The Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Database includes a list of primarily off-campus summer research opportunities available for undergraduate students.
Please note - This is not an exhaustive list of all summer opportunities. Though we actively manage and update this database, there are likely many opportunities, both on-campus and external, that our office has missed.
This database is maintained by the Illinois Office of Undergraduate Research. If you have any corrections, suggestions, or would like to add an opportunity to our database, please email ugresearch@illinois.edu.
How to use
Most students choose to filter by "Research Area" and leave the "Keywords" field blank. You can also search using keywords; however, we recommend the use of general keywords (broad search terms) for best results (e.g., "chemical" instead of "crinine and haemanthamine alkaloids".)
Press "Apply" to apply these filtering criteria and update the list of opportunities shown.
Block Reference
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| Research Opportunity | Research Area | Opportunity Timing | Deadline Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rush University Summer Research Program The Summer Undergraduate Research Program is a nine-week, intensive research program for undergraduate students interested in pursuing an advanced degree in the biomedical sciences. |
Medicine & Health | Summer | Anticipated 2/15/27 |
| Cellular and Molecular Biology of Stress Summer Research Program The Cellular and Molecular Biology of Stress Summer Research Program provides immersive, full-time bioscience research and professional development for undergraduate students as they prepare for graduate school and research careers in biology. |
Medicine & Health, Natural Sciences | Summer | Anticipated 2/15/27 |
| Claudine K. Brown Internship in Education at Smithsonian The Claudine K. Brown Internship in Education offers an immersive, 8-week experience in Washington, D.C., where you’ll collaborate with Smithsonian educators and contribute to innovative programs that connect learners nationwide. |
Education | Summer | Anticipated 2/15/27 |
| Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in Toxicology (SURE Tox) program The SURETox program aims to match participants with mentors, enhance research skills, offer didactic training, prepare students for presentations, provide networking opportunities, and share information about careers in toxicology. |
Medicine & Health, Natural Sciences | Summer | Anticipated 2/15/27 |
| Multidisciplinary Approaches for Overcoming Water Resources and Sustainable Engineering Challenges in Appalachian Regions This REU engages students in multidisciplinary research addressing water resource and sustainable engineering challenges in Appalachia. Participants will work on projects related to improving drinking water and wastewater systems, restoring ecosystems, and developing resilient infrastructure through fieldwork, lab analysis, and data modeling—all while exploring the economic and social impacts of sustainable engineering solutions in the region. |
Natural Sciences, Science & Technology | Summer | Anticipated 2/15/27 |
| Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE) REU Students receive a true interdisciplinary research experience in an environment where physicists, chemists, biologists, and all engineering disciplines collaboratively solve problems and create new scientific understanding. |
Natural Sciences, Science & Technology | Summer | Anticipated 2/15/27 |
| Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) Internship The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) internship program offers students a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the fields of environmental research and public engagement. |
Education, Natural Sciences, Science & Technology | Summer | Anticipated 2/15/27 |
| Bigelow Laboratory REU in Ocean Science Research This NSF-funded, ten-week program offers undergraduates the opportunity to conduct independent ocean science research under the guidance of a Bigelow Laboratory scientist. Participants gain experience with state-of-the-art techniques, engage in professional development activities, and present their work at a concluding research symposium. |
Natural Sciences, Science & Technology | Summer | Anticipated 2/15/27 |
| Translational Biomedicine Summer Research Program This training program seeks to recruit highly motivated and creative young scientists who are interested in developing innovative solutions to difficult problems in biology and medicine. The purpose of this 9-week, full-time summer research program is to provide undergraduates with an intensive research experience that emphasizes interdisciplinary and translational approaches across the bench-to-bedside continuum. |
Medicine & Health, Natural Sciences | Summer | Anticipated 2/15/27 |
| Microbial Biofilms REU The goal of this REU is to provide talented and motivated students with a well-mentored, collaborative research experience on microbial biofilms that has the potential to impact their career trajectory and future academic successes. |
Natural Sciences, Science & Technology | Summer | Anticipated 2/16/27 |
| Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program (LSSURP) The LSSURP at the University of Minnesota aims to boost underrepresented students in life sciences. It offers a 10-week research program, mentorship, and activities fostering professional growth, culminating in a poster symposium. |
Medicine & Health | Summer | Anticipated 2/16/27 |
| NHERI REU Summer Program The NHERI REU program is dedicated to helping undergraduate college students experience multi-hazard engineering as well as reconnaissance, cyberinfrastructure, data management, and simulation research. Hands-on, research-based projects introduce participants to a network of engineers, and students who work toward mitigating natural hazards and understanding the impact of natural hazards on society. |
Science & Technology | Summer | Anticipated 2/16/27 |
| DOE Scholars Program Participants in the DOE Scholars Program will have the unique opportunity to explore a career in the federal government with the DOE. The program covers a wide range of fields including: Energy Sources and Security, Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, Climate Change, Environmental Management, Nuclear Security, Artificial Intelligence, Emergency Response, Management and Operations, Cyber Security, and Safeguards and Security. |
Natural Sciences, Science & Technology | Summer | Anticipated 2/16/27 |
| MU Alcohol Research Training Summer School & Internship (MU-ARTSS) The MU-ARTSS program is a week-long didactic program providing an intensive introduction to alcohol research followed by an 8-week research internship in the lab of a MU-ARTSS professor. |
Medicine & Health, Social Sciences & Behavior | Summer | Anticipated 2/16/27 |
| Lurie Cancer Center Undergraduate Summer Research Internships Students are invited to participate in cutting-edge cancer research where they will work full-time alongside leading researchers in various biomedical fields. The program includes hands-on research experience, faculty lectures, skills workshops, and career development activities to help students understand cancer biology and explore potential career paths in the health sciences. |
Medicine & Health, Science & Technology | Summer | Anticipated 2/16/27 |
| University of Missouri Materials Science & Engineering Program This REU Site trains researchers to think creatively from an early stage. The projects focus on understanding and predicting relationships for micro- and nano-structured materials across a wide spectrum of applications, including sensors, batteries, reactors, and implantable devices. Students in this program learn cutting-edge materials research approaches that include atomistic simulation, coarse-grain modeling, and a suite of materials design / fabrication / characterization techniques. |
Medicine & Health, Science & Technology | Summer | Anticipated 2/16/27 |
| Synthesis, Assembly, and Characterization of Soft Matter REU Cleveland State University's REU calls for undergraduates interested in physics and engineering for a interdisciplinary soft matter research, fostering STEM pathways with mentoring and networking. |
Science & Technology | Summer | Anticipated 2/16/27 |
| Center for Digital Agriculture REU The CDA REU program provides valuable hands-on training alongside experts, access to professional development and entrepreneurship workshops, participation in AI Foundry short course and Hackathon, and a final research presentation at an annual conference. |
Agriculture & Food Sciences, Natural Sciences, Science & Technology | Summer | Anticipated 2/16/27 |
| Summer Geometry Initiative The Summer Geometry Initiative (SGI) is a six-week paid summer research program introducing undergraduate and graduate students to the field of geometry processing. Geometry processing has a long history of breakthrough developments that have guided design of 3D tools for computer vision, additive manufacturing, scientific computing, and other disciplines. Algorithms for geometry processing combine ideas from disciplines including differential geometry, topology, physical simulation, statistics, and optimization. |
Science & Technology | Summer | Anticipated 2/17/27 |
| Amgen Scholars Program at NIH Amgen Scholars at NIH spend the summer working side-by-side with some of the world's leading scientists, in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. |
Medicine & Health | Summer | Anticipated 2/19/27 |
| REU Program in the Structure and Function of Proteins This REU Program offers a 10-week research experience in biochemistry, biophysics, and related fields. Undergraduates explore diverse projects centered on protein, RNA, and DNA structure and function. |
Medicine & Health, Natural Sciences | Summer | Anticipated 2/20/27 |
| University of Michigan Interdisciplinary REU Program The University of Michigan Interdisciplinary REU Program in the Structure and Function of Proteins, RNAs, and DNAs is designed to provide undergraduate students with a 10-week research experience in the areas of biochemistry, biophysics, cheminformatics, computational chemistry, enzymology, marine biology, molecular biology and plant biology. |
Medicine & Health, Natural Sciences | Summer | Anticipated 2/20/27 |
| Washington University Pediatric Center of Excellence in Nephrology (WUPCEN) Summer Research Program The WUPCEN summer research program invites students interested in biological research and medicine to apply. Participants will engage in meaningful research and clinical experiences in kidney development, biology, cutting-edge technologies, preclinical model systems and pediatric nephrology. |
Medicine & Health, Natural Sciences, Science & Technology | Summer | Anticipated 2/21/27 |
| Simmons Cancer Institute Summer Internship The Simmons Cancer Institute Summer Internship program provides hands-on experience for college undergraduates who plan a career in medicine or research with a focus on cancer. |
Medicine & Health | Summer | Anticipated 2/21/27 |
| Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) at Caltech Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) at Caltech – SURF offers students the opportunity to conduct a 10-week summer research project under the guidance of experienced mentors with a stipend award. Students will collaborate with a potential mentor to define and develop a project, submit a technical paper, and give an oral presentation at one of several SURF Seminar Days. |
Social Sciences & Behavior | Summer | Anticipated 2/22/27 |