Frequently Asked Questions

The Undergraduate Research Society (URS) is the largest research organization at USF dedicated to making research more accessible to undergraduate students. URS helps students learn about research opportunities, join research projects, connect with peers and mentors, attend workshops, and prepare to present their work at conferences and campus events. Our goal is to support students at all experience levels, whether they are just starting to explore research or already involved in a project.

Research at URS spans across many diverse disciplines including medicine, engineering, psychology, criminology and many others, with most of our projects in health related fields. Within each discipline we offer a variety of research projects that you can choose from based on your interests. Most research conducted through URS focuses on literature and systematic reviews, where members analyze existing research to answer intriguing research questions.

URS offers more than just research experiences. We offer students opportunities to network with other peers, and faculty across many disciplines through workshops, conferences and mentorship programs.

Being a good researcher has less to do with talent than with persistence. The students who succeed are the ones who keep going when an experiment fails, who are honest about what they don't know, who pay close attention to detail, and who are genuinely curious enough to ask a question no one has answered yet. Most of research is troubleshooting, not discovery, and the students who find that process interesting rather than discouraging are the ones who end up doing it well.

Short answer, no. Faculty are generally looking for a student who is reliable and truly interested, not one with a perfect transcript, and a student who shows up consistently and asks thoughtful questions is often more valuable to a lab than one with better grades who disappears during a busy semester. Starting earlier is actually an advantage, since freshmen and sophomores have more time to grow into a project and develop with it. Waiting until you feel "ready enough" is one of the most common reasons students never start at all.

Honestly, no. Publication is one possible outcome of a research project, not the definition of success, and most undergraduate projects don't end in a first-author paper. What you gain along the way is the ability to read scientific literature critically, design a clear question, work honestly with data, and communicate findings to others, and those skills carry over into medicine, law, industry, policy, and graduate school alike. Measuring your experience only by whether your name appears in a journal overlooks most of what research actually teaches you.

Yes! URS equips students with the knowledge and experience needed to pursue future research opportunities. Through workshops, mentorship, and hands-on project experience, members develop skills in scientific writing, literature reviews, teamwork, and research communication that can strengthen applications for faculty labs, research positions, and undergraduate conferences.

No experience is required to participate in URS and everyone who applies for a group is accepted! Join the URS GroupMe for instructions about how to sign up for projects on September 14th.

That's okay! Many students join URS with little or no experience reading scientific literature. Research Coordinators guide members through the process of finding, understanding, and analyzing research articles. As the project progresses, members may contribute to writing sections of the project, but you'll receive guidance and feedback every step of the way. The idea is to assist you in gaining confidence and experience in research and presentation.

Many students join URS without a specific research interest in mind. You can choose whatever topic interests you.

Students from all majors are encouraged to participate, and interdisciplinary collaboration is a core part of URS.

Research Coordinators propose and develop project topics before recruiting members. As the project progresses, students collaborate to refine the research question, discuss new ideas, and contribute to the project's development. Although the main topic is predetermined, members are encouraged to share ideas and help shape the final project.

In general these projects require 1-5 hours of work each week although it can vary between groups and between weeks. If you join a project it is essential that you can commit to fully participating until it is complete.

Meeting times are arranged around the schedules and availability of group members. Most groups meet online via Teams about once a week or every other week.

Every meeting is different, but most involve discussing project progress, reviewing research articles, brainstorming ideas, assigning tasks, and planning next steps. As the project develops, meetings may also focus on writing, creating research posters, and preparing for conference presentations. Research Coordinators are there to guide members every step of the way.

Every group member contributes meaningfully to their project's success. Responsibilities may include reviewing scientific literature, organizing and synthesizing research, contributing to writing, and preparing posters or presentations for conferences.

Through this experience, students gain skills in scientific writing, teamwork, literature searching, critical thinking, and public speaking.

A literature review summarizes and analyzes existing research to provide an overview of a topic and identify research gaps. A systematic review follows a structured, reproducible process to locate, evaluate, and synthesize all relevant studies using predefined methods. Many URS projects focus on literature reviews, while some use systematic review methodologies depending on the project's goals.

Research Coordinators are the main point of contact for students in URS research groups. They are usually upperclassmen or recent graduates with prior research experience who volunteer to guide students through the research process.

Research Coordinators help develop project ideas, lead student research groups, guide literature reviews, support research planning and design, and help students prepare abstracts and poster presentations.

Yes. Research Coordinators are there to support students at different experience levels. They help make the research process more approachable by guiding the group step by step.

Research projects conducted at URS typically take about an entire academic year to be finished. Upon completion, students present the findings of their research at an undergraduate conference, like the OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conference in April, and may have the opportunity to present at additional conferences.

Depending on the quality and significance to publishers, the research can also have the possibility of being published in an undergraduate academic journal, if your coordinator chooses to do so and plans accordingly. It is key you ask your coordinator about that.

The goal for URS projects is to present them at conferences by the end of the school year. If you wish to present your project after the completion of the project, feel free to as long as your research coordinator is ok with it. Students have taken their projects beyond USF, including Harvard, Yale, Brown, and Penn undergraduate conferences.

Students typically complete a literature or systematic review, create a professional research poster, and present their work at undergraduate research conferences. Some projects may also continue toward publication or future collaboration.

The URS Mentorship Program connects undergraduate students with mentors who can help guide them through research, academic planning, professional development, and involvement in URS.

You can fill out our Mentor or Mentee application forms to be considered and join the program.

Mentors and Mentees are required to attend biweekly sixty-minute meetings.

Participants will be matched based on research interests, future goals, communication style, and availability. The number of mentees we can accept also depends on the number of mentors available.

Mentors and mentees are matched based on factors such as academic interests, career goals, and areas where the mentee is looking for guidance.

Mentees can expect support, guidance, and advice from their mentor as they navigate academics, research opportunities, professional development, and their future goals.

Mentors will draw on their experience as well as consulting the resources we share with our team. If you feel your mentor was not able to meet your needs, you may provide feedback via the post-meeting reflection forms.

No. Students at any level of research experience are encouraged to participate, including those who are just beginning to explore research.

Mentors can provide advice on finding and applying for research opportunities, but participation in the program does not guarantee a research position.

You can reach out directly to the URS Mentorship team or contact Ritika or Ana for support and guidance.

Participants should notify their mentor or mentee in advance so they can reschedule. Communication is key to a successful mentorship experience.