Research

As the #1 public research University in New England, the University of Massachusetts Amherst provides many opportunities for students interested in research to gain experience generating knowledge and making discoveries that will better society.

Research takes many forms, and can include opportunities that occur at UMass and away from the University. 

Research Experiences On Campus

  • Office of Undergraduate Research (OURS): The Office of Undergraduate Research & Studies (OURS) is part of the Learning Resource Center and serves as the centralized research and resource office for the campus. OURS helps students find and access undergraduate research and scholarly opportunities on and off campus, throughout the year, across all colleges. They serve students in all disciplines at every stage of their undergraduate careers. Students are also supported in preparing for and navigating the application process for research and scholarly opportunities.

  • William Lee Science Impact Program (Lee SIP): The William Lee Science Impact Program (Lee SIP) is a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program designed to expand and broaden participation in undergraduate research. The program provides students the opportunity to work on fun, novel, and interesting scientific questions by matching them with faculty members with similar research interests.

  • Biology Undergraduate Apprenticeships (BUA): The Biology Undergraduate Apprenticeships (BUA) program provides equitable access to research and teaching assistant positions at UMass. They encourage students from all backgrounds to apply for positions that interest or excite them, even if they don't have research expertise (yet!). To apply for projects log into BUA using your UMass email.

  • Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) Core Summer Programs: IALS offers both Undergraduate and Graduate training through its Research Assistantship and Internship programs. The Summer Internship program is an on-campus, paid summer internship opportunity that is open to non-graduating UMass undergraduates (current Freshman, Sophomores and Juniors). The Research Assistantship program offers up to 10 graduate summer RA positions.

Research Opportunities Away from Campus: 

  • Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) Summer Internship Challenge: The Internship Challenge enhances the talent pipeline for the Massachusetts life sciences industry by creating hundreds of new internship opportunities each year for college students and recent graduates interested in life sciences careers. The workforce development program connects employers with prospective interns through an online platform and enables eligible companies to pay their interns for up to twelve weeks by subsidizing intern wages.

  • National Science Foundation (NSC) Research Experiences for Undergraduates:  NSF funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel. Undergraduate students supported with NSF funds must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions. An REU Site may be at either a US or foreign location. By using the web page, Search for an REU Site, you may examine opportunities in the subject areas supported by various NSF units. Also, you may search by keywords to identify sites in particular research areas or with certain features, such as a particular location.