Kicking off 2026!

We hope everyone is enjoying their winter breaks.  We are sending out an early version of our January newsletter due to the many deadlines quickly approaching. Check out more about those opportunities below.  

The Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award and the Distinguished Mentor Award are due January 12th. Each award includes an ICRU fellowship for summer 2026 or the 2026-2027 academic year. 

Nominations due January 12th, 2026 

Award Nominations

Excellence in Undergrad Research Award

Faculty, do you have an outstanding student who works with you on a research or collaborative project?

The 2026 Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award is now accepting student nominations! Thank them for their hard work and dedication by nominating them for the Office of Undergraduate Research's Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award. The OUR will select up to five of the nominees to present this award to, which comes with an OUR Fellowship and a travel scholarship to attend a research conference or event.

Nominate A Student Here

Deadline: January 12, 2026

Distinguished Mentor Award

The 2026 Distinguished Mentor Award is now accepting faculty nominations.

Do you have a mentor that has gone above and beyond? Thank them for all of their time, dedication, and talents by nominating them for the Office of Undergraduate Research's Distinguished Mentor Award. This award will go to two outstanding recipients who work with undergraduate researchers, and the OUR will provide a fellowship to continue their exceptional work with students.

Nominate A Mentor Here

Deadline: January 12, 2026

Apply for Research Funding

ICRU Fellowships

Now accepting applications for OUR Independent Creative Research by Undergraduates (ICRU) Fellowships. OUR ICRU Fellowships fund the research and creative projects of undergraduates during the summer or academic year.

Application Deadlines:
ICRU Fellowship Summer -   Feb 13th
ICRU Fellowship Academic Year - March 27th

Save the Date

Upcoming deadlines and events you may be interested in!

01/12  Deadline EURA and DMA
02/02  RIC Application Due
02/13  Deadline ICRU Summer Fellow
02/27  QPC Registration Due
03/09  RIC Event
03/27  Deadline ICRU AY Fellow
04/02  QPC Event
04/xx  SURF 2026 (date coming soon)

Spring Presentation Opportunities

Research in the Capitol

Research in the Capitol (RIC) takes students to the Iowa Statehouse to talk to Iowa's legislators about research and creative scholarship happening at the three regent universities. 

Application Deadline:  Feb 2nd, 2026
Notification of Selected Presenters: Feb 10th, 2026

Event Date: Mon, March 9th, 2026

QPC 2026

Join us for our 2nd Annual Quick Pitch Challenge (QPC). 

Check the OUR website for details on informational seminars, practice sessions and more.

Registration Deadline: Feb 27th, 2026

Final Competition: April 2nd 4:30-6:00pm

Participate in Research

Open Research Positions

If you would like to get started in research, check out the Open Research Positions Page on the OUR website. While this page is not an exhaustive list, the opportunities listed are updated constantly at the request of faculty actively looking for students to join their research efforts. To find other research opportunities not found on this page, take a look at our How to Get Started guidelines here. Still not sure where to look? Stop by our office in 6 Gilmore Hall and we can help!

Register Your Research

Are you involved in a research or creative project with a faculty or staff member? Want to have it recognized on your transcript? Don't forget to register your Spring research as you work on your schedules for the next term! Having your involvement on your transcript is valuable when you apply to graduate or professional school or hit the job market. Register for a 0-4 credit hour course, which can be pass/fail or graded. For more information about registering your research, click here.

Other News and Information

Congratulations to OUR Ambassador, Hiruni Sumanasiri for winning 3rd Place in the Undergraduate division of the Alyse Gray Parker Memorial Student Video Challenge!  You can view Hiruni's entry: Click here! 

Informal STEM Education Internship is an opportunity for students to be placed at an affiliate organization for an 8-week internship! Interns will participate in or lead programming showcasing NASA and NASA's work and/or develop and deliver educational programing. 

KANI Interdisciplinary Summer Camp for Weather Resilience and Engineering Innovation.  UI is hosting a 10-day paid summer camp/mini-internship focused on advancing undergraduate students' knowledge in weather prediction, local weather intelligence assessment, and resilience in agricultural communities.  Applications due Feb 1st.  

Edge of Space Academy.  Paid 2.5-week undergraduate team-based, hands-on research experience.  Students design and build small instrument payloads for a drone or high-altitude balloon to collect measurements of the Earth's surface and the atmosphere above. Applications due Wed, January 7th.  

Stanley Award for International Research:  The Stanley Undergraduate and Graduate Awards for International Research are given annually to outstanding University of Iowa students for the pursuit of research and learning activities outside of the United States. Deadline: Feb 4th

The Spring Undergraduate Research Festival (SURF) will be held in April 2026 - we are finalizing the date and will post that information soon.  The event location has been moved to the IMU - Main Ballroom - 3:30-6:00pm

Northwestern University Research Experience in Nanotechnology: Applications are now open for the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program at the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN) at Northwestern University. This 9-week program includes a $6,300 stipend, will give undergraduates a glimpse into the life of a scientific researcher, and the opportunity to meet and work with world-renowned scientists. The application deadline is February 9th. To learn more, click here.

Stanford Research Conference 2026: This conference is a distinguished platform for undergraduates nationwide to showcase their research, foster connections with fellow researchers, and engage with leaders in the research community. To learn more about SRC, click here.

Freeman Foundation Asian Internship Scholarship: Scholarships of up to $6,500 are available to help offset travel and living expenses for students pursuing internships in Asia in the Summer of 2026. The Freeman Internship Scholarship program aims to further strengthen the bonds of friendship between the United States and the countries of East and Southeast Asia by supporting U.S. students in gaining a deeper understanding of the different cultures, economies, systems and values prevalent in the region. For more information, click here.

Global Health Case Competition: Up to $2500 available for the 1st place team (top 3 teams receive cash awards)! The IPHPRP Global Health Case Competition brings students together to engage in a unique, practical experience tackling some of the world’s most complex health challenges by student teams pitching creative solutions in a competitive and collaborative environment that simulates future workplace settings. For more information, click here.

Follow OUR on Social Media: Want to see what we are up to? Follow us on social media to stay updated with all things research. We answer questions, send updates on what's happening, post about events, and talk about future opportunities. Check us out at: Instagram & LinkedIn

Contact us:

Tawny Tibbits, PhD, OUR Director
Liz Saathoff, MPH, OUR Associate Director
Laura Kowalski-Bliss, MA, OUR Coordinator

Office of Undergraduate Research
undergraduate-research@uiowa.edu
https://our.research.uiowa.edu
6 Gilmore Hall
319-335-8336