UR2PhD Makes It Easier to Bring Meaningful Research Experiences to Your Students
By Julia Sepulveda, Senior Program Associate, CRA-E
The Computing Research Association (CRA)’s UR2PhD program was started in 2023 with the goal of expanding computing pathways and cultivating a more robust and skilled workforce. Since then, over seven institutions across the United States and Canada have partnered with the team to increase the training and support their students and faculty can access.
The University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada is one such school.
Building Recruitment Success
In fall of 2023, Edith Law, Associate Professor at the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science and local coordinator for UR2PhD at Waterloo, recruited 31 undergraduates and 14 graduate students as participants in our courses. Her initial experience was a bit of work — she developed targeted messaging and marketing that would encourage first-time researchers to explore the opportunity.
Last fall, after iterating on her recruitment process, she was able to engage 36 undergraduates and 14 graduate students.
Creating Impactful Experiences
Participants at the University of Waterloo benefited from UR2PhD’s activities — undergraduates learned foundational research skills while applying them to their projects, and graduate students engaged in community discussions about student development and research productivity.
Through UR2PhD’s courses, students were able to build and hone research and research-related skills, like communications, teamwork, and self-confidence. Beyond building their knowledge, participants expanded their sense of community locally through weekly research meetups involving panels, presentations, and social mixers.
Student Voices: Impact of UR2PhD
Participating in the UR2PhD program enabled the University of Waterloo, a university with a strong co-op program, to encourage students to understand the value of undergraduate research.
One participant, Sam Jiayou Zhong, shared that his experience empowered him to think about and approach problems — even those beyond research — more systematically. Sam shared, “This program has been instrumental in helping me achieve my initial goal of gaining research experience, and it also opened my eyes to the broader possibilities of academic and professional growth through research.”
Reflecting on his experience in the research training course over fall 2024, Sam added that the experience significantly changed his perspective. “Personally, it has boosted my confidence in engaging with complex ideas, and professionally, it has equipped me with tools and insights that will be invaluable in my future endeavors. I would wholeheartedly recommend this program to other undergraduates, especially those without prior research experience. It serves as a perfect starting point to explore the world of academia, guided by supportive mentors and structured learning opportunities.”
Law concurs with this sentiment, noting, “without this program, many undergraduate students would have only a vague notion of what research is and a false impression that graduate school is simply not for them. Building a community of students collectively exploring research is extremely effective in fostering both knowledge and confidence.”
Graduate student participant Joy Idialu added, “[it] was an incredibly rewarding experience. The program not only allowed me to guide a group of talented female students through their first computing research project, focusing on machine learning, but also equipped me with valuable training which enhanced my mentoring skills. Each mentoring session was a chance to apply these best practices, share my passion for mentorship, and witness the remarkable development of these young researchers.”
Joy noted that her participation was empowering not only because it taught her valuable skills, but also because it enabled her to pay it forward to a community she’s passionate about. She added, “It was truly inspiring to support their journey and play a role in a program that champions the presence of women in the tech field.”
Institutional Partner Guide
The UR2PhD program leadership team is grateful to partner with institutions like the University of Waterloo that emphasize preparing students for life after college. To make it easier for departments to set up and adapt local processes, the UR2PhD team has created an institutional partner guide, available on the UR2PhD university resource webpage.
Get Involved in 2025
The UR2PhD program is accepting institutional partners for 2025! Institutions that plan to participate in the summer term should apply by April 30, 2025.
If you’d like to learn more about how your department can get involved, reach out to our team at ur2phd@cra.org.
