Undergraduate Research

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) is open to School of Nursing BSN students to work with a UMN faculty mentor.  UROP projects allow students to explore academic interests beyond the classroom, get hands-on experience with research, develop student-faculty relationships, and help you to refine your academic and career goals.  If funded, BSN students work with a UMN faculty mentor on a research project.  UROP provides a scholarship of up to $1,800 for approximately 120 hours of research and expense money of up to $300 for project related expenses to students. 

Visit the UROP website for more information including peer drop-in hours,  a student researcher checklist, the UROP application process as well as examples of previous UROP projects.  

Explore the Think like a Researcher guide, sign-up for a 2-3 hours online Think Like a Researcher workshop, scheduling a Peer Research Consultation and/or subscribing to the Undergraduate Research Newsletter

UROP applications are accepted a various points throughout the year.

Along with the Grant-in-Aid UROP.  Faculty members who receive Grant-in-Aid awards are eligible for two GIA UROP students for each of the years the award covers. Faculty are responsible for choosing their own students (although Office of Undergraduate Research may forward names of interested students from time to time.) This may also be something to explore. 

Other on campus research opportunities include CTSI's Pathways to Research Program (PReP).  PReP provides an opportunity for students from populations underrepresented in research to begin or advance their research career through a paid, full-time 12-week summer program.  It provides UMN BSN students with knowledge, skills, and experience in translational science and health equity research through a structured core curriculum including a mentored research project, weekly training seminars, small group discussions, and a final poster to present research findings at the annual University of Minnesota CTSI Translational Science Symposium & Poster Session held in September.  2025 PReP applications will open December 2 and close February 10. PReP shares its application with M-ASCEND: Advancing Science, Enhancing Diversity Program.  This 9-week summer internship is a paid, full-time position designed to give participants hands-on research experience, mentorship, and academic and professional development. Students interested in pursuing research or a clinical career in a health professional field, has an interest in cancer and/or disparities, and self-identify as belonging to Minnesota's BIPOC and/or historically marginalized communities are encouraged to apply.

Pathways to Graduate School: Summer Research Program is an an intensive 10 week summer program in which UMN undergraduate students work full-time with a faculty mentor on a research project. The cohort-based program includes a series of seminars preparing students for graduate school and developing research skills.  Applications open January 21, 2025.  Deadline is March 3, 2025.

Other opportunities can be found here: https://ugresearch.umn.edu/

Off-campus, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers summer internship programs (SIP) for students as well as a postbaccalaureate program. Or visit How NIH can help you become a research scientist.

• The eight-week summer research internship offers students opportunities at either the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center or laboratory/research projects on the main (Bethesda) campus and typically includes a stipend.  Applications open in mid-November and close in February.  Note that the program is highly competitive (in 2017 1,300 selected/71,000 applied)--early applications are strongly encouraged.
• The NIH postbac IRTA program provides recent graduates an opportunity to spend one or two years performing full-time research at the NIH.  The postbac application portal is open year round, but the majority of postbacs start June - October; we recommend applying six months prior to your preferred start date.