School of Engineering Undergraduate Research Fellows
The KU School of Engineering launched a new Undergraduate Research Fellows (UGRF) Program in November 2019. This program provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students interested in research by supporting their efforts to build their skills as the next generation of engineers and scientists. Support for UGRF includes a student stipend, transferable skill training to enhance hands-on experience with research projects, and access and training with advanced instrumentation in KU research facilities. Most of all, the UGRF program provides a remarkable experience to these fellows due to the mentoring they receive from the Engineering faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students. This combination of enriching experiences — personalized training, expert mentoring, and access to world-class resources — makes this a top-flight program.
The Undergraduate Research Fellowship is now open for nominations for the 2026-2027 cycle until Friday, August 21, at 5 p.m. To apply for the Engineering UGRF Program, the undergraduate must be nominated by a faculty member at KU. Once a faculty member nominates a student, the student will be notified by the School of Engineering via email to fill out an application. The School of Engineering will then review the faculty nominations and the student applications to determine who will receive the fellowship. The Undergraduate Research Fellows receive $1500 for the research, split evenly into two payments over the Spring and Fall semesters. Read More
2020 Fellows
2021 Fellows
2022 Fellows
2023 Fellows
2024 Fellows
2025 Fellows
More Info: Undergraduate Research Fellows Program
The most challenging problems in engineering require interdisciplinary approaches. UGR Fellows gain experience and insight into key challenging scientific problems at an early stage in their education. They have a unique opportunity to learn about their area of interest and invent ways to problem solve by advancing projects through conducting experiments.
Beyond learning critical interdisciplinary techniques, Fellows learn how to analyze complex experimental results, design their own experiments, and write proposals to apply for undergraduate research grants sponsored by internal and external funding sources. These resources provide UGR Fellows with a unique environment to improve their skills, communicate more effectively at scientific conferences, as well as to potentially get their research published. As UGRF students learn these skills, they likely encounter many obstacles impeding the progress of their projects, but through the mentoring provided, they also learn better problem-solving skills. This experience makes the UGR Fellows more resilient and better scientists and engineers.
UGR Fellows are the research ambassadors for Engineering. They are mentored to be competitive for funding from federal agencies, foundations, and industry partnership programs. This experience prepares them for their careers. The UGR Fellows are part of the KU School of Engineering’s efforts to raise its profile as a world-class engineering school.