What Is URS?
The Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URS) is dedicated to helping first- and second-year undergraduates get hands-on experience in research or other creative endeavors by working with UW faculty and research staff. Discovery-whether in the sciences, engineering, the arts, or the social sciences-is the cornerstone of our greatness as a university. The experience of working with a faculty or staff member who is pushing forward the frontiers of knowledge will transform what students learn in the classroom into reality and relevance. The URS Program is open to all first- and second-year undergraduates and is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive scholarly community that includes students from historically under-represented groups.
Who is eligible?
Any first or second year student in good academic standing is eligible to become a scholar; juniors and seniors with strong academic records and research experience are eligible as research fellows; faculty, staff, and research scientists are eligible to serve as research mentors.
URS Mission Statement
- We bring together first-and second-year undergraduates with faculty and staff to enhance the university's mission of research and creative endeavor
- We help to create a diverse and inclusive scholarly community that includes students from historically underrepresented groups
- We develop leadership though peer mentoring
- We assist URS students in planning challenging post-baccalaureate opportunities
Where do scholars conduct research?
Scholars are conducting research in genetics laboratories, the Primate Research Center, the State Historical Society archives, psychology research laboratories, the Art History Department collections, and a host of other settings across campus.
What are the benefits?
For scholars, the benefits include the opportunity to work closely with a faculty or staff researcher in an area of interest, to gain "hands-on" experience that embodies the concepts taught in classrooms, and to contribute to the production of knowledge. For research mentors, the benefits include the receipt of valuable research assistance and the opportunity to share excitement about their work with an enthusiastic young scholar. For research fellows, the benefits include the development of leadership and teaching skills, the satisfaction of supporting younger students, and building closer ties with researchers on campus.
- Experience the cutting edge where new discoveries are made
- Be in a community of students, faculty, and staff who learn, create, and serve together
- Explore hands-on what it is like to work in a specialized field in which you have an interest
- Discover that text-book facts have real-life applications
- Develop a one-on-one relationships with faculty, staff, and URS research mentors
- Learn about university resources at weekly URS seminars
- Develop new skills and discover others that you didn't know you had
- Earn academic credit for research
- Earn Federal Work Study pay, if eligible