Research Training Course

The virtual, synchronous undergraduate research training course aims to support new undergraduate researchers during their first research experience. This course intends to serve as the first (but not last!) meaningful experience in student’s research journey.

This course will cover the foundations of research with the goal of supporting students in completing their pre-identified research project. Participants will develop and apply practical research skills, like reading and interpreting research papers, conducting literature reviews, and analyzing and presenting data. Students will hone their research comprehension and communication skills, develop an understanding of research ethics, and build their confidence in their identity as a researcher. All concepts and skills will be taught in the context of students’ projects. The course will also provide participants with an opportunity to foster a peer network of support.

This course was previously called the “undergraduate research methods course.” This course does NOT cover specific research methodologies and techniques. It is designed to assist participants in identifying the precise technical knowledge required for the successful completion of their research projects. Over the duration of the course, participants will enhance their research, communication, and teamwork abilities. Additionally, they will explore the societal, ethical, and cultural implications of their projects.

Eligibility

All participants must be undergraduate students at a North American university or college. All participants must have a team (2-4 undergraduates), a mentor (graduate student and/or faculty mentor), a research project, and availability to attend all program sessions at the same time as their team.

Apply to participate in the research training course

Benefits of participating

By participating, undergraduates will:

Learn, practice, and apply crucial skills necessary to conduct research while earning course credit or pay
Cultivate connections with undergraduate researchers within and beyond your university, fostering an extensive peer network
Develop relationships with research mentors and advisors who can serve as future references
Expand understanding of computing research, sub-disciplines, and topics through engagement with guest speakers from across North America
Grow knowledge about research opportunities and careers, as well as graduate school, with an opportunity to learn more about graduate school application expectations and requirements
Become eligible for additional funding opportunities, including travel and REU support

Responsibilities and expectations

Participants will need to certify that they understand and will adhere to the following responsibilities and expectations:

Engage in a research project at your college/institution with your research group (1-3 other undergraduates), and a mentor (e.g. faculty member and/or a graduate student mentor).
Actively participate in the same course session and time as their research team
Active participation means arriving on-time. The expectation is that participants will have their cameras on during the entire session and will be focused on the course content, participating in discussion when prompted.
Attend all course sessions
Students will be allowed no more than 2 unexcused absences throughout the course
Complete course assignments in a timely fashion
Participate in evaluation efforts, as requested

Course timeline and meeting dates

View examples of the course syllabus and topics/assignments.

Please note: these dates are tentative and subject to change.

For the spring of 2025, there will be two course offerings:

Session	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Finals Due
A: Wednesdays 8-10pm ET	2/5	2/12	2/19	2/26	3/5	3/12	3/19	3/26	4/2	4/9	4/16
B: Thursdays 7-9pm ET	2/6	2/13	2/20	2/27	3/6	3/13	3/20	3/27	4/9	4/10	4/17

Session	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Finals Due
T / W / R	6/3	6/4	6/5	6/10	6/11	6/12	6/17	6/18	6/24	6/25	6/30

Compensation

Students accepted into the UR2PhD program will gain access to the undergraduate training methods course and virtual workshops. We strongly encourage faculty members at participants’ home institutions to either provide course credit or payment to students.

Individual Applications

Undergraduates seeking to participate in the virtual research training course must first form a research group (composed of 2-4 undergraduates) and identify a research advisor and project. Students will then submit an application to the program in advance of the deadline for the term in which they are applying.

Please note: each team member must submit their own application. The form will ask you to identify your research partners, faculty mentor, and preferred course term. Please be aware that the faculty members mentioned in applications will be contacted by the UR2PhD team to verify the submissions and provide additional information.

2025 Applications

Institutional Partners

For 2024, our institutional partners include:

Summer 2024: Barnard College, New Mexico State University, and the University of North Texas.
Fall 2024: New Mexico State University, University of Alberta, University of California Riverside, University of North Texas, University of Waterloo, and Wellesley College.

Students at these institutions should speak to their local coordinator about how they might be able to get involved in our program. If you are a student at an institutional partner school and do not know who your local coordinator is, our team would be happy to assist you in identifying the appropriate contact.

Download our informational flyer Apply for the course Apply for travel funding

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