FAQs - CRA

What is the UR2PhD program?

The Undergraduate Research to PhD (“UR2PhD”), pronounced ‘you are to PhD’, program focuses on engaging more women and gender-marginalized students who are U.S. citizens and permanent residents in computing PhD programs. The program aims to ensure that participants have access to high-quality undergraduate research opportunities, positive mentorship experiences, and information about applying to graduate school.

In order to meet its objectives, the UR2PhD program facilitates three primary activities:

An undergraduate research methods course to increase the capacity of computing departments to provide high-quality undergraduate research experiences
A mentor training program for graduate students to train them to support undergraduate students in a culturally responsive manner
A series of online workshops for students to continue to engage students in research, while increasing their understanding of the field and graduate school application process

How many students have participated in the UR2PhD program so far?

CRA launched the UR2PhD program in 2023 and has had over 400 participants.

How can I get involved in the UR2PhD program? I am not sure if I am eligible for the activities that the UR2PhD program hosts. How can I learn more?

As a faculty mentor, we strongly encourage you to serve as a research mentor or instructor. You may also want to consider serving as a local coordinator for your institution.

My question wasn’t answered in this section. Who can I reach out to for assistance?

A member of our team would be happy to assist you. Please send us an email at ur2phd@cra.org.

What program activities does UR2PhD offer?

Our program offers 4 primary activities, including 2 courses and 2 workshops.

Our courses include the research training course and the . Both courses have two entry points: via institutional partnerships and community applications. To participate, students must be able to attend the synchronous sessions.

Our workshops include the . Both workshops are open to any student enrolled in a North American institution. The engagement and awareness workshops are offered in monthly in the spring and the fall, while the graduate school application workshops are offered every other week in the fall.

UR2PhD: Undergraduate Research Methods Course by Computing Research Association’s UR2PhD Program. This work, “UR2PhD Undergraduate Research Methods Course”, is adapted from “Early Research Scholars Program” by Christine Alvarado, UC San Diego, used under CC BY 4.0. “UR2PhD Undergraduate Research Scholars” is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the Computing Research Association’s UR2PhD Program and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International