The Research Buzz Newsletter

Investigating Research Month!

Mark your calendars

September 25 through October 29, 2025

To assist in providing students with local, discipline-specific guidance about getting started in undergraduate research, the Office of Undergraduate Research holds an annual Investigating Research Month each fall.

Join us for a whole month of learning how to start your research and what opportunities and resources are available at UR. October offers a menu of research-related information sessions and events that span a variety of topics and disciplines:

 Getting Started in Research
 Meet Research Ambassadors
 Schwartz Discover Poster Showcase
 DAAD RISE research iin Germany
 UR Creative Expo
 Undergraduate Research Fair
 Alumni Webinar: Research Pathways to Success
 Connect with a Healthcare Professional
 Summer Research Opportunities

Make scholarly research and creative inquiry a fundamental part of your undergraduate experience. 

Schwartz Discover Grant Scholars Showcase

Summer 2025 roundup

The Schwartz Discover Grant (SDG) for Undergraduate Summer Research supports immersive, full-time summer research experiences for undergraduate students at the University of Rochester. The goal of the program is to help students get involved in research early in their academic careers and enhance their competitiveness for future fellowships and other advanced research opportunities.

This past summer we welcomed 83 Schwartz Discover Grant Scholars.  Combined, the students conducted approximately 25,000 hours of research on projects across a wide range of disciplines. 

Over the course of the summer, students also participated in professional development programming that included topics such as applying to medical school and conference-going basics. Our office is incredibly thankful for the generosity of Dick and Vicki Schwartz and to all the mentors for making this program possible.

Stop by the Feldman Ballroom in Douglass Commons on Friday, October 3rd between 2-4pm, and see dozens of research posters presented by our Schwartz Discover Grant Scholars.  Open to all students, staff, and faculty.

Expanded staff of Research Ambassadors

Looking for a peer to ask questions about undergraduate research? Look no further!

Research Ambassadors are experienced undergraduate researchers who have volunteered their time to help you navigate the research process through peer mentorship.

Feel free to reach out directly to any of our forty-five Research Ambassadors via their email addresses on their individual profiles. Their areas of research range from life sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, humanities, and engineering and mathematics.

Here are some examples of the types of questions research ambassadors are asked:

• How did you get started?
• How do you ask a professor if you can be a part of their research group?
• How do you balance your research with your coursework and extracurriculars?
• Could I tour your lab or shadow you for a day to see what it’s like?
• What conferences have you presented your research at? How did you know it was the right conference to apply to?