UROP invites CU 鶹ӰԺ undergraduates to join a team of students working with faculty on projects in many fields of study.
Projects are supported byTeam Grants and typically provide financial support to students. Weencourage studentsto consider options in the summer and academic-year terms–and should note that some projects continue through both terms.To participate, reach out to the project mentors directly.
Select a Term
Academic Year 2024-25
Biomodernities: Women leading Bio Design and Materials, Forging Innovations for the Built Environment within Innovative Global Academic Labs
Environmental Design
Mentor: Caitlin Charlet
Upon notification of grant receipt students will be circulated proactively among underrepresented female minority students and student groups; Environmental Design Diverse Scholars (EDDS), and Environmental Design’s scholarship program for underrepresented minority and first-generation students. Biomodernities: Women leading Bio Design and Materials, Forging Innovations for the Built Environment within Innovative Global Academic Labs. Please join our interdisciplinary research team to produce a series of interviews in print and video revealing innovative sustainable practices and supporting female-run biomaterial labs. Undergraduate researchers will be trained in interviewing, research, technology, and methods surrounding biomaterials. You will be creating original content for print and video as well as meeting global female academic professionals, and work with various CU 鶹ӰԺ departments to produce this project developing significant contributions in social and material justice efforts. We seek interdisciplinary, critical, and engaged undergraduate researchers to work on this project during the 2024-2025 academic year.
Supporting undergraduate research publication through the Colorado Journal of Asian Studies
Center for Asian Studies
Mentor: Lauren Collins
The Colorado Journal of Asian Studies is seeking two research assistants to help with the review and publication of the 2024-2025 Colorado Journal of Asian Studies aThis is a great opportunity for students interest in research about Asia and academic publishing to join the CJAS team.
Enhancing Bilingual Children's Word Learning in Natural Settings
Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
Mentor: Pui Fong Kan
Join our dynamic team and be part of a research project aimed at supporting bilingual learners. As a team member, you will receive comprehensive training and hands-on experience in the classroom. This is your chance to contribute to cutting-edge research, develop essential skills for your future career, and make a difference in your community. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity! Contact Dr. Pui Fong Kan at puifong.kan@colorado.edu for more information and to get involved.
Use of state-of-the-art microscopy to visualize phagocytosis of the soil-derived mycobacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae NCTC 11659, by murine BV-2 microglia under naïve and lipopolysaccharide-challenged conditions
Integrative Physiology
Mentor: Christopher Lowry
Looking for experience using state-of-the-art microscopy techniques? This UROP Team Grant is a opportunity to be involved in a multi-disciplinary project that is very hands-on. Students involved in this project will receive training in how to handle and perform research with BV-2 cells, a murine microglial cell line, including benchwork techniques and state-of-the-art microscopy, using facilities in the BioFrontiers Advanced Light Microscopy Core. Students can expect to also be involved in the data analysis, manuscript preparation, and planning of future studies once the described study has been completed. Our lab has a strong record of including undergraduates as co-authors on publications, and this opportunity will be extended to the students involved in this project. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion. Overall, this is an immersive and multidisciplinary project that will provide the students with opportunities to learn about how to conduct research in a dynamic and productive research environment.
Computational design and fabrication of soft robot bending actuator structures for manipulation and locomotion
Mechanical Engineering
Mentor: Robert MacCurdy
The MACLab is seeking enthusiastic students who want to design, fabricate, and test novel soft actuators. Through your work in MACLab, you will gain hands-on experience and develop your connection to the soft-robotics research community. Our lab is a collection of researchers with diverse engineering interests and backgrounds, and we appreciate the value of a multidisciplinary, open-minded team. We expect applicants to be open and engaged in offering and accepting feedback from any member of our lab team, and we are committed to providing a supportive, inclusive, energetic, and exciting work environment. Strong applicants will already have some familiarity with one or more of the following, CAD design, 3D-printing, Matlab, Python, C++, but it is also expected that students will be learning these skills during the project, so the most important quality is passion for learning!
Fairy Tales at CU 鶹ӰԺ: A Generative Archive
French and Italian
Mentor: Suzanne Magnanini
Are you a reader of fantasy literature? A“maker” interested in creating fairy tales? Love rare books? Curious about digital humanities? Join Team Fairy Tale! Looking for 3 students: 1 archivist who will collaborate with us in constructing an annotated digital bibliographic database that will make Norlin Library’s amazing fairy tale collection more accessible to faculty, students, and the community; and, 2 creators/makers who will use their skills to create new fairy tales in any artistic field (visual arts, film, dance, music, creative writing) inspired by the collection in Norlin. The collection includes 1500+ pieces (rare books from the 1600s, artist books, early pop-up books, and incredibly illustrated anthologies). The archivist will gain experience in humanities research and librarianship while creating a useful digital tool for CU-鶹ӰԺ. The 2 makers will be funded to create new tales that will be shared publicly, while learning to create a project timeline and budget.
2025 Senior Showcase Experience
Theatre & Dance
Mentor: Tamara Meneghini
The Senior Showcase Experience is a unique experience for those students interested in pursuing a career in performance or interested in learning more about how to create opportunities for themselves – be that in the interpretation of a piece already existing or gaining an understanding of the steps required to generate opportunities. All students will be emersed in a cumulative process of research and creativity as they identify material that fully reflects who they are and craft a “package” that is presented to field professionals – including performance, participation in master classes and interviews, and design/implementation of their personal performance portfolio and/or website.
Investing in the Future: An Analytical Approach to Bitcoin Price Forecasting
Computer Science
Mentor: Osita Onyejekwe
The COVID-19 pandemic made investors feel unsure about the global economy, which ultimately led to the massive general public indulging in trading in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The sudden surge of interest in cryptocurrency valuated Bitcoin at over 20,000 dollars but continued to rise as concerns about inflation and the Omicron variant created more uncertainty within the public hitting around 70,000 dollars during 2021. With the rise in a plethora of research within this area, especially in the data science and computer science, I have no doubt that this research and project will raise a plethora of opportunities for not only investors, but for undergraduate students aiming to take their statistics and data science skills to another level
Middle School Ensembles Program
College of Music (Music Education)
Mentor: David Rickels
The CU Middle School Ensembles (MSE) program is a collaborative experience designed for middle school music students and Music Education majors from the 鶹ӰԺ. This program strengthens the teaching opportunities for future music educators while providing a supplemental musical experience to local school music programs. The program includes full group rehearsals in band or orchestra, along with sectional instruction, and elements of comprehensive musicianship (music theory, improvisation, and composition). All rehearsals, sectionals, and activities will be conducted by college students supervised by faculty advisors and graduate assistants as mentors.
Navigating Neurodiversity: Creating Inclusive Wayfinding at CU 鶹ӰԺ
Environmental Design
Mentor: Elena Sabinson
Join the research team for 'Navigating Neurodiversity: Creating Inclusive Wayfinding at CU 鶹ӰԺ.' As part of the team, you'll conduct environmental audits and interviews to enhance accessibility for neurodivergent individuals on campus. We are looking for undergraduate students interested in conducting research at the intersection of psychology and the built environment. Gain hands-on experience in environmental assessments, creating design guidelines, and utilizing visual communication skills to share research findings. Neurodivergent students are encouraged to apply (no formal diagnosis required). Join us to improve campus navigability and create evidence-based guidance for environmental designers and researchers. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to elena.sabinson@colorado.edu with any questions!
Forecasting Future Affordability: A Housing Model for the City of 鶹ӰԺ
Environmental Design
Mentor: Jota Samper
Join our team to research affordable housing in 鶹ӰԺ. Dive into data collection and forecasting techniques to understand the scale and spatial dimensions of the affordability problem. Work on statistical modeling and trend analysis to project future affordability landscapes. Utilize hierarchical trend models to predict property values and address spatial and temporal dependencies. Contribute to the creation of maps and infographics to illustrate the evolution of the housing gap over the next twenty years. This project aims to develop reliable data on affordability challenges and inform urban policy decisions.
Private Choices, Public Goals: Exploring Parents’ Experiences with Open Enrollment
School of Education
Mentor: Terri Wilson
Are you interested in education policy? Join a small team exploring how school choice policies might better promote equity. Researchers have found that school choice policies often advantage families with more education, income, and resources. Yet, certain policy design features can also mitigate these risks. In this publicly engaged research project, you will work with a collaborative team to study the choices and experiences of parents who have participated in open enrollment in a local school district. Gain experience with mixed methods research (including the analysis of enrollment data, surveys results and interviews) and participate in collaborative data analysis and analytic writing. Students will potentially be able to help present our research at an academic conference in late spring 2025. This research opportunity will run from September 2024-April 2025. It will involve approximately 3 hours of time commitment each week and will include a stipend of $1000.
Impact Playback - Empowering Students & Communities through Engaged Theatre
Norlin Scholars
Mentor: JimWalker
CU’s “Impact Playback Theatre" Ensemble tours Colorado using applied forms of improvisational theatre to engage audiences and promote understanding. Since 2019, the troupe has conducted residencies, workshops and performances at and beyond CU, frequently with a social justice, community-building, or equity focus. Crucial to our mission is the ability to honor stories from all members of our diverse audiences.Students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds, identities and skill levels are encouraged to inquire. No performance experience is required; strong interest and/or background in social justice is a plus.Interested performers receive training via weekly rehearsals in Playback and other applied theater forms which boost skills of listening, empathy, spontaneity, collaboration, and trust.Non-performing positions are also available for students with strong, demonstrated skills in organization and event planning, graphic design, marketing and communication (including social media), and/or budgeting/accounting.More info atImpact Playbackand "."