Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
What is the UR2PhD program?
The Undergraduate Research to PhD (“UR2PhD”), pronounced ‘you are to PhD’, program focuses on expanding training opportunities that make it easier for students to get involved in research. 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 offers four primary activities:
- A research training course to increase undergraduate students’ confidence and skills
- A mentor training course to support graduate students’ in becoming more effective mentors
- A computing research engagement and awareness workshop series to increase students’ understanding of research
- A graduate school application workshop series to build students’ interest in and knowledge of PhD applications
How many students have participated in the UR2PhD program so far?
CRA launched the UR2PhD program in the fall of 2023 and has had over 500 participants across the courses and workshops.
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.
Undergraduate Research Training Course
Is this the same as the undergraduate research methods course?
Yes, this course was re-named from the “undergraduate research methods course” to the “undergraduate research training course” to reduce confusion about the course content.
While the course content is updated based on participant feedback, much of the curriculum remains unchanged from term to term.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility for the UR2PhD research training course is limited to groups of 2-4 undergraduate students enrolled in a North American university or college. Students must commit to attending the live, virtual sessions of the undergraduate research methods course at the same time as their research team.
To be eligible to participate, students MUST be attending a North American-based institution.
Do I have to attend an “institutional partner” school to apply?
No. Students do not need to attend an institutional partner school to participate in the program.
If you do attend an institutional partner, inquire with the local coordinator at your school to learn more about how to get involved.
If you do not attend an institutional partner, complete the application, if you meet the eligibility criteria.
How do I apply to participate?
It depends!
If you are an undergraduate at an institutional partner school, you will follow the application instructions provided by the local coordinator.
If you are an undergraduate student not attending an institutional partner school, you will need to submit an application directly to our team. To do so, you will need to identify a faculty mentor, research project, and research team.
Please refer to our research training course webpage for additional details about how to apply.
Do I have to be a CS major to participate?
No. Students do not need to have declared a major (or concentration) in computer science.
However, students must be participating in a research project supporting the computing field, which includes computer science, computer engineering, and information science. Fields not housed in one of the departments listed may be considered on a case by case basis.
Do my research teammates have to work on the same project as me?
Yes. To be eligible for this program, undergraduates must be a part of a team of 2 to 4 students working on the same research project.
We are hoping that undergraduate students will receive mentorship and support not only from their faculty advisors, graduate student mentors, and instructors, but also from their peers.
Do my research teammates have to attend the same session as me?
Yes. The curriculum for the course is collaborative in nature and was designed to be completed in groups.
To participate, students must be able to attend the same session time as their research team.
For example, if Jane, Jack, and Jill are in a group, all three students must be able to attend either “section A” or “section B.”
Are there any requirements with respect to the length of a research project?
No. While we hope that students are engaged in a research project throughout the academic year, we do not have strict requirements about the length of a research project.
Can my research project be completed virtually / remotely?
Yes, it can. Most students participate in research projects at their home institutions, or work locally with a mentor, but experiences can be remote.
Can I apply as an individual? / Is it okay to participate without a research team?
No. The UR2PhD course is only open to research teams. A research team is defined as a group of 2 to 4 undergraduate students working with a faculty member on a computing research project.
Our team does not facilitate matching. Students must identify their own research team and mentor ahead of applying to participate in our course.
Do my research teammates have to apply separately?
Yes, every student must submit their own application. The application form provides an opportunity for applicants to tell us more about their lived experience within computing and research.
How do I identify a research advisor and team?
We suggest inquiring about research opportunities with faculty members and advisors at your institution. They may be able to provide additional guidance on how to identify research opportunities, participate in research projects, and receive compensation for research (either in the form of course credit or payment).
You may want to refer to these videos for additional guidance about how to get started with research.
Will undergraduate students participating in the program receive funding from CRA?
Not necessarily. Undergraduate students participating in the program will receive access to our virtual, synchronous research training course, as well as our workshops.
We encourage faculty mentors to provide students with course credit or pay for participating in the research training course. However, the UR2PhD program cannot provide funding for potential participants. Undergraduate students should direct any compensation questions to their faculty advisor.
That said, students who successfully complete the undergraduate research training course may be eligible to apply for additional funding opportunities, including technical conference travel and REU funding. Funding applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Are there any fees or tuition associated with participating in the program?
No, this program is designed to offer free support and training to students who want to explore research opportunities.
Do I have to commit to the entire program to participate?
Yes. To participate, students must be able to commit at least 10 hours per week to conduct research for their project, attend the research training course, and complete any associated assignments.
In addition to attending synchronous course sessions and completing the associated homework, students are responsible for fulfilling any research expectations set by their mentors.
How often is the undergraduate course offered?
We plan to run the undergraduate research training course throughout the year. For 2024, we offered summer and fall sessions. For 2025, we will offer sessions in the spring, summer, and fall.
If you are not selected to participate the first time you apply, please consider reapplying for a future session.
Is this course virtual? How does that impact the course experience?
Yes, the undergraduate research training course is virtual and students participate in synchronous sessions over Zoom.
Students can view and submit assignments via Canvas. To build community, students are invited (but not required) to join the UR2PhD Discord server and a private LinkedIn group.
Where can I find additional resources for getting involved in research?
We recommend reviewing these videos for additional context about what research is, why you may want to consider it, and how you can get involved.
Additionally, you may want to review the SPARC website.
Undergraduate Workshops
What types of workshops do you offer?
The Computing Research Engagement and Awareness workshops are broadly designed to teach students more about computing research and research careers.
The Graduate School Application workshops will be a cumulative experience that prepares students for completing a PhD application for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) programs.
Collectively, these two workshop series aim to empower students by offering them an enriching and inclusive environment to delve into computing research.
How can I access the workshops?
All workshops are held on Zoom and require registration.
To learn more about and register for our workshops, please see the associated pages:
Do I have to register by a certain date to be able to join the workshops?
Registrations remain open through the end of each workshop. We encourage participants to register as soon as they’re able.
What materials or software do I need?
To participate, students will need an active Zoom account.
Is there a schedule/agenda available?
Yes, please refer to the workshop page you are interested in:
Can I ask questions during the workshop?
Yes, we hope that students feel comfortable asking questions as they arise. We would like our workshops to be interactive, so please come with questions!
Will the workshop be recorded for later viewing?
Yes. While we encourage students to attend workshops synchronously, most of our workshops will be made accessible on CRA’s YouTube channel at a later date.
What’s the duration of the workshop?
The majority of our workshops will be an one hour in length. While we hope participants can engage throughout the whole session, we encourage students to participate as their schedule allows.
Are there any prerequisites or recommended background knowledge?
We do not require any research experience or knowledge to participate in our workshops. However, our workshops will be most beneficial to students with an interest in computing.
What’s the format of the workshop (lecture, Q&A, breakout sessions, etc.)?
The moderators will be designing each session to be slightly different, but we will aim for all workshops to have an interactive component.
In the registration form for our workshops, we ask students for feedback on what they’d like to see. We use participant feedback to inform our session planning.
Will there be a certificate of completion or any recognition for attending?
No. There will not be any official certificate of completion for attending our workshop sessions. Students who participate in the undergraduate research training and successfully complete the course will be awarded an electronic certificate of completion.
I am having technical difficulties. Who should I contact?
Contact ur2phd [at] cra [dot] org
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
UR2PhD: Graduate Student Mentor Training Course by Computing Research Association’s UR2PhD Program is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
