Opportunities Program	Multiple.	Multiple Big Ten universities.	This program seeks to improve graduate school access for groups underrepresented in graduate education by providing undergraduates with intensive summer research experiences in many different fields.
California Institute of Technology Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships	Multiple.	Pasadena, CA; Hanford, WA; and Livingston Parish, LA	This summer program enables undergraduates to participate in gravitational-wave astronomy research.
Conserve, Dashboard for Agricultural Water Use and Nutrient Management, and Global FEW(Food, Energy, and Water)ture Alliance Summer Internships	Multiple.	College Park, MD; Kalamazoo, MI; and elsewhere.	These summer internships, many of which have a research focus, support projects related to agriculture, food and water safety, public health, and climate resilience; the Global FEW(Food, Energy, and Water)ture Alliance also has research internship positions available outside the US in Israel and Tanzania.
EarthScope Consortium Research Experience in Solid Earth Sciences for Students	Multiple.	Boulder, CO and Socorro, NM	Seeking to make the geosciences more diverse and inclusive, this summer program provides summer research opportunities for a diverse cohort of undergraduates in the field.
Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program	Multiple.	Bar Harbor, ME and Farmington, CT	This program offers a diverse cohort of undergraduates the opportunity to contribute to research projects in genetics and genomics.
Leadership Alliance Summer Research Early Identification Program	Multiple.	Locations across the US.	The Leadership Alliance promotes the further diversification of the research workforce in the United States by providing summer research opportunities for students in many fields.
Library of Congress Junior Fellows Summer Internship Program	Multiple.	Washington, DC or remote.	Undergraduate and graduate students participating in this program organize, preserve, and research materials drawn from the library's collections.
Maternal Child Health Careers/Research Initiatives for Student Enhancement Undergraduate Program; Kennedy Krieger Institute and Partner Institutions	Multiple.	Baltimore, MD; Davis, California; and elsewhere.	This program supports a diverse cohort of undergraduates interested in leadership roles in fields addressing maternal and child health; as part of the program, participants engage in public health research.
National Archives and Records Administration Internship Programs	Multiple.	Locations across the US.	Interns assume a range of responsibilities; in some cases, they may be involved in responding to research inquiries from individuals working with the archive materials.
National Institute of Standards and Technology Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship	Multiple.	Gaithersburg, MD; Boulder, CO; and online.	This program offers students opportunities to participate in research relating to communications technology, information technology, and other areas relevant to the National Institute of Standards and Technology's work.
National Institutes of Health Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research	Multiple.	Locations across the US.	This program offers undergraduate and graduate students intensive summer research experiences in the biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hollings Scholarships	Multiple.	Locations across the US.	This program offers extensive summer research opportunities related to climate change, coastal restoration, and numerous other issues; it also offers academic scholarships.
National Radio Astronomy Observatory Summer Student Research Assistantships	Multiple.	Socorro, NM; Green Bank, WV; and Charlottesville, VA	The National Radio Astronomy Observatory offers opportunities for undergraduates to conduct summer astronomy research.
National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates	Multiple.	Locations across the US.	The National Science Foundation funds hundreds of undergraduate summer research programs in STEM and social science fields at colleges and universities.
Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program	Multiple.	Locations across the US.	This program offers summer internships in Navy research laboratories to undergraduates and graduate students.
Smithsonian Institution Internship Program	Multiple.	Washington, DC; New York City; and elsewhere.	The Smithsonian Institution offers numerous internship opportunities, including research-focused internships in fields including art history, natural history, and folklore.
US Department of Energy Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship	Multiple.	Locations across the US.	This fellowship provides undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields with opportunities to conduct research related to clean energy at the headquarters and other facilities of the Department of Energy.
US Department of Energy Scholars Program	Multiple.	Locations across the US.	This program provides opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates to work in research and other positions designed to introduce them to the work of the Department of Energy.
US Department of Energy Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship	Multiple.	Locations across the US.	This program offers undergraduate students summer and academic-year research internships at Department of Energy laboratories.
American Political Science Association Ralph Bunche Summer Institute	NC	Durham, NC	Held at Duke University, this institute offers students from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in political science and/or with interests in pursuing scholarship on historically marginalized groups to explore graduate study in political science through coursework and research opportunities.
Princeton University Art Museum Summer Internships	NJ	Princeton, NJ	The Princeton University Art Museum offers internships for undergraduate and graduate students; numerous internships involve researching the provenance of works in the museum's collection and/or conducting other forms of research.
Rutgers University Research-Intensive Summer Experience Program	NJ	New Brunswick, NJ	This program offers a diverse cohort of undergraduates opportunities to participate in research in a wide range of fields.
Rutgers University Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Undergraduate Research Program in Neuroscience	NJ	Piscataway, NJ	The program provides summer neuroscience research opportunities to participating undergraduates.
American Museum of Natural History Anthropology Internship Program	NY	New York, NY	The program provides undergraduate internships in the spring, fall, and summer; some of these internships offer opportunities to work with curatorial staff on research projects in archeaology, ethnology, and biological anthropology.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Undergraduate Research Program	NY	Cold Spring Harbor, NY	Participants in this program contribute to research projects in fields including genetics and genomics, neuroscience, and plant biology.
Columbia University Business School Summer Research Internship Program	NY	New York, NY	This program provides opportunities for undergraduates to work with Columbia Business School faculty on research related to finance, economics, accounting, and like topics.
Gateways to the Laboratory Summer Program; Weill Cornell Medicine, Rockefeller University, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	NY	New York, NY	Focused on undergraduates from groups underrepresented in medicine and science, this program offers participants the opportunity to work in a biomedical research lab at Weill Cornell Medicine, the Rockefeller University, or Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Gerstner Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Mechanistic Biology Summer Program	NY	New York, NY	This summer program offers research opportunities for undergraduates who intend to pursue a career in the biomedical sciences.
Metropolitan Museum of Art Internships	NY	New York, NY	The museum offers a number of internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students; some of these internships provide opportunities to engage in research related to the visual arts.
New York University Center for Neural Science Summer Undergraduate Research Program	NY	New York, NY	This program offers undergraduates opportunities to contribute to neuroscience research being conducted at New York University.
Pace University Undergraduate Psychology Summer Internship Program	NY	New York, NY	Pace University's New York City campus offers summer internships for students interested in graduate school in psychology and associated fields through its Counseling Center; participating students conduct research as one component of their internship experience.
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship	OH	Athens, OH	This summer program provides participating undergraduates with research opportunities in public health and the biomedical sciences.
University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business Summit@Wharton Program	PA	Philadelphia, PA	This two-day program seeks to introduce a diverse cohort of students to doctoral-level research in business.
University of Pittsburgh Center for Neuroscience Summer Undergraduate Research Program, University of Pittsburgh	PA	Pittsburgh, PA	This program offers undergraduates the opportunity to conduct neuroscience research under the supervision of University of Pittsburgh faculty.
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Program in Molecular Pharmacology	PA	Pittsburgh, PA	This summer program offers undergraduates the opportunity to be part of a biomedical research team.
Lunar and Planetary Institute Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science	TX	Houston, TX	This summer program provides research opportunities in planetary science for undergraduates.
University of Texas-Austin Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering Undergraduate Research Internship	TX	Austin, TX	This program provides summer research internships in petroleum and geosystems engineering.
Virginia Working Landscapes/Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Internships	VA	Front Royal, VA	Interns participate in field research on topics related to grassland biodiversity.
National Bureau of Asian Research Ellings Korduba Research Fellowship	WA	Seattle, WA	This summer program offers participating graduate and advanced undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct policy-relevant research related to the US's relationships with Asian countries.
Washington State University Institute for Shock Physics Summer Undergraduate Research Experience	WA	Pullman, WA	This program provides undergraduates in physical science and engineering with opportunities to study the responses of materials to extreme conditions.

Opportunities Around the World

The table below lists undergraduate research opportunities outside the United States.

Name	Country	Full Location Information	Description
Fields Institute Undergraduate Summer Research Program	Canada	Toronto, Canada	This program provides undergraduates from around the world with the opportunity to undertake mathematical research under the supervision of scholars connected to the Fields Institute.
Perimeter Institute Research Internships	Canada	Waterloo, Canada	These internships offer opportunities to undertake summer research in theoretical physics; interns also participate in a summer institute program.
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (German Academic Exchange Service) Research Internships in Science and Engineering	Germany	Multiple locations in Germany.	Participants in this summer internship program conduct science and engineering research at German universities.
RWTH Aachen University Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program International	Germany	Aachen, Germany	This program offers summer research opportunities in multiple fields.
EuroScholars	Multiple.	Leuven, Belgium; Leiden, The Netherlands; and Geneva, Switzerland	This study abroad program offers research opportunities to participants.
Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy and the Joint Institute for Very Long Baseline Interferometry in Europe Summer Research Program	The Netherlands	Dwingeloo, The Netherlands	This program provides summer research opportunities to students with backgrounds in fields including astronomy, physics, and computer science.
Vatican Observatory Summer School	Vatican City	Vatican City	The Vatican Observatory Summer School offers intensive summer instruction and data analysis opportunities in astronomy and astrophysics.

Events Beyond UMD

The table below lists opportunities for undergraduates to present research beyond UMD.

If you wish to contact a faculty member you don’t know well about a research opportunity in our database or possible openings within a research group, we recommend emailing them.

As you write your message, the overall goal is to craft a polished, succinct communication that clearly explains why you're interested in the faculty member's specific research project(s) and highlights the skills and academic background that you would bring to the work of a research assistant.

Can I Email Someone I Don't Know?

Yes!

Students often report finding the process stressful, especially when they wish to contact faculty members they have not previously met. It may be helpful to remember that all faculty members were in a position similar to yours at some point in their careers–they were interested in research. Still, they had relatively little or no actual research experience.

Remember another attribute you share with prospective faculty mentors: you’re both excited about developing knowledge and understanding in a field!

Important note: If the draft message could only be sent to the specific faculty member to whom it is addressed and could only have been authored by you, then you’re on the right path!

Here are a few additional suggestions:

We recommend sending the message from your official UMD e-mail account; it helps the faculty member know you are who you say you are and may also increase the odds of your message being read.
The message should include a clear subject line indicating your interest in research opportunities.
In your salutation, you should use the faculty member’s title and last name (e.g., “Dear Professor Jones”), rather than their first name.
The body of your e-mail should identify your major, class year, and the semester(s) in which you would be available to participate in research.
The faculty member may find it helpful if you attach a resume. The Career Center has helpful resources available if you need assistance preparing a resume.
As you develop your understanding of a faculty member’s research interests and projects, it will be useful to review a few of their academic publications as well as any information about their current projects available on UMD websites.

Faculty members sometimes make copies of academic journal articles and book chapters available directly on their personal websites or in the UMD library’s research repository. As a UMD student, you also have access to numerous databases that index scholarly publications and provide full-text access to these publications via the library website; if you encounter difficulties on the library website, they offer a convenient chat feature.
Think broadly about your experiences. Even if you have never been a research assistant before, you may have had other opportunities to demonstrate traits that are desirable in a research assistant (e.g., organization and detail orientation).
We recommend keeping your message relatively short. If you do not hear back after sending a message, we suggest waiting 10-14 days and then sending a polite follow-up.

If an opportunity doesn’t work out, we encourage you to continue exploring your options.

Sharing your work with your scholarly research community is one of the most important steps in your undergraduate research journey. Most often, undergraduate students' first experiences with research dissemination is through a research poster.

OUR has developed a guide to help provide an overview of the essential steps to creating an effective research poster.

Access The Research Poster Guide

UMD Undergraduate Research Journals

Name	Area(s) of Focus
BORDERS	Perspectives and insights on topics within the field of international relations.
Catalyst Research Journal	Undergraduate bioengineering and biomedical engineering research.
Janus: UMD Undergraduate History Journal	Historical research by undergraduates.
Paper Shell Review	Essays on literature by undergraduates.
Roshangar Undergraduate Persian Studies Journal	Articles on a variety of topics related to Iran and Persian studies.
Stylus	Creative works by undergraduate artists and authors.
Undergraduate Law Review at UMD	Legal research articles produced by UMD undergraduates after a mentored research process.

Undergraduate Research Journals Beyond UMD

Name	Area(s) of Focus
Al-Noor: The Boston College Middle Eastern Journal	Research relevant to the Middle East by undergraduate and graduate students.
Allegheny Review	Creative non-fiction, fiction, and poetry by undergraduates.
American Journal of Undergraduate Research	Undergraduate research in all fields.
Apollon EJournal for the Humanities	Undergraduate scholarship in the humanities.
Aporia	Undergraduate research in philosophy.
Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History	Historical scholarship by undergraduates.
BIOS: A Quarterly Journal of Biology	Biology research papers and articles about developments in biology, with a focus on publishing undergraduate research.
Columbia Journal of History	Historical scholarship by undergraduates.
Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal	Undergraduate research in scientific fields.
Consilience: The Journal of Sustainable Development	Research and other work related to sustainable development by students, faculty, and development practitioners.
Criterion	Scholarship on literature by undergraduates.
Developing Economist	Undergraduate research in economics and cognate fields.
Discussions: The Undergraduate Research Journal of Case Western University	Undergraduate research in all fields.
ECONPress	Undergraduate research in economics.
Episteme	Undergraduate scholarship in philosophy.
Forbes & Fifth	Undergraduate research, creative writing, and art.
Hemispheres: The Tufts University Journal of International Affairs	International affairs research by undergraduates.
History Matters: An Undergraduate Journal of Historical Research	Historical scholarship by undergraduates.
Illinois Wesleyan University Undergraduate Economic Review	Undergraduate research in economics.
Impulse	Undergraduate neuroscience research.
Inquiries Journal	Undergraduate and graduate student scholarship, primarily in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
International Journal of Exercise Science	Research in exercise science, with a requirement that all submitted manuscripts must have at least one student author.
Intersect: The Stanford Journal of Science, Technology, and Society	Undergraduate and graduate scholarship examining the interplay between social forces and scientific and technological developments.
International Collegiate Journal of Science	Research in science conducted by undergraduate and high school students.
Involve: A Journal of Mathematics	Mathematics research, with a requirement that all articles must be authored by at least one faculty member and one student.
Issues in Political Economy	Undergraduate research in economics.
Journal of Science and Health at the University of Alabama	Science and health research by undergraduates, with a preference for work done by students at the University of Alabama.
Journal of Young Investigators	Undergraduate research in scientific fields.
McGill Journal of Medicine	Medical and scientific research, with a focus on publishing work by student researchers.
Michigan Journal of Political Science	Political science research by undergraduates.
Modern Psychological Studies	Undergraduate research in psychology.
Oswald Review	Undergraduate criticism and research related to literature in English.
Pi Sigma Alpha Undergraduate Journal of Politics	Undergraduate research in political science.
Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research	Undergraduate, graduate student, and faculty research in psychology, with a particular focus on facilitating undergraduate publication and a requirement that at least one author must be a Psi Chi member.
Review of Undergraduate Research in Agriculture and Life Sciences	Undergraduate research in agriculture and life sciences.
Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal	Undergraduate research in mathematics.
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics: Undergraduate Research Online	Undergraduate research in industrial and applied math.
Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal	Undergraduate research in all fields.
Tulane Journal of Policy and Political Economy	Undergraduate research related to politics, economics, and public policy.
Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences	Undergraduate research in the human sciences.
Wittenberg University East Asian Studies Journal	Undergraduate research and creative work that engages with East Asia.
Young Scholars in Writing	Undergraduate research in composition and rhetoric.

UMD Programs & Services

Our campus partners offer a wide range of research-centered programs, internships, and other similar experiences. Some of these programs serve undergraduates from all disciplines, while others are more specialized.

All Disciplines

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Living-learning community that offers students the opportunity to do a capstone during their sophomore year; participants may choose to do a research project for their capstone.

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Program organized into eight living-learning communities focused on particular areas of academic interest; the college encourages and facilitates student research, and one program, Gemstone, offers students the opportunity to participate in a multidisciplinary research team for several years.

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Program that provides support for students interested in research and doctoral study who are low-income, first generation, and from groups traditionally underrepresented in doctoral education.

Specialized Programs

Not offered 2025-2026.

Program that offers UMD undergraduates the opportunity to intern at US Food and Drug Administration laboratories and offices.

Program that serves psychology students who are low-income, first-generation, or from groups traditionally underrepresented in psychology graduate programs; program participants engage in psychology research.

Summer internship program in which undergraduate and graduate students work on research projects related to intelligence and security issues.

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Summer research program that enables students to participate in research in fields including geology and earth science.

Summer research program that supports undergraduates conducting research in a range of social science disciplines.

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Program that offers students opportunities to serve as research assistants for faculty in the Department of Government and Politics while simultaneously pursuing political science research projects of their own design.

Not offered Fall 2025.

Program that enables interns to contribute to research projects focused on terrorism and violent extremism.

Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in computer science; previous participants have pursued projects related to quantum computing and machine learning, among other topics.

Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) focused on quantum simulation.

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Summer research program that enables students to work on research projects in a range of fields relevant to agriculture and natural resources.

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Program that supports student research related to public leadership and racial and social equity.

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Program that provides students with an opportunity to work on research projects at the intersection of physical science and engineering.

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Program that provides neuroscience research opportunities and mentoring to students from groups traditionally underrepresented in the field.

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Program that seeks to broaden participation in the communication sciences and disorders field; UMD REACH provides students with opportunities to engage in research relevant to the field in a range of UMD departments.

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Program that enables engineering students to undertake research projects relevant to industry.

Summer research program that seeks to broaden participation in social science fields; the program supports students working on social science research projects.

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Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program that enables students to work on research projects related to nonlinear dynamics.

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Program focused on broadening participation in STEM fields that supports students conducting research in those fields.

Programs & Services

Continually Available

OUR ecosystem of campus-based research opportunities for undergraduates.

Fall 2026

OUR three-semester research program for incoming first-year students of all disciplines.

630+ new students per year, 1300+ active in fall semesters.

Summer 2026

OUR summer research program that provides immersive faculty mentorship and a broad research community.

130+ students per summer.

Fall 2026

VIP provides UMD students of all backgrounds, disciplines, and levels of experience with the opportunity to engage in scaffolded, multidisciplinary team-based projects.

300+ students per semester.

Summer 2026

OUR summer research program that supports a direct collaboration between a single student and a faculty mentor.

30+ students per summer.

Open Learning & Courses

Continually Available

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities & Competencies (UROC) open educational resource was designed to provide undergraduate students with the essential skills and tools to take on an undergraduate research opportunity.

Fall 2026

OURS309: Peer Mentorship - Supporting Students In Course-Based Research is a one-credit peer mentorship experience that gives experienced undergraduate students a unique opportunity to further develop their leadership capacities while serving as Peer Learning Mentors to students in a UMD course.

Fall 2026

OURS100: Entering Research is a one-credit, half-term, asynchronous course designed to prepare and guide undergraduate students from any major through the process of finding their first research experience at UMD.

Fall 2026

OURS308: Peer Mentorship - Supporting Students Entering Research is a one-credit, half-term peer mentorship experience that will give undergraduate researchers a unique opportunity to further develop their leadership capacities while serving as peer mentors to students in the introductory course OURS100: Entering Research.

Research Events

Spring 2027

OUR undergraduate research event held each spring semester (April).

500+ student participants.

Summer 2026

OUR undergraduate research event that unites all students engaged in campus-based research over the summer (July).

150+ estimated student participants.

Workshops & Document Archive

OUR Documents Archive

The Office of Undergraduate Research will provide documents, slides, and other related materials in the OUR Documents Archive.

Candidate	Applied	# of Positions	Email
Robert Zanny	12/16	2	robert@gmail.com
Dana Marks	09/16	1	dana@gmail.com
Robert Zanny	10/15	3	betty@gmail.com

Our campus partners host events that provide opportunities to share your research.

College/School/Office	Event Name	Description	When
A. James Clark School of Engineering	Capstone Design Expo	This event showcases innovative capstone projects developed by senior engineering majors at UMD.	Spring
College of Agricultural & Natural Resources	Agriculture and Natural Resources Discovery and Innovation Night	During this event's "Student Experience Showcase," students share their experiences conducting research and other projects.	Spring
College of Arts & Humanities	Maryland Hispanic Applied Linguistics Conference	This conference provides opportunities to share research in all subfields of Hispanic applied linguistics.	Spring
College of Arts & Humanities	Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) Undergraduate Research Day	At this event, WGSS students present completed and in-progress research projects.	Spring
College of Behavioral & Social Sciences	Department of Psychology Undergraduate Research Fair	At this event, undergraduates conducting research in psychology present posters about their work.	Spring
College of Behavioral & Social Sciences	Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science (NACS) Research Day	This event celebrates research undertaken within the NACS Program.	Spring
Office of Undergraduate Studies	University of Maryland National McNair Scholars and Undergraduate Research Conference	This event provides McNair Scholars from UMD and other universities with opportunities to share their work.	Spring
School of Public Health	Public Health Research Day	Undergraduate and graduate public health students share research at this event.	Spring

General Education Courses

UMD's General Education requirements ensure that students get some level of initial research experience in the pursuit of their degrees.

Courses designated as Scholarship in Practice embrace some of the fundamentals of research at their core. Scholarship in Practice courses allow students to engage in authentic work in a particular field of study. Students learn and practice skills of critical evaluation and participate in the process of applying knowledge in the pursuit of a tangible goal.

You can search TESTUDO for all Scholarship in Practice courses in any term.

Independent Studies & Honors Theses

UMD's colleges and departments offer rich opportunities to conduct faculty-mentored research within the curriculum through independent study courses and honors theses. You can generally apply for a departmental or college-wide honors program even if you did not join the Honors College at the time of your matriculation to UMD.

This list highlights research-related UMD student organizations. We understand “research” to encompass a broad range of activities, including the creation of novel works of art and technology, and we consider an organization to be “research-related” if it does at least one of the following:

Provides research opportunities in which UMD undergraduates can participate.
Facilitates the successful participation of UMD undergraduates in research (e.g., by providing guidance on applying to research opportunities).
Offers opportunities for UMD undergraduates to learn or educate others about the research process or research findings in a specific field.

This list does not include student research publications unless they provide ongoing guidance throughout the research process for students working toward publication of their results. A full list of UMD student research publications can be found under the “Research Journals” tab above.

OUR developed this list based on information available on Terplink. If you would like to suggest a recognized student organization to add to the list, please email us!

Organization	Terplink Description (Excerpt)
Academia Decoded	"Academia Decoded is a student-led club that aims to simplify the graduate school application process for underrepresented groups in academia, specifically in the life sciences... To fulfill our mission, we focus on building confidence in research through journal clubs that enhance critical reading skills, training on how to present research effectively, and workshops on writing research papers. We also share resources for getting involved in research..."
Accessible Prosthetics Initiative at the University of Maryland	"API strives to increase access to prosthetics through an interdisciplinary approach combining community outreach and education, connecting amputees with available resources, and producing our own 3D printed prosthetics."
Advancing Care & Technology	"Advancing Care and Technology (ACT) is dedicated to connecting pre-health students with research and technology opportunities in healthcare. Our mission is to develop critical research skills, build access to resources, and foster outreach experiences that help advance the future of healthcare."
American Ecological Engineering Society	"As a student chapter of the larger professional AEES society, our mission is to promote the development of sustainable ecosystems that combine human society with the natural environment for the benefit of both through student driven projects, research, and activities."
American Physician Scientist Association	"APSA hopes to build a community of students that aims to explore the intersection of medical research and medical practice. As aspiring physician scientists, we will develop a community to introduce research opportunities to pre-health students and host information sessions regarding the various academic and career paths associated with physician scientists."
American Society of Civil Engineers	"The American Society of Civil Engineers at the University of Maryland (UMDASCE) connects more than 300 civil and environmental engineering students with other students, employers, and opportunities for real-world engineering applications. UMD ASCE sponsors the Concrete Canoe, Steel Bridge, and Sustainable Solutions teams."
App Dev Club	"App Dev Club aims to provide students an immersive experience in app development through project development for our partners, which include corporate sponsors as well as professors doing research here on campus."
Artificial Intelligence Alignment Group at the University of Maryland	"The AI Alignment Group at UMD is an organization that seeks to promote and contribute to the alignment of AI systems and the usage thereof with the best interests of humanity: one of the most important, urgent, and interesting challenges of our time. Join us as we learn about and conduct research in topics as varied as catastrophic risks from AI, AI deception, and AI governance."
Asian American Policy Union	"The Asian American Policy Union is dedicated to empowering Asian American students in public policy... We focus on educational and advocacy initiatives, professional development, community engagement, and research to cultivate a new generation of leaders."
Association for Computing Machinery	"As UMD’s largest computing organization, we bring together students, educators, researchers, and industry professionals to explore programming, systems, AI, cybersecurity, and more. Whether you're just starting out or looking to deepen your skills, ACM is your gateway to workshops, hackathons, mentorship, career opportunities, and a vibrant peer network."
Ballooon Payload Program at the University of Maryland	"BPP is established for the purpose of conducting scientific experiments from high altitude balloons and participating in outreach to provide primary and secondary school students interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)."
BigTh!nk AI	"The purpose of this student organization is to bring awareness and appreciation towards the growing interdisciplinary field of artificial intelligence. We intend to advance our members’ knowledge and experience with fields within and related to AI through meetings, discussions, seminars, and projects."
Biocomputational Engineering Club	"From biology/chemistry centered coding workshops to seminars from people deep into the biotech field to networking events with inspired students, researchers, and faculty, the Biocomputational organization is a platform for people from all academic backgrounds to thrive in... In addition, the club will ensure to help students interested in Biocomputational programming, through sharing recent opportunities in research and conferences, as well as helping students during programming workshops."
Biomedical Engineering Society - University of Maryland Chapter	"The Biomedical Engineering Society of the University of Maryland (BMES-UMD) is the primary professional student organization to represent and serve the undergraduate bioengineering community... We aim to host interdisciplinary activities to build a stronger community, increase the number of students served by our peer-to-peer advising program, provide interaction between students and industry professionals, and promote undergraduate research in the department."
Bitcamp	"Bitcamp is the University of Maryland’s annual spring hackathon and has been one of the largest collegiate hackathons on the east coast over the past ten years... Bitcamp is a place for influencing a diverse group of the nation’s brightest makers, all working on different projects and possessing different skill sets, and educating the next generation of technologists."
Blockchain at Maryland	"Blockchain at Maryland is a student-led initiative to advance research, development, and application of Blockchain technology at UMD. We want to position UMD as a leader in blockchain research and innovation, empowering the next generation of thinkers and creators in this transformative industry."
Busily	"Busily is a student organization focused on data science, data visualization, and data analytics, open to students of all majors and experience levels... Busily's mission is to provide students with practical experience in data science, visualization, and analytics by learning through projects, workshops, and mentorship."
ChemE Car@UMD	"The purpose of the ChemE Car @ UMD team is to apply chemical engineering principles to design and construct a miniature, autonomous car that contains a handmade stopping mechanism (kinetics), battery, structural support, and electrical system... The overall goal in building this car is to compete and represent UMD at the annual regional and national American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) ChemE Car competitions."
Computer Society	"The Computer Society (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - Computer Society Student Branch Chapter)... aims to provide a well-knit community of diverse individuals who are pursuing the fields of computational science... The Computer Society will also establish professional connections by providing its members with information regarding research opportunities and internships to grow their professional experience."
DesignHub	"Design Hub is a student-driven organization dedicated to UI/UX design and front-end development. We provide an open, collaborative environment where students can enhance their skills, share ideas, and gain hands-on experience in the design and tech industry... Our club focuses on career growth through networking events, guest speaker panels, workshops, and hackathons."
Diamondback Innovators	"Diamondback Innovators is a student-run, engineering design and consulting organization, dedicated to teaching members of the organization how to design and create cost-efficient, high-quality mechanical solutions for its clients."
Education in Conflict and Emergencies Organization at the University of Maryland, College Park	"The organization aims to provide a local forum that allows members to exchange ideas, discuss the range of issues and collaborate on research areas of interest in the international field of education during and after man-made and natural disasters and conflicts; to promote involvement in professional activities beyond the classroom in the field of Education in Emergencies; [and] to promote information and knowledge to the larger university community by organizing activities and events..."
Formula EV at UMD	"The UMD Formula EV team is a passionate group of students committed to engineering excellence and hands-on learning. As part of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) collegiate design series, the team designs, builds, and races an electric formula-style vehicle at the Formula Hybrid + Electric (April) and Formula SAE EV (June) competitions annually."
Foundational Learning and Mentorship Experience	"The mission of the FLAME is to empower the next generation of STEM leaders by supporting the academic, social, and emotional development of students from underrepresented groups through experiment-based after-school mentorship programs. The program includes weekly after-school science lessons with hands-on experiments and in-depth discussion in small mentorship groups."
Google Developer Student Club	"The Google Developer Student Club at UMD is a community that provides an educational and creative environment for undergraduate students interested in various technologies and programming languages... Our mission is to help students grow their knowledge in a peer-to-peer learning environment and put theory to practice by building solutions for their local community."
Green Roots	"Green Roots exists to advance sustainable and urban agriculture through innovative techniques. We grow food through hydroponics, which is the production of plants without soil, by integrating a number of diverse disciplines... Green Roots is devoted to research, education, and community service."
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (EEE) Electronics Packaging Society	"The IEEE Electronics Packaging Society is the leading international forum for scientists and engineers engaged in the research, design and development of revolutionary advances in microsystems packaging and manufacturing... The organization is founded for the purpose of participating in educational activities related to the packaging of electronic products and systems, including attending guest lectures, having poster contests, participating in sponsored competitions, and disseminating information related to microelectronics, assembly, and electronic packaging."
iGEM at the University of Maryland	"The purpose of the University of Maryland iGEM team is to provide undergraduate students interested in the sciences a means to compete in the annual International Genetically Engineered Machine competition... Students will closely work with graduate students, faculty advisers, and professors to develop a research plan, to fundraise..., to conduct research over the summer in on campus labs, and to work towards a human practices component of the project and competition."
Linguistics Club	"We are a student group interested in learning the scientific study of language. We highlight the different branches of linguistics: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and discourse analysis. Furthermore, students are encouraged to showcase their research and discuss their interests and areas of expertise."
Maryland Quantitative Finance Club	"The Maryland Quantitative Finance Club at the University of Maryland, College Park, is a student-led group focused on the integration of finance, mathematics, and technology. The club aims to enhance members' academic and professional growth by providing insights into quantitative finance through workshops, seminars, and hands-on projects... The club also promotes research, encouraging members to undertake projects that contribute to the field and are shared through presentations and publications."
Math Club	"The Math Club is established for the purpose of fostering a greater understanding of mathematics, encouraging undergraduate activity in math research and related mathematical experiences, and providing a social and intellectual forum to all students interested in experiencing math."
Rising Researchers	"Our mission is to teach high schoolers and undergraduate students at the University of Maryland how to read research papers, while offering additional services such as career advice... Our goal is to introduce high school and college students to scholarly research and to equip them with tools for success in a variety of STEM careers."
Robotics @ Maryland	"We work on autonomous robots competing in different competitions. We want our members to have fun learning about robotics, science, engineering through hands on experience."
Society of Physics Students	"The Society of Physics Students (SPS) is a diverse group of students hailing from all parts of campus, who share an interest in physics... SPS sponsors academic, professional development, and social events. We sponsor talks... The many research facilities nearby welcome us for visits."
Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) at the University of Maryland	"We offer students the opportunity to participate in engineering space-based projects such as building cubesats, satellite components, and building a liquid bipropellant rocket engine from the ground up."
Terps Racing Formula IC	"Terps Racing Formula IC is a student organization in which students fully design, build, and race a formula-style race car powered by an internal combustion engine each year."
Terrapin Rocket Team	"Terrapin Rocket Team is established for the purpose of pursuing rocket-related projects and developing the engineering and leadership skills of its members."
Undergraduate Law Review at the University of Maryland	"We, the members of the Undergraduate Law Review at University of Maryland established this organization to publish a scholarly journal with original articles pertaining to legal topics. These will be published once a semester, with students developing rigorous legal research alongside the advisement of a student editor and faculty adviser."
Undergraduate Psychology Association	"The Undergraduate Psychology Association is an educational organization created to facilitate engagement within the department, build a sense of community, promote professional/career development, and provide accessible resources and networking opportunities... The organization is also committed to giving students a way to connect with PSYC-related activities (e.g., research labs) and resources (e.g., ...research lab application guidance) as well as provide more support systems for underrepresented students."
Undergraduate Quantum Association	"UQA connects students with UMD’s quantum-related resources and organizations. We host events focusing on quantum science including quantum hackathons, lab tours, speaker series etc. UQA is research and career focused."
Undergraduate Student National Dental Association	"As an organization, we hope to provide academic and professional support to pre-dental minority students and increase diversity within the field of dentistry... Additionally, the USNDA will provide students with the opportunity to visit dental schools, shadow dentists, and will also inform students of summer programs and dental research experiences."
UXTerps	"UXTerps is an interdisciplinary organization that aims to foster a creative, diverse design community of University of Maryland students of all backgrounds who are passionate about user experience (UX) research and design... The mission of UXTerps is to support out-of-class learning of user experience design and research for any students interested in UX-related fields..."
Wind TERPines	"The Wind TERPines compete in the Department of Energy's Collegiate Wind Competition. We design, build, and test wind turbines and analyze environmental/atmospheric conditions and potential markets to develop skills to make an actionable plan for the deployment of those turbines."

OUR ecosystem of campus-based research opportunities for undergraduates.

OUR three-semester research program for incoming first-year students of all disciplines. 630+ new students per year, 1300+ active in fall semesters.

OUR summer research program that provides immersive faculty mentorship and a broad research community. 130+ students per summer.

VIP provides UMD students of all backgrounds, disciplines, and levels of experience with the opportunity to engage in scaffolded, multidisciplinary team-based projects. 300+ students per semester.

OUR summer research program that supports a direct collaboration between a single student and a faculty mentor. 30+ students per summer.

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities & Competencies (UROC) open educational resource was designed to provide undergraduate students with the essential skills and tools to take on an undergraduate research opportunity.

OURS309: Peer Mentorship - Supporting Students In Course-Based Research is a one-credit peer mentorship experience that gives experienced undergraduate students a unique opportunity to further develop their leadership capacities while serving as Peer Learning Mentors to students in a UMD course.

OURS100: Entering Research is a one-credit, half-term, asynchronous course designed to prepare and guide undergraduate students from any major through the process of finding their first research experience at UMD.

OUR undergraduate research event held each spring semester (April). 500+ student participants.

OUR undergraduate research event that unites all students engaged in campus-based research over the summer (July). 150+ estimated student participants.

The Office of Undergraduate Research will provide documents, slides, and other related materials in the OUR Documents Archive.

OUR three-semester research program for incoming first-year students of all disciplines.

630+ new students per year, 1300+ active in fall semesters.

OUR summer research program that provides immersive faculty mentorship and a broad research community.

130+ students per summer.

VIP provides UMD students of all backgrounds, disciplines, and levels of experience with the opportunity to engage in scaffolded, multidisciplinary team-based projects.

300+ students per semester.

OUR summer research program that supports a direct collaboration between a single student and a faculty mentor.

30+ students per summer.

OUR undergraduate research event held each spring semester (April).

500+ student participants.

OUR undergraduate research event that unites all students engaged in campus-based research over the summer (July).

150+ estimated student participants.