What is OUR?
The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is a unit of the University of Iowa Office of the Vice President for Research. We promote undergraduate involvement in research and creative projects at the University of Iowa by facilitating the mentorship of students in research/creative work and providing platforms for students to explore research communication. We work with students, faculty, and staff from the arts, humanities, natural/physical sciences, social sciences, health and medicine, engineering, and business. If you are a student or faculty member looking to get involved with undergraduate research, you have come to the right place!
History of OUR
The Office of Undergraduate Research was created in 2006 as a collaboration between the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice President for Research. We were initially named the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates. In 2023 we changed to the Office of Undergraduate Research. Through partnerships with various campus programs, combined with acceptance and validation from faculty, staff, students, and the university, OUR has since grown from running one Fellowship program to a full support system for undergraduate researchers. In 2019, OUR became a unit of the Office of the Vice President for Research. This created more opportunities for campus partnerships as well as a deepened connection with the broader university research community. Despite its growth, OUR still holds fast to its original goal to support individual students through helping undergraduates find research and creative work experiences and providing platforms for students to learn research communication skills.
The Office of Undergraduate Research is advised by a Steering Committee comprised of faculty and administrative professionals at the University of Iowa. We are proud to have the following Committee members helping to steer OUR's future:
If you want to learn more about the steering committee and partners click here!