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Your undergraduate research work at UC Irvine could help change the world. Why wait?

UC Irvine’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) encourages and facilitates research and creative activities for undergraduates from all of our schools and academic disciplines as an integral component of your education.

Research opportunities are available on campus in every discipline, interdisciplinary program, and school, and through many off-campus laboratories, industrial partners, and other universities. Discover the unique and valuable benefits of undergraduate research through UROP.

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Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Students: Find a Research Project in Physics or Applied Physics

Faculty: Post a Research Project in Physics or Applied Physics  

One of the most valuable educational experiences offered by the department is the opportunity to participate in research projects with faculty members. Projects can involve laboratory work, data analysis, or computational research in any of our faculty research areas. Virtually all qualified students who seek an undergraduate research project will find a suitable project, and some students carry out research with more than one research group during their time at UCI.

Whether you are planning to attend graduate school or pursue a career in industry or any of the many other possibilities that will be available to you, taking advantage of research opportunities is an important part of your undergraduate experience as a physics major, and one of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of an undergraduate education. As a minimum, we encourage all of our majors to be involved in research during their senior year. We encourage students to start talking with faculty at the end of the sophomore year or during the beginning of the junior year to plan summer research projects and senior thesis research work. There are a variety of arrangements for research during the academic year and during the summer. 

Students must be in good academic standing, major and cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. UCI students are given priority for conducting undergraduate research in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.  

Finding UCI research projects We recommend three ways to find research projects at UCI:

• Browse research projects with current openings for undergraduate researchers through our Department of Physics & Astronomy Undergraduate Research Project Marketplace .
• Use the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) web site, which maintains a list of faculty who have undergraduate research openings in their groups and some opportunities off campus. Please be aware that this is a very incomplete list: many Physics faculty will have openings that aren't listed on the UROP site. 
• Browse research pages from the department and individual faculty. Then contact faculty directly, regardless of whether they have an advertised opening. Send an email to set up an appointment to talk, or stop by their offices to introduce yourself if the door is open. Faculty will generally be happy to tell you about their research and possible opportunities for undergraduate participation.

Finding a research project takes initiative. Think about what areas of physics you're most interested in, and what research techniques. Are you most interested in working with lab equipment and electronics, or analyzing data from large experiments or astronomical surveys, or carrying out computer modeling and simulations of physical systems? You can get ideas from browsing the resources above and talking to faculty, grad students, and other undergraduates already involved in research.

Do not be discouraged if your first inquiry is not successful! Research programs continually evolve, and at any given time faculty might not have projects available that are a good match to your skills or interests, but students who want to find research projects are very likely to find opportunities.

Research funding and summer research programs UCI has organized research programs for undergraduates that provide financial support as well as mentoring and guidance on applying to graduate school. Application deadlines for summer programs are generally in winter or spring quarter, and may require that you have already been working with a faculty member for one quarter. Programs include:

• Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)
• California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP) Summer Science Scholars

In addition, the UCI Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) awards research grants that can be used to help fund student research projects, as well as other undergraduate research fellowships. They also host workshops and provide resources to help you write and apply for research grants through their program.

Support for research over the summer at other universities is available through NSF's REU program . Each university usually runs its own application process, and students apply to each university's program individually. Most of these programs have application deadlines during in early winter, so it's important start looking and applying early. Admission can be very competitive, so take the time to prepare a complete and well-written application to optimize your chances of being admitted. Your faculty advisor can help you with this process.

More information and listings of REU programs in physics and astronomy, or similar summer research programs, can be found on these sites:

• NSF-Supported Physics REU Programs
• NSF-Supported Astronomy REU Programs
• American Physical Society description of Physics REU Programs
• The Physics Nucleus REU Program Listing
• Department of Energy Summer Undergraduate Laboratory Internships Program (SULI)
• Department of Defense summer internships
• Cal-Tech summer wave program
• American Astronomical Society listing of REU Programs
• Space Astronomy Summer Program at the Space Telescope Science Institute
• NASA internships and fellowships
• NIH summer internship program
• CERN summer student programme
• CERN summer internship through George Mason University

Course credit for research and senior thesis projects Students who take Physics 196 or H196 for a year complete a Senior Thesis in Physics while satisfying their upper-division writing requirement. (This sequence also counts as two quarters of "coherently related" courses for the departmental degree requirement.) Alternatively, students can enroll in Physics 195. A senior thesis can be a stand-alone project initiated at the start of senior year, but it can also be the culmination of research started at an earlier stage, for example as a summer project that later expands into a senior thesis. We strongly recommend that students begin working on identifying possible Senior Thesis projects during the junior year. Students who are carrying out Senior Thesis research are eligible to present their findings at the UROP Symposium .

Volunteering as an undergraduate researcher In addition to Senior Thesis research, many students take part in research opportunities during summers, or during academic years prior to senior year. Starting early on research projects can be a great way to learn more about different areas of physics and gain experience in a variety of experimental or computational techniques.

10-Week Undergraduate Research Program

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Publication Process

If you would like to have your research published, we encourage you to consult with your faculty mentor about opportunities that might be available to you. This overview of the publication process can provide some things to consider as you explore publication options

The UCI Undergraduate Research Journal, produced by UROP from 1998 to 2019, is a compilation of outstanding papers submitted by UCI undergraduate students from all disciplines who have completed faculty-mentored research projects or creative activities. It provides a forum for UCI’s best undergraduate researchers to showcase their work while enlightening students, the UCI community, high schools, community colleges, funding agencies, and corporations about the strength of UCI’s undergraduate research community.

While the Journal has been retired, we look forward to developing new ways for students to share their research achievements, including ways that take advantage of the many media possibilities that are available. We will announce these as they open up, and look forward to continuing to highlight UCI’s undergraduate research culture in the future.

Journal 2019

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UCI Mathematics

Math undergraduate research resources.

This page was designed to assist mathematics majors to find research on-campus opportunities with UCI faculty or off-campus opportunities with industrial partners, national labs, and other universities. It was last updated on 10/26/2019.

On-Campus Opportunities

1.1. Faculty research interests 1.2. MCBU 1.3. UROP/SURP 1.4. Math 199 1.5. Faculty grants

Off-Campus Opportunities

2.1. Internships 2.2. REUs 2.3. Other mathematics enhancement programs

FAQ’S about Undergraduate Mathematical Research

3.1. How to find faculty mentors at UCI 3.2. How to apply for external programs 3.3. Who is eligible

The UROP Office and their Services

1. On-Campus Opportunities

1.1 faculty research interests.

The faculty in the UCI mathematics department span a wide spectrum of interests and expertise. Active areas of research include: Applied and Computational Mathematics,  Ergodic Theory and Dynamical Systems, Differential Geomtry and Topology, Image Problems and Imaging, Logic and Foundations, Mathematical and Computational Biology, Mathematical Physics, Number Theory, Partial Differential Equations and Probability. 

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1.2 MCBU - Mathematical and Computational Biology for Undergraduates

MCBU is an NSF-funded program for training and research for UCI undergraduate students in mathematics and biology. The program provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to be trained to work at the interface of mathematics, biology and computation. Students have the opportunity to perform undergraduate research in paired teams of mathematics and biology students. Students will create laboratory data and utilize mathematical and computational tools to analyze their data to address a real world research problem.

Students interested in the MCBU summer research program should first enroll in Math 113A, offered every Spring quarter.

1.3 UROP/SURP

The UCI Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program provides funding for undergraduate research and creative projects mentored by UCI faculty through two separate annual Calls for Proposals , one in the Fall Quarter and one in the Spring Quarter. Once the Calls have been announced, students have approximately one month to submit their proposals. Proposals are evaluated based on the intellectual merit of the student’s research, a complete application, the level of support from the faculty mentor, the student’s transcript, and available funding. Samples of UROP proposals are available on the UROP website .

Students who receive a UROP grant must present their findings at the annual UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium held in May, and are invited to submit their research findings to the UCI Undergraduate Research Journal .

To be eligible for a UROP grant, students must be undergraduates in good academic standing. Students who will graduate within a quarter of submitting their proposal are not eligible to apply. Proposals that do not require funding or are already receiving adequate funding from departmental or other sources may be submitted for an Honorary Fellowship.

The UCI Summer Undergraduate Research Progra m (SURP) provides funding to support students’ research during the summer. Students are given the opportunity to become immersed in a research topic for a full-time ten-week period, or the equivalent of 400 hours, and receive a maximum stipend of $3,000.

To be eligible for a SURP grant, students must be undergraduates in good academic standing. Students must also have been involved in a faculty-mentored research project or creative activity for at least one quarter before the beginning of the Summer (Spring Quarter involvement is acceptable). Students who will graduate within a quarter of submitting their proposal are not eligible to apply. Evaluation criteria for SURP proposal are similar to the UROP’s ones. Moreover, just like for UROP, students who receive a SURP grant must present their findings at the annual UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium held in May are invited to submit their research findings to The UCI Undergraduate Research Journal.

1.4 Math 199

Math 199A-B-C (Special Studies in Mathematics) is a 4-units course designed for outstanding undergraduate mathematics majors who want to be engaged in supervised but independent reading of a mathematical topic or in research work. A student interested in Math 199 needs to register with one particular faculty member. Once the consent of the instructor is obtained, the student can enroll in the course without any additional authorization (following the standard procedures for signing up for a course).

1.5 Faculty grants

Some faculty occasionally have personal grants to support undergraduate student research.

2. Off-Campus Research Opportunities

Several off-campus research opportunities are available. They mainly fall into three categories: internships, REUs (summer programs focused on a single research topic under faculty guidance with a small group of great students) and other mathematics enhancement programs (e.g., programs aimed at prepare students for graduate school).

Most of these programs pay travel, room and board plus a student stipend.

2.1 Internships

Details to be updated soon.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (or REUs) are among the most prestigious and most competitive summer research programs for undergraduates studying mathematics.

Individual REU sites typically consist of ten undergraduates working on a very specialized math program for 6 to 8 weeks, under direct supervision of some faculty members. Rom and board, along with a stipend for the student are generally provided.

As the program is funded by the NSF, undergraduates must be citizens or permanent residents of the US or its possessions. Applications are typically due between February and March. The length of the application ranges from a single letter of reference without supporting materials all the way up to something comparable to a college admissions application. The programs generally require between one and three letters of reference, a transcript, 0-2 essays, a letter of interest, a resume, a biographical form, or some combination thereof.

Directory of active REU sites  

2.3 Other mathematics enhancement programs

The following list of programs was updated on October 26, 2019

Semester Programs (Domestic And International)

• Budapest Semester in Math
• Math in Moscow
• Penn State’s MASS (Mathematics Advanced Study Semesters) Program

Summer Programs (Domestic And International)

• Park City Math Institute Summer Program for Undergraduates
• University of Nebraska Summer IMMERSE program
• The Summer Math Institute at Cornell University
• The Summer Applied Mathematics Institute at Carnegie Mellon
• UCLA Undergraduate Research center
• The Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Institute Summer Program
• NIH sponsored Summer Institutes for Training in Biostatistics
• At North Carolina State University www.stat.ncsu.edu/sibs/

Specifically for women

• EDGE Summer Program for Women

3. FAQ’S Questions About Undergraduate Mathematical Research

Below you will find answers to a number of frequently asked questions regarding undergraduate research in mathematics. For more information please attend the REU workshop which is organized every year by the department.

3.1 How to find faculty mentors at UCI

Here is some advice:

• Look at faculty research interests
• Take appropriate courses first
• Read math outside of class
• Identify your area of research interests
• Describe yourself- grades, coursework, goals, etc.
• Show you know something about their research area
• Explain what extent of research you desire
• Show your motivation, work ethic, independence, etc.
• For reading courses, explain why you are interested in that topic and how it will fit with your future goals
• Remember you are asking for a giant favor. Research and creative projects require dedication, planning, and a substantial time committment. 

3.2 How to apply for external programs

Basic steps:

• Carefully look at program descriptions
• Follow all application instructions
• Ask for letters of recommendation at least two weeks in advance
• Tailor it to the particular program
• Explain your interest in topic and preparation for it
• Emphasize your unique math experiences
• Deadlines around mid-February.

For tips about requesting a recommendation letter or writing a personal statement please check the Math Grad School Resources page on our website

3.3 Who is eligible?

• Most research opportunities are highly competitive and intended for the advanced math students going to graduate school
• Appropriate preparation is essential for a successful research experience
• Summer REU’s are mostly for students finishing their junior year (maybe sophomore)
• Math 199 course is mainly for seniors in honor’s program or considering grad school
• Some faculty just don’t work with undergrads, because it involves a big time commitment. Don’t take it personally!

4. The UROP Office and their Services

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program  (UROP) in the Division of Undergraduate Education encourages and facilitates research and creative activities by undergraduates from all schools and academic disciplines at UCI. On the UROP website you will find sample proposals and guidelines for the UROP/SURP grants, and a long list of  on-campus  and  off-campus research opportunities, including internships, research experiences and fellowships.

The UROP office sponsors a yearly  symposium  for undergraduate research and organizes a series of research-related workshops  for undergraduates throughout the year. Last but not least, UROP offers assistance to students and faculty through all phases of the research process, whether it is with proposal writing, developing research plans through project management skills, awarding grants to fund research projects, scholarly journal writing through  The UCI Undergraduate Research Journal , or presenting results of the research or creative project through the UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium. 

General Campus Updates Please click here for general campus updates

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SURF - Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship

UC Irvine’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program offers undergraduate and master’s diversity students an opportunity to work closely with faculty mentors on research projects and provides an intense course of graduate preparation workshops. SURF is designed for students who plan to pursue a Ph.D. or M.F.A. degree and enter academic careers, provides the tools needed to facilitate application, admission, and enrollment to graduate school. The SURF program is open to virtually all academic fields at UC Irvine. Qualified students with interest in pursuing their graduate program at UC Irvine are especially encouraged to apply.

2024 program dates: June 23 – August 16, 2024 *

** Program dates are subject to change due to COVID-19.

• Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
• California Pre-Doctoral Program
• Competitive Edge
• Summer Research Program for CSULB BUILD Students

Programs Components

Research Mentorship Experience

Scholars secure summer mentorship with UC Irvine faculty members whose special expertise and interests matches those of the student’s research interest and career goals. Faculty members serve as advisors and mentors and assist the scholars in developing and completing a research action plan.

Graduate School Preparation

Scholars participate in a graduate preparation component to provide special training in areas critical to academic success. This includes workshops and sessions on the following:

• Successfully applying to graduate school
• Successfully applying for fellowships
• GRE preparation course (optional)
• Academic writing
• Preparing academic presentations
• Academic career planning

2024 scholars will have the option to participate in the GRE preparation course.

Summer Research Program Symposium

SURF culminates with the Summer Research Program Symposium. All summer participants will present either an oral or poster presentation on their summer research. Preparation for participation in the symposium focuses on building effective oral communication to a range of audiences and helps participants hone their public speaking skills.

Networking Opportunities

Throughout the Summer Research Program, SURF participants will have the opportunity to share information and experiences with participants of other diversity programs including UC LEADS  and California Pre-Doctoral Program . Participants will also be assigned to a Graduate Student Mentor who will help facilitate their participation in the program, and will serve as a peer mentor and point of reference for the student. This is a great opportunity for participants to gain insight into the life of a UC Irvine graduate student.

Expectations of Student Participants

• Scholars attend and participate in all activities
• Scholars must commit to working in their assigned labs for the full 8 weeks of the program (35-40 hours per week)
• Scholars will have individual academic and research obligations with their faculty mentor/advisor
• Scholars should expect to meet at least once a week with their research mentor/advisor, or more often, depending on the project and the mentor’s arrangement
• Scholars will be expected to meet with the program coordinator during regularly scheduled meetings to discuss the progress of their research project
• Scholars will be required to submit weekly assignments including program evaluation.
• Scholars will be required to present their research at the University of California, Irvine Summer Research Program Symposium

Eligibility

• Must be 18 years or older 
• U.S. citizens, permanent residents, AB540 eligible
• Juniors, seniors or master’s students interested in pursuing a Ph.D.
• Students who will be enrolled full-time at a college or university during the Spring and Fall 2024 terms
• Students with a 3.0 cumulative grade point average or better (on a 4 point scale)
• Students interested in attending UC Irvine for graduate studies
• Students from educationally disadvantaged or underserved backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply
• SURF is open to students in virtually all academic fields (e.g., arts, humanities, social sciences, social ecology, biological sciences, engineering, education, computer sciences, and physical sciences)
• International students are not eligible for SURF
• UCI students are not eligible for SURF
• Seniors graduating Spring 2024 are not eligible for SURF
• Enrolled in courses for Fall 2024

California Pre-Doctoral Program Scholars click here for more information on participating in SURF.

CSULB BUILD Scholars click here for more information on participating in SURF. 

Funding Package for 2024 Program:

• Participants will be awarded a $4,000 research stipend. (*Note: Stipend is subject to income tax).
• Optional GRE preparation cours

U. S Citizens, Permanent Residents and AB540 are eligible to apply. The opportunity is available to enrolled students only.

The program application requirements are a completed application, personal history statement, unofficial transcript, and one letter of recommendation.

Most of the workshops are scheduled in the morning to allow program participants to focus on research in the afternoon. GRE workshops may take place in the evenings.

Varies. This can range between 35-40 hours per week during the summer program.

The goal of the program is for students to acquire research experience full time. Our students are required to participate in research 35-40 hours per week.

Yes as long as they are faculty and can speak to your qualifications, academic success and potential for research.

Students are responsible for securing their own faculty mentor for the summer after being accepted to SURF. Students contact the faculty at UCI to ask about research opportunities for the summer and then take it from there. Information on UCI Faculty can be found here: https://www.faculty.uci.edu/   We encourage students to contact a faculty member whose research interests are aligned to their own.

Yes, the program will be held in person for Summer 2023

No, students can opt in to the GRE preparation course as part of the program. 

Applications for Summer 2024 now CLOSED! 

Mariela Menendez Recruitment Manager Questions? Please fill out this form .

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Any tips for getting undergrad research positions

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Maxim Shcherbakov

Samueli School of Engineering University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697

Ph.D., Lomonosov Moscow State University, 2012 M.Sc., Lomonosov Moscow State University, 2009 B.Sc., Lomonosov Moscow State University, 2006

In his research, Maxim Shcherbakov merges fundamental physics concepts and cutting-edge nanotechnology to innovate in the area of photonic devices. Designer nanomaterials offer unprecedented flexibility to manipulate light waves on demand. His group uses a plethora of theoretical and experimental methods to conceive next-generation light-based components to find use in imagers, AR/VR technology, telecommunications and quantum computing.

Researching Russia during war

By Lilibeth Garcia

Ever since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a large-scale, unprovoked war against Ukraine, the world has widely responded by “canceling” Russian culture. Museums have canceled exhibitions featuring Russian art, orchestras have stopped playing pieces by Russian composers and sports tournaments have banned Russian athletes from competing.

But UCI Russian studies scholar Lora Mjolsness believes learning about Russian culture and language now can actually support Ukraine’s fight against the invasion.

“Right now, Russian classes should be full,” she says. “Those classes should be overfilled with students who want to make a change, because Russian culture is not monolithic or tied to just Russia, as Vladimir Putin would like the world to believe.”

Learning Russian or taking a course about Russian culture is also learning about Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, as well as other nationalities in Russia, such as the Tatars, explains Mjolsness.

It’s not the first time that Russia’s place in geopolitics has had reverberating effects on higher education. At the height of the Cold War, when Russia was viewed as the U.S.’s number one global rival, the American government poured funding into the study of Russia. Learning about the largest European country – understanding its history and its present, and learning its official language – became imperative for ending the Cold War and opening dialogue between the two countries. However, since 2014, governmental funding in Russian studies has greatly decreased.

Mjolsness developed an interest in Russia almost 30 years ago when, much like today, its threats loomed over the public imagination. She learned the language to be able to directly study Russia’s literature and later its animation. In 2020, Mjolsness co-authored She Animates: Gendered Soviet and Russian Animation (American Studies Press, 2020). The book examines 100 years of women’s animation in Russia and the Soviet Union, including the work of female animators who have long been overlooked by film scholars and historians.

In conducting research for her book, she came across the complicated history between Ukraine and Russia. In the 1920s and 30s, in the early decades of the Soviet Union, Ukrainian animators stopped receiving funding from the regime because their work was too nationalistic. If they wanted to produce art, they had to move to Moscow. For a long time, those animators have been called Soviet, erasing their history as Ukrainian. Mjolsness says that Russian studies at UCI, but also across the U.S., is undergoing a transformation to give proper credit to the ethnic groups that fell under Russian colonial rule.

“Calling them Soviet isn’t exactly wrong, but it doesn't tell the whole picture,” Mjolsness says.

Ukraine was once part of the Russian Empire and then under the Soviet Union, when the Russian language was mandated in schools. Today, about one-third of Ukrainians speak Russian as their first language, but the use of Russian has been declining in Ukraine since its pro-Western revolution in 2014. The current war has pushed many Russian-speaking Ukrainians even further from Russia and the Russian language.

Dylan Darwish, a third-year history major who has been taking Russian language courses at UCI, knows firsthand the complexity of overlapping Russian and Ukrainian identity. His mother’s side of the family immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine, but they also consider themselves Russian. Taking Russian language courses at UCI offered him an opportunity to learn about a culture and language that connected him to his family’s history.

“With everything going on in the world today, it’s more important than ever to understand the Russian language and culture,” he says. “There can be so many misconceptions and stereotypes when you don’t have any knowledge about a topic, so it’s vital to learn as much as possible in order to stay informed.”

Mjolsness, who has taught Russian language, literature, history and culture at UCI since 2001, says that students take her courses for many reasons. Some are drawn to study famed Russian writers like Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky. Others are drawn in by ballet, long a symbol of Russian culture. Some are STEM majors who want to read the great Russian mathematicians and chemists or are fascinated by aerospace, and others are computer science and informatics majors with career aspirations in cyber security.

For alumna Larisa Lutes (B.A. Russian civilization ’93), studying Russia was personal. Her mother was born in Belarus during World War II and had to flee the country. Born in Los Angeles, Lutes was raised during the Cold War and experienced prejudice from peers because of her Slavic heritage.

UCI offered her a window into understanding a history that continued to affect her life. The major enabled her to study abroad in Saint Petersburg and move to Moscow after graduation. At the time, Russia was undergoing tremendous change, and she was able to experience those political and economic transformations firsthand. In Moscow, Lutes joined a British law firm specializing in corporate finance. She worked on cross-border deals for foreign businesses to enter the Russian marketplace, even assisting in bringing the very first TGIF restaurant to Moscow.

“Without my knowledge of Russian, I would never have had such an opportunity to be part of building commerce in Russia after decades of communist rule,” Lutes says. “I believe language is the key to understanding other cultures. It offers direct insight to the history and psychology of other people and is also reflective of your own history and psychology.”

Despite there being 150 million people worldwide who speak Russian and the U.S. government still actively seeking expertise in the language, there’s a lack of American experts in the subject.

Mjolsness believes that now is the time for students to fill this gap in expertise. She says students interested in international relations, political science and global studies are particularly needed in ending and preventing war. She notes that the U.S. government is currently hiring Russian experts in the Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Human Development, Department of Labor and Department of the Interior. The FCC, ITC, FBI, CIA, NSA and State Department have also identified Russian as a priority language.

“Students may feel that if they take a class on Russian culture or language, that somehow indicates they support the Russian assault on Ukraine, but I would say that, really , the opposite is true,” Mjolsness says. “By taking a Russian class, you're saying, ‘This is not right, and I'm going to learn everything I can about it to become an expert – and not only understand current world events but shape the future as well.’”

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