Â鶹´«Ã½AV

Jump to important dates and application.

The Â鶹´«Ã½AV Undergraduate Research office is offering a program aimed at providing undergraduate students with academic standing of freshman and sophomore the opportunity to get paid to work on a research or creative activity project with the guidance of a University faculty mentor. If selected, you will be paired with a faculty mentor on a project you identify. Each research experience will vary in tasks, schedule, and level of responsibility. Research work expectations and schedule will be developed with your faculty mentor. In addition to your research work, you will be connected with other students in the program through monthly workshops and activities hosted by the Academic and Opportunity Support Program Office. You will also present your research at one of the undergraduate research symposiums on campus.

Purpose of the award

The purpose of the program is to provide research and creative activity experiences to students who are first-generation and/or have been historically underrepresented in undergraduate research. In doing so, the program seeks to enhance the academic experience, educational outcomes, and future educational pursuits of students of all identities.

Program background

According to the National Survey of Student Engagement (2017) there are gaps in undergraduate research participation for students of diverse racial and socioeconomic identities.

Nationwide, students who identify as American Indian/Alaska Native, Black or African American, LatinX, Asian Pacific Islander, and first-generation report participating in research with faculty at lower rates compared to other students.

The program seeks to address these inequities by encouraging participation in undergraduate research for students holding these diverse identities.

Lastly, developing strong academic and social connections during the first years of college is critical for long-term student success, which is why the program focuses on first- and second-year students.

Why participate?

Getting involved in research is a life-changing activity that can improve your educational experience. Not only will you get to immerse yourself in your major, but also make important connections with your fellow students and professors. Major benefits include:

• Getting paid while learning about research
• Applying what you learn in the classroom to real issues
• Developing skills and knowledge that can help you be a better student
• Building a supportive community around you that includes faculty, staff, and fellow students
• Contributing to a team of researchers that are developing new knowledge
• Building experience to apply for other undergraduate research opportunities, the McNair Scholars Program, or even graduate school

Student eligibility

Students must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

• U.S. citizenship or have a valid employment authorization document (EAD) permitting you to work in the U.S. (DACA students are eligible)
• Any incoming first year student who has been admitted and will be attending the Â鶹´«Ã½AV
• Any student who is currently attending the Â鶹´«Ã½AV with freshman or sophomore standing
• All majors welcome
• No GPA minimum, however, transcripts submitted with your application will be considered
• A complete application package submitted by the deadline
• Priority is given to underrepresented/educationally disadvantaged students
• Preference will be given to applicants who have not received a Pack Research Experience Program award in the past

PREP projects for spring 2026

• Elisa Baldrighi: Deep-sea sediment meiofauna and nematode communities as sentinels to assess the disastrous Deepwater Horizon oil spill impact in the Gulf of Mexico
• Laura Blume: Tracking lethal violence against public figures in Central America
• Lei Cao: Behavior and evolution of alloys
• Edward Ester: Eye movement correlates of human decision making
• Xingang Fu: Smart power electronics converters
• Andrew Gorzalski: Using Hamilton automation to reduce hands-on time at the Nevada Genomics Center
• Sarah Haigh: Individuals differences on the effect of visual symmetry on discomfort
• Alexis Hanna: Couples and career choice strategies and priorities
• Andrew Hess: Animal health, adaptation, and grazing environment
• Melody Huslage: Improving service provision for human trafficking survivors in Nevada
• Paul Kwon: An art intervention to increase gender euphoria among transgender and gender diverse individuals
• Jennifer Lanterman: A scoping review of legal system deflection and diversion programs for people living with behavior health disorders
• Dingsheng Li: Quantifying environmental and human health impacts of computing e-waste through life cycle assessment
• Theresa McKim: Learning to code while analyzing neuroscience
• Mahdi Mehrtash: Renewable energy and the clean energy transition
• Nicholas Murray: Diagnostics of sport-related concussions
• Sujata Pandit: Isolation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies
• Shanon Taylor: Requirements for pre-service teacher preparation coursework in classroom and behavior management
• Yan Wang: Atomistic modeling and deep-neural-network molecular dynamics

Selection process

Applications will be reviewed by Undergraduate Research and by mentors. Interested students should contact undergradresearch@unr.edu if they have any questions.

Student expectations

• Attend the program orientation.
• Complete a “plan for research form” with your faculty mentor.
• Attend required workshops hosted by Undergraduate Research and broader campus partners.
• Present findings at the Wolf Pack Discoveries symposium.
• Complete the post survey regarding the program.

Funding

An award of $2,250, provided by the Â鶹´«Ã½AV, will go to the student in the form of salary as a student worker. Students will work approximately 10 hours per week at $15 per hour over a 15-week semester.

Workshop attendance requirement

Award recipients are required to attend workshops throughout the semester awarded as dictated by their acceptance agreements. Workshops will be hosted by Undergraduate Research and broader campus partners.

Class presentation requirement

Students are required to present a brief synopsis of their research to a class they attend and share information about Undergraduate Research programming.

Wolf Pack Discoveries symposium

Students will present their research findings in a poster format. This symposium is attended by students, community partner organization representatives, university leadership, and members of the public.

Written deliverable requirement

All awardees will submit a 4-page written deliverable to Undergraduate Research at the completion of their award. Students are encouraged to pursue publication with the Nevada State Undergraduate Research Journal or an alternate publication. Please refer to our AI policy for any questions regarding the use of AI in proposals/written deliverables.

Proposal writing workshops for fall 2025

Refreshments will be provided.

• Monday, Oct. 6, 4-5 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 15, 10-11 a.m.
• Monday, Oct. 20, noon-1:30 p.m.