Discovering Opportunities: A Guide to Undergraduate Research at the University of Missouri

The University of Missouri (Mizzou), a Carnegie-designated Research 1 university, is deeply committed to fostering a culture of discovery, creation, innovation, and scholarship. This commitment extends to its undergraduate students, providing them with unique opportunities to engage in research and creative activities across various disciplines. Mizzou's strong interdisciplinary campus culture allows students to collaborate with leading experts and thought leaders, utilizing state-of-the-art research facilities designed for inquiring minds.

Why Undergraduate Research Matters

Undergraduate research offers numerous benefits, building teamwork, character, and a strong foundation for future careers. By engaging in research, students learn to check facts, form carefully-worded hypotheses, and support viewpoints objectively. These skills are invaluable for academic and professional success. As David W. Chapman noted in "Undergraduate Research: Showcasing Young Scholars," the benefits of undergraduate research mirror those gained from collegiate athletics, making a lasting contribution to students' lives.

Getting Started: Finding Your Research Path

ForagerOne: Your Mentorship Hub

Mizzou has adopted ForagerOne, a platform designed to connect students and faculty mentors based on shared research or scholarly interests. This mentorship hub simplifies the process of finding research opportunities and mentors.

Peer Advising with Undergraduate Research Ambassadors

Students in the early stages of exploring research can schedule one-on-one peer advising meetings with Undergraduate Research Ambassadors through MUConnect. These meetings count towards the gold S.T.A.R. program, further incentivizing students to seek guidance.

Steps to Get Involved

Identify Your Interests: Determine your unique research interests.
Explore Faculty Research: Identify potential faculty mentors whose research aligns with your interests. Utilize resources like department websites, faculty profiles, and the ForagerOne platform.
Reach Out: Send a concise and professional message introducing yourself, your interests, and what aspects of their research excite you. Consider submitting a request in ForagerOne.
Prepare for Meetings: Do your homework by reading about the faculty member and their research program, including their research summary and recent abstracts.
Make an Appointment: Schedule a meeting with potential mentors.
Be Prepared: Bring a copy of your transcript, current weekly schedule, and a résumé. Explain your interest in research and their program, and provide a reference.

Types of Research Positions

Research positions at Mizzou take various forms, catering to students with different levels of experience:

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Student Assistant (Job): This role involves performing support duties such as washing dishes, making copies, caring for animals, or filing. It's ideal for first-year or sophomore students with no prior research experience who want to get started. These positions are typically hourly, work-study, or unpaid volunteer.
Intern (Project): As an intern, you'll work with a faculty or staff member on their research, but you won't be conducting your own independent project yet. This is suitable for students with some experience. Freshmen may participate through programs like the Honors College Discovery Fellows Program or the EXPRESS Program. These positions are also hourly, work-study, or unpaid volunteer, with paid internships potentially available through research programs, scholarships, stipends, or work-study.
Undergraduate Researcher (Project): In this role, you'll work on your own undergraduate research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. This is best for students with prior experience. You'll also have the opportunity to present your research project at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Forum.

Showcasing Your Work: Research Events and Conferences

Mizzou offers numerous platforms for students to present their research and creative work:

Campus-Wide Events

Research Symposium: Held each fall and spring semester on the last day of classes (day before Reading Day), this event invites poster presentations from students engaged in course-based undergraduate research or individual mentorship programs.
Summer Forum: This event, held at the end of July, is for undergraduate students (both visiting and Mizzou students) to present their multi-semester projects, senior honors/capstone projects, or other faculty-mentored scholarly activities. Projects are typically shared in a poster format.
Humanities Symposium: This symposium brings together undergraduate researchers across disciplines for presentations and panels during Show Me Research Week. Emerging scholars share their original research with faculty mentors, community members, and fellow students. Keynote presentations from leading faculty scholars are also featured.
Visual Art & Design Showcase: All Mizzou undergraduate students are invited to submit expressive art, applied design, or other creative projects. Mentorship from a faculty instructor is required, and projects must have a visual element. The Visual Art & Design Committee selects projects for display.
Show Me Research Week: This campus-wide venue, formerly known as the Spring Forum, allows undergraduates, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows to share their scholarly work with the Mizzou community through poster or oral sessions.

External Conferences

Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol: Hosted by the University of Missouri System each March, undergraduate researchers demonstrate their research to lawmakers in Jefferson City.
Undergraduate Research Technology Conference (URTC): An annual three-day technical conference held at MIT, allowing undergraduate students from around the world to present and discuss solutions for advancing technology.
Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS): One of the largest communities of underrepresented minorities in STEM, offering students the chance to present research, explore graduate schools, and network.
CAA Annual Conference: The largest gathering of art historians, artists, designers, curators, and visual arts professionals, featuring a wide range of program content.
Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Conference: A multidisciplinary and multicultural STEM diversity conference offering a unique intersection of science, community, and opportunity.
Stanford Research Conference (SRC): A forum for undergraduates to present their work, hear from leaders in research, and connect with a national research community.

Funding and Support

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Supplement: If your mentor has a National Science Foundation (NSF) or National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant, they may be able to obtain an REU supplement to support your research.
Summer Undergraduate Research Program: Coordinated by the MU Office of Undergraduate Research, this program hosts students from across the nation for a nine-week summer research experience. Interns participate in educational and social activities, creating a vibrant and inclusive community.
Office of Undergraduate Research: Reach out to the Office of Undergraduate Research for guidance on your research journey and supplementary advising.

Tips for a Successful Research Experience

Establish Clear Expectations: Ensure that roles and expectations are clear and mutually agreed upon between you and your mentor.
Communicate Effectively: Provide your mentor with a weekly schedule and clarify the best way to communicate.
Attend Seminars: Attend departmental and campus seminars to learn about new areas of research.
Engage with Presenters: Engage with presenters at campus-wide research events to learn about their work and connect with their mentors.
Be Proactive: If you find a younger student than you had hoped for, you may be able to find something to engage them, while you wait for them to complete coursework that you feel is necessary.
Have Regular Meetings: Have regular formal meetings with your mentor to provide feedback on the quality and quantity of your work.
Be Excited: You should really be excited about working on a research project.

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