The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is committed to expanding undergraduate research opportunities.

Philosophy

OUR is guided by the philosophy that all Illinois undergraduate students should learn about current disciplinary research, take part in research discussions, and be exposed to research experiences in their regular coursework. Furthermore, where practical, an advanced research experience should be among the capstone options in all major programs of study. Undergraduate research opportunities should be designed to support the pedagogical goals and the research mission of the university.

Goals

To achieve its mission, OUR seeks to:

  • Inspire students and faculty to collaborate on research projects driven by mutual interests by fostering a research mentoring environment that encourages and rewards collaboration,
  • Disseminate best practices and models for undergraduate research to campus stakeholders,
  • Assist in the development and evaluation of curricular and co-curricular structures that support undergraduate research,
  • Encourage the creation of new opportunities for undergraduate research on campus,
  • Coordinate and nurture undergraduate research efforts across academic units on campus, and
  • Serve as a primary conduit for archiving and enhancing the awareness of undergraduate research efforts among campus stakeholders and external audiences.

Office of Undergraduate Research
Fifth Floor, Illini Union Bookstore
807 South Wright Street, MC 317
Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 300-5453
ugresearch@illinois.edu