- Percentage of 2022 graduating seniors who participated in research by graduation 25%
About
The Undergraduate Research Program is a new initiative from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science to develop first-in-class research opportunities that lead to undergraduates who are well-informed about engineering career opportunities in both academic and corporate settings.
UCLA Samueli boasts some of the world’s top researchers working at the forefront of technological innovation. In collaboration with multiple UCLA schools as well as universities around the globe, the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science is leading initiatives that have the potential to change our world.
URP has two programs – the academic year program and the summer program.
There are 8 peer advisors between UIP and URP. Get to know this year’s team of peer advisors here!
Get to know our amazing statistics from this Fall’s peer advising sessions by clicking on the link below!
Program Components
URP spans the academic year and consists of several workshops and activities.
- Technical Presentation Lab
- Poster Workshops
- Undergraduate Research Week Poster Day
- Professional Development Workshops and Industry Info-Sessions
- End of Year Awards Reception
Program Benefits
- Master various skills, including deciphering technical journal articles and communicating research findings.
- Advising on securing paid research or industry positions.
- Network with industry representatives in an intimate setting.
- Be recognized for your research and receive an official certificate signed by the Dean.
- Qualify for a $750 award for Best Poster and/or Best Presentation.
Peer Advising
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Quarterly Research Fair
URP Fall 2025 Research Fair
Date: Wednesday, November 12
Time: 5 – 7 PM
Location: Mong Auditorium and Cohen Room, E-VI
This quarter’s undergraduate research fair hosted by URP will be on Tuesday, May 13th from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm in the Cohen Room and Patio. There will be 20 labs in attendance representing a variety of disciplines and looking to recruit undergraduates like you! The research fair is open to all undergraduate engineering students. Due to high attendance at previous fairs, we will be capping it this time. Therefore, please RSVP as soon as possible! Please reach out to URP@seas.ucla.edu with any questions. Hope to see you there! Please save the date and plan on bringing a physical copy of your CV/resume along with a shareable digital version. The dress code is casual. The labs in attendance are detailed in the Google forms. Please note that this opportunity is only for UCLA undergraduate engineering students. BruinCard or UCLA UID is required to check-in.
Spring 2025 Week 10 Research Opportunities
| Join the URC Sciences Mailing List Join the Undergraduate Research Center – Sciences mailing list to be notified of scholarships, programs, events, and other resources! We send out monthly newsletters and additional reminders for upcoming research-related opportunities. Sign up here.
The URSP is a three-quarter scholarship program that supports students conducting a life science, physical science, or engineering research project with a UCLA faculty during the 2025-2026 academic year. This program is open to juniors and seniors. Juniors are eligible to receive up to $4,500 and seniors are eligible to receive up to $6,000. Students can apply through their MyUCLA. Learn more here! Application Due: June 16, 2025
The James Dyson Award, an international student design and engineering competition, and is now open for 2025 submissions. From everyday challenges to the world’s most pressing issues, the Award calls for current or recent students to submit problem-solving ideas that could make a real difference to people’s lives. There are prizes of up to $35,000. Apply now!
In partnership with Dubai Future Foundation, the Prototypes for Humanity initiative has gained recognition from BBC, CNN, Forbes, and other leading platforms. Over the past decade, Prototypes for Humanity has engaged with 20,000+ professors and students from 800 universities in 100+ countries. Participation is completely free and Prototypes for Humanity provides comprehensive support to the 100 selected projects to travel to Dubai. Learn more here!
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Publishing Research
The Undergraduate Research & Creativity Showcase, the main event of Undergraduate Research Week, will take place on May 20, 2025, featuring live-streamed panels where students will share 5-10 minute presentations of their research and creative projects, followed by Q&A. These presentations will be organized into topical panels across three sessions throughout the day. Additionally, from May 19-23, 2025, visitors can explore multimedia and recorded presentations on the Undergraduate Research Week website, which will feature an interactive display of projects organized by field. Students interested in presenting their work can apply by April 15th. Please refer to the URC Sciences website for more information.
Click this link to see the journal publications of our students!
Are you interested in publishing your research? Please visit the application website here!
Read Our Weekly URP Newsletter Here
Our weekly URP newsletter is packed with amazing information about research opportunities, resources, events, and more!
Research Resouces
Wondering How to Get into a Research Lab?
Looking to find a research lab and don’t know where to start? Our experienced Peer Advisors have crafted a guide to help you out. Click here to embark on your lab search!
Check out our YouTube! We have informational videos that will optimize your chances of getting into a research lab.
– Click here if you are interested in learning how to attend a research conference
– Click here if you are interested in learning how to apply to Grad school
Winter Student Organizations & Activities
WINTER 2024 SITE IS LIVE!! Click here to explore engineering orgs at UCLA.
This platform seeks to connect students, particularly first years and transfers, to engineering organizations. Check out the general Winter opportunities and specific Transfer opportunities to get involved! More information can be found here.
Career Center Advising
Drop-in Advising
(Virtual and In-person)
Visit the Career Center virtual drop-in room or come the Career Center in-person located at the Strathmore Building, 2nd floor. You will be able to get help with resume/cover letter reviews and job and internship questions.
Hours
Tuesday-Thursday
10:00am-2:00pm
Transfer Resources
Did you know only 47.8% of transfers gain internship experience by graduation? (Source: 2025 Senior Exit Survey) We offer 1:1 peer advising to help you prepare for and find internship, research, and job opportunities! Schedule a peer advising appointment here to get started.
ENGINEERING TRANSFER STUDENT CENTER (ETC)
The Engineering Transfer Center at UCLA Samueli provides resources and support current engineering transfer students (eTransfers), visibility and advocacy for the transfer community, and works with local community colleges to support the engineering pipeline.
Please see our Transfer Center Website or stop by at 6288 Boelter Hall for additional transfer resources.
Incoming Transfers
Check out eTransfer 101, a workshop series designed to prepare you for your first year at UCLA, as well as our eTransfer Success Timeline:
Follow through using the New Transfer Checklist below:
Stay Tuned for our HOW TO: Transfer YouTube Series!
Discover Types of Research
- UCLA Engineering’s Six Critical Areas of Research
- Research Centers and Institutes
- Faculty Expertise Directory
- Departmental Research Pages
Finding a Lab
Explore these resources to find a lab that’s a good fit for you:
- Pathways to Science (national database of research opportunities supported by NSF)
- UCLA Research Portal
- UCLA Undergraduate Research Center – Sciences
- Other Research Programs and Opportunities
Getting Course Credit for Research
ENGR 24: Finding an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Seminar
ENGR 24 is a new course offered during Spring quarter designed to help engineering students secure their first research position! Take a look at the syllabus (S23) and infosession (W23) to learn more.
Additional Courses:
Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)
Currently looking for research, or already in a lab? The Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) is an umbrella program that scaffolds summer undergraduate research opportunities at UCLA Samueli Engineering, including Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). SURP is a 10-week program and runs from June 24 to August 30 for Summer 2024.
If you are new to research and/or are interested in doing full time, in person, paid summer research, SURP could be a great fit for you! If you are interested in participating in the UCLA Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), schedule a peer advising session with Solia or Ananya this quarter!
Visit this website for more information about the program.
Summer Research Opportunities
- List of opportunities
- UCLA SURP program (10 week research program)
- Stanford Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) – International Student Friendly
- Stanford Engineering Research Introductions (SERIS)
- Stanford Exposure to Research and Graduate Education (SERGE)
- Summer Research Program SCAMP 2024 – La Jolla, CA
- The University of Michigan Samuel & Jean Frankel Cardiovascular Center (Frankel CVC) is 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program – a 10-week fellowship will be held May 28, 2024 through August 2, 2024.
- To access the application and learn more about the program, visit our website at https://tinyurl.com/fcvcsurf. For questions, please email fcvc-surf@med.umich.edu.
Contact Us
Drop by Boelter 6288 during our hours 9am-5pm to talk to one of our peer advisors about getting into research or feel free to contact us anytime at urp@seas.ucla.edu