Research for Undergraduates experiences from various academic institutions

Abstract Research for Undergraduates experiences from various academic institutions Abstract The opportunities for doing research by undergraduate students help them to pursue further career interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field. Involving undergraduate students in research will make them take more interest in studies and motivate them to pursue graduate degrees. The undergraduate students at the XYZ institution can get involved in research usually conducted in the summer period for an 8-week or 10-week duration. The name of the program is "Multi-campus Research Experience for Undergraduates" (MC-REU) and it is administered by the College of Engineering at the XYZ institution. There are 21 campuses functioning under the system of XYZ University in Pennsylvania. To enhance the research opportunities for the undergraduate students in most of the campuses, the program MC-REU was started. The MC-REU program supports University undergraduate students to conduct research with the University faculty. Selected students will complete their proposed research project in conjunction with two University faculty members — one from the student's home campus and one based at University Park (Main Campus). The goals of the MC-REU are (1) to promote undergraduate students participating in research early in their academic program to broaden their education and increase their chances of entering graduate studies, and (2) to promote mutual awareness and collaboration among faculty across the Commonwealth. In the same way, a few more educational institutions are also heavily involved with Undergraduate Research, particularly during summer semesters. Those undergraduate students that are involved with undergraduate research were paid scholarships to cover boarding and lodging. This paper will explain some of the REU experiences from different educational institutions and draw conclusions based on the students' feedback. Students will not take any courses towards their academic accomplishments during the summer in which they are engaged in research. They will work 40 hours per week for the 10-week or 8-week period. During the 8-week or 10-week time period, they are also compensated with financial help.