UNR Undergraduate Research Opportunities: A Comprehensive Guide

The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) offers a multitude of undergraduate research opportunities across various disciplines. These experiences provide invaluable hands-on learning, enhance academic profiles, and prepare students for future careers or graduate studies. This article explores the diverse research avenues available to UNR undergraduates, highlighting specific programs, departmental opportunities, and the overall impact of undergraduate research.

Why Participate in Undergraduate Research?

Undergraduate research experiences are crucial for students interested in pursuing careers in engineering, sciences, and many other fields. These experiences significantly enhance graduate school applications and impress potential employers during job interviews.

The undergraduate research experience encompasses various activities, including:

Participating in experiments
Field monitoring
Laboratory testing
Data curation
Running analyses
Assisting with specimen preparation

Volunteering or working in an academic lab or research group provides invaluable experience. Students who cultivate relationships with graduate students and faculty early in their academic careers gain greater opportunities to learn advanced research skills, explore new fields, and deepen their classroom knowledge.

Finding Research Opportunities

There are numerous avenues for undergraduates to engage in research. The most effective starting point is to identify a research group or project that aligns with your interests.

Departmental Research Opportunities

Several departments at UNR actively promote and facilitate undergraduate research.

Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) has consolidated available research projects with department faculty in five broad research areas:

Earthquake and Structural Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering
Pavement Engineering and Science
Transportation Engineering

Students can explore these areas to find projects that match their interests.

Department of Biology

The Department of Biology offers a range of research opportunities for undergraduates. Students are encouraged to explore faculty profiles to learn about specific research projects. Some notable research areas include:

Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis Laboratory (AEAL): Led by Sudeep Chandra, this lab focuses on freshwater research with projects on local, regional, and global waterways.
Chemical Ecology and Tropical Diversity Laboratory: Headed by Lee Dyer, this lab studies direct and indirect trophic interactions in complex biotic communities, with an emphasis on global change.
Leonard Lab: Anne Leonard's lab focuses on the evolutionary ecology of communication in plant-pollinator and sexual selection contexts.
Logan Lab: Mike Logan's lab studies ecology, evolutionary biology, and physiology.
Mathew Lab: Dennis Mathew's lab investigates how a circuit of neurons translates olfactory input into behavioral output.
Pieraut Lab: Simon Pieraut's research aims to decipher the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying inhibitory neural plasticity.
Voyles Lab: Jamie Voyles' lab takes a “One Health” perspective, focusing on amphibian chytridiomycosis and white-nose syndrome in bats.

Independent Research Pursuits

Students are welcome to independently pursue research opportunities outside of specific departments. This includes opportunities within other departments or programs within the College of Engineering or the University. It also extends to off-campus research groups or other institutions such as the Desert Research Institute (DRI). Students are also encouraged to consider multi-disciplinary research projects that extend beyond a single department and involve faculty or researchers from other groups such as Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Atmospheric Science.

Read also: Undergraduate Research at CU

When independently pursuing research projects, it's essential to contact faculty or graduate teaching assistants professionally and respectfully to inquire about potential research positions.

Nevada INBRE UROP: A Funded Research Opportunity

The Nevada IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) provides significant financial support for undergraduate research.

Award Details

The Nevada INBRE UROP provides an award of up to $7,200. This award is paid out as a summer student worker salary. UROP mentors receive $1,000 to defray the cost of lab supplies.

Program Expectations

The program expects students to engage in full-time research during the program. If outside employment or coursework interferes with the lab research and project, a conference must be held with the Nevada INBRE administrative core, including the student and mentor, prior to the start of the research period. Research projects begin in early June and include 10 weeks of full-time, independent research.

Eligibility

The program is open to continuing junior and senior undergraduates enrolled in classes for the upcoming fall semester.

Read also: Comprehensive Internship Guide

Financial Considerations

Acceptance of this award may impact a student's income level to a degree that could affect eligibility for student loans and other scholarship/fellowship opportunities. If an applicant has any concerns in this area, it is the student's duty to consult with a campus financial aid advisor. The University does not provide tax advice.

Application Requirements

UROP applicants must write and submit a personal statement and a research proposal. The research proposal should use 12pt font, 1-inch margins, Times New Roman or Arial.

Reference Letters

The application process includes submitting reference letters. The application will automatically send recommenders a link to the reference form to fill out once the application is fully submitted. All references need to be submitted directly by the mentor by the application deadline. Applicants should allow enough time for their references to complete the reference form. If a reference does not receive the link, applicants can contact Christy Song for assistance.

The University's Commitment to Research

The University of Nevada, Reno is deeply committed to fostering a robust research environment.

Growth and Inclusivity

Over the past decade, the research enterprise at the University of Nevada, Reno has grown substantially thanks to our commitment to building an inclusive, diverse, and collaborative research environment.

Global Impact

The University of Nevada, Reno is making a difference in Reno-Tahoe, across Nevada, and beyond.

Economic Growth

The University of Nevada, Reno is leveraging research and entrepreneurial activities to prepare skilled workers, develop the next generation of technology leaders, and expand economic growth statewide.

Facilities and Infrastructure

The University is home to dozens of state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities and more than 60 research centers that anchor our pioneering work in areas ranging from engineering research to sustainability in Lake Tahoe and the Great Basin region.

Student-Driven Innovation

Students are critical to our research enterprise. Through collaboration and opportunities, students are exploring and engaging, and helping to foster innovation and drive meaningful discoveries.

Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is a central theme of education at the University of Nevada, Reno. There are many opportunities for students of all disciplines to expand their college experience and gain an edge in their career field or in the pursuit of a graduate degree. Funded opportunities range from international travel experiences to community-based projects that contribute to solutions for local issues.

Graduate Education

With a full breadth of master's and Ph.D. opportunities and acclaimed faculty and facilities, students will find room to pursue educational and research pursuits in an accommodating environment that places a premium on academic excellence.

Innovation Ecosystem

In today’s globally connected, knowledge-based economy, a key driver of prosperity is the pace of innovation. We are capitalizing on this insight with our Innovation Ecosystem to facilitate commercialization, regional collaboration, and faculty competitiveness in a unique way.

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