About Undergraduate Research

Our Mission

The University of Minnesota is one of the world’s great research universities. On our campuses, at our field stations and in our communities, literally tens of thousands of students, faculty and staff create new knowledge and develop new examples of human expression each and every day. We share the enterprise of research and creative activity with other universities, institutes, laboratories, companies and individuals around the entire world. We contribute irrevocably to human culture—the store of human knowledge and expression.

Undergraduate Education

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is a unit within the Office of Undergraduate Education that connects undergraduate students with research opportunities throughout the University of Minnesota. We house the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), the Undergraduate Research Scholarship (URS), and hold the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. OUR also provides connections for students to numerous presentation and publication opportunities locally and nationally.

Benefits of Research

The University of Minnesota is one of the world’s great research universities. On our campuses, at our field stations and in our communities, thousands of students, faculty and staff create new knowledge and develop new examples of human expression each and every day.

By doing research, you will:

  • Gain hands-on experience
  • Become an expert in your field;
  • Build skills and learn new technologies
  • Explore potential careers
  • Form mentoring relationships with faculty members
  • Collaborate with other members of your research group
  • Prepare yourself for a job or graduate study
  • Become a Discoverer!

The U is Driven to Discover!

We have 3,500 faculty members engaged in cutting-edge research; you can take part in this vital, exciting enterprise! Our faculty are engaged in creative and scholarly activity in the arts, humanities, business, and physical and social sciences: you can do research in any of these areas! 

You will journey from a knowledge gatherer to a knowledge generator. You'll help solve the world's grand challenges: everything from poverty to cancer to climate change.