The Honors Program

Office for Undergraduate Research

Paticia J. Pukkila, Ph.D., Director

The Office for Undergraduate Research (OUR) was established in 1999 to help students learn about the expanding possibilities for research, mentored scholarship, or creative performance at UNC–Chapel Hill. It seeks to make research a distinctive feature of the undergraduate educational experience at this vibrant research university because it believes that students who understand how discoveries are made are well prepared to address the unsolved problems of the future. The office is located in 220 Graham Memorial and is a part of the Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence.

The OUR maintains several kinds of searchable databases, including listings of courses that introduce research methodologies; research-intensive courses in which over half of class time is devoted to students’ conducting original research and presenting research conclusions; courses that involve graduate students as “research consultants” to assist undergraduates with their projects; postings of current undergraduate research opportunities on campus; and descriptions of what Carolina students have accomplished. The OUR also sponsors a Celebration of Undergraduate Research each spring, which allows students to present their results to the campus and community. There are also funding opportunities available through the OUR that provide the necessary support for students to conduct summer research, travel to professional meetings to present their work, or pay for essential research supplies.

In 2008 the OUR initiated the Carolina Research Scholars Program (CRSP), which is open to all undergraduates. Participants who complete the required course work, including an introductory Modes of Inquiry seminar and research-intensive courses, and who present their original work at the campus undergraduate research symposium or at a professional conference, will receive official University recognition on their transcripts for their contributions.

For more information about the Office for Undergraduate Research and for access to all the programs and databases, visit the Web site at www.unc.edu/depts/our.