How do undergraduates get involved in research at UConn?

At UConn, undergraduates usually get involved in research by contacting faculty directly, joining department programs, and using the university’s undergraduate research office resources. First- and second-year students can start fairly early, especially if they are proactive about emailing professors, attending office hours, and looking through lab or department websites.

A common path is to identify a department you’re interested in, read a few faculty bios or lab descriptions, and send a short, specific email asking whether they take undergraduate assistants. At a school the size of UConn, many labs do involve undergrads, but students usually need to take the initiative rather than expect research to be assigned automatically. Intro courses, office hours, and conversations with academic advisors can also lead to openings.

For newer students, it is normal to begin with simpler tasks like data entry, literature reviews, lab prep, coding support, or assisting graduate students, then take on more independent work later. In STEM fields especially, joining a lab in the first or second year can position you for a larger role by junior year. In the humanities and social sciences, research often starts through faculty mentorship, independent studies, or course-based projects that grow into longer-term work.

UConn also supports undergraduate research through funding and presentation opportunities, including programs connected to the Office of Undergraduate Research and events where students can present their work.