Research

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Undergraduate research

As an undergraduate, you can get involved in research at UIC by finding a faculty member conducting work that interests you. You may also want to attend one of our undergraduate research symposia or workshops, which allow students from across campus to meet and discuss their projects.

The Office of Undergraduate Research offers several programs aimed at helping students start or continue their research projects:

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) – UROP provides funding for undergraduate students who wish to conduct independent research with UIC faculty members during the academic year or summer. Students must apply through the online application system before registering as participants for their funding requests to be considered by UROP staff members.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (SURF) – SURF provides funding for undergraduates interested in conducting independent research during the summer months when most classes still need to be taught by professors at UIC’s Chicago campus (with exceptions). Applications will be accepted starting January 1st each year through March 31st, at which point an annual competition begins among qualified applicants vying for up-to-date information about new developments within various fields related directly to improving quality life here on earth.”

Graduate research

Many graduate students at UIC can conduct research in their field, whether in a lab or out in the area. Graduate students may also have opportunities for funding through fellowships and assistantships.

Graduate Research Opportunities: Some of these include:
Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) – A stipend paid by a faculty member who supervises your work; you must work 40 hours per week on their projects. These positions often lead to future careers in academia or industry once you graduate from UIC with your master’s degree!
Graduate Fellowships – These are offered by outside organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department Of Energy (DOE), and National Institutes Of Health (NIH). They provide funding for research projects on climate change mitigation strategies or new ways of treating cancer patients using stem cell therapy techniques.”

Workshops and events

Workshops and events are a great way to learn more about research. Workshops can be offered to students in all years, while events are geared toward upper-level students who have already been introduced to the idea of conducting original research. Both workshops and events allow you to get involved with researchers working at UIC, which is an excellent way to gain valuable experience and make connections within your field!

Workshops:

These one-day sessions provide an overview of research topics related to your major or area of interest and how they relate back to everyday life (e.g., how does studying economics help us understand our current political climate?). You’ll also learn about what it takes for someone like yourself who doesn’t have any formal training in this area yet still wants very much indeed – maybe even desperately – so please do come to join me again next week when we talk more specifically about how these lessons apply directly towards helping all those poor people who don’t have enough money saved up yet themselves . . .”