OURI provides funding and professional development support to students who are engaging in a research project under the guidance of a Rice University or Texas Medical Center faculty mentor. These programs support students at different stages of the research process, from identifying a research mentor to planning for advanced research in graduate school, and promote equitable access to research at Rice. Contact OURI if you would like to mentor students involved in these programs.
Admissions reviews all admitted students for this award. The selection committee looks for special qualities and achievements in both academic and personal areas. During their freshman and sophomore years, Century Scholars conduct research with a faculty mentor and receive funding to support research activities.
Sustaining Excellence in Research (SER) Scholars
The goal of the Sustaining Excellence in Research Scholars program is to introduce STEM students to the world of science and engineering early in their career by matching them with research internships and engaging the students in a diverse community of scholars.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
OURI Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships, support undergraduates from underrepresented and underresourced backgrounds pursuing supervised research with a Rice faculty member over the summer. Preference will be given to first- and second-year students who have secured unpaid opportunities and who have not had prior research experience. Returning undergraduates in all disciplines are eligible to apply. The research project may be faculty-led or initiated by the student.
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program
The fundamental objective of MMUFP is to increase the number of minority students, and others with a demonstrated commitment to eradicating racial disparities, who will pursue PhDs in core fields in the humanities and social sciences. During their junior and senior years, fellows conduct research under the guidance of a faculty mentor and attend weekly meetings with the Mellon cohort and faculty and staff coordinators. Fellows receive a stipend to support their research.
Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program (RUSP)
The Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program (RUSP) is a two-semester, 1-credit undergraduate research program aimed at students interested in careers in academia and research. Students conduct a year-long research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor and receive funding to support research-related activities.