The Liberal Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Initiative (LASURI) is a scholarship-funded program that connects undergraduates with faculty mentors for hands-on research.
What makes LASURI unique?
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Mentored Research Experience Work one-on-one with a faculty mentor on a research or creative project over one or two semesters.
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Flexible Project Options Choose to design your own project or join an existing faculty-led study across disciplines—from lab research to creative work and data analysis.
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Funded Opportunity Earn up to $1,250 per semester (up to $2,500 per year) to help cover your tuition through a scholarship applied to your financial aid.
Testimonials From LASURI Students
After realizing my interest in math, I decided to do independent studies with professors to learn more about topics not taught in class.
| MSCS & Communication
Don’t be afraid to join research. UIC faculty are very supportive and great mentors! If you are passionate about something, but don’t know how to approach research due to lack of experience, have no fear. The LASURI staff and your chosen faculty mentor can guide you along the way.
| Biological Sciences
As my generation becomes more involved in society and more affected by policy, I want to help ensure that we use our voices to the best of our ability to establish a better future for everyone.
| Political Science and English
Application Information
The LASURI application is available in SnAP. It opens each January and closes on the last day of Spring Break. For the 2025-2026 academic year, the deadline is Friday, March 27. Students and Faculty Mentors must each complete their application components for consideration. Learn more about the steps to apply below.
Eligibitlilty Requirements
To apply to LASURI, students need to find and connect with a professor willing to mentor them and oversee their project, which can be developed together. Learn more about student and faculty eligibility.
Student Eligibility
To qualify, students majoring in LAS need to:
- be enrolled full-time.
- have a 2.5 minimum cumulative GPA.
- be in good academic standing.
- have completed 24 credit hours before the first semester of research (not at the time of application).
LASURI welcomes applicants who are new to research. Students who have already received two semesters of LASURI funding are not eligible to apply again and are encouraged to explore other funding options.
Faculty Eligibility
When choosing Faculty Mentors, remember:
- They must hold an academic appointment at UIC (assistant professor, associate professor, professor, research professor, clinical professor). Graduate and Teaching Assistants cannot serve as mentors.
- They can be in colleges or departments across UIC and are not limited to LAS, although preference is given to faculty who have an appointment or official affiliation with an LAS department.
Application information
Review the application questions to understand what is expected for submission. Remember, students and faculty mentors are encouraged to work together in the design of the project and proposal.
Review the application questions to understand what is expected for submission. Remember, students and faculty mentors are encouraged to work together in the design of the project and proposal.
Student Questions
General Background
- What discipline most closely aligns with your research project: Humanities, Natural Science, Social Science, or Interdisciplinary?
- Please describe any coursework, experiences, or skills to help you complete your project.
Project Description
- What is the title of your research project?
- What is your primary research question, hypothesis, or activity (annotated bibliography, archival work, etc.)?
- Explain why your research question or activity is significant from a scholarly or policy perspective. For example, does your project explore, analyze, or test a new, uncontested, or contested theory? Does it add to or challenge present scholarship? Does it examine a question or topic that has not been answered or merits further study?
- Based on the current research or literature on your topic, identify one example of a scholarly work (article, book, or recorded lecture) that is meaningful and describe/explain its significance for your project.
- What research method or approach (STEM experiment, quantitative, qualitative, mixed) do you plan to use to answer your research question, test your hypothesis, or meet the goals of your activity? Please explain your process.
- When considering your post-graduation plans, explain how a LASURI experience will help you achieve your educational or professional goals.
Project Logistics
- Will your project run for one or two semesters? If your project runs for two semesters, briefly describe the research steps you plan to complete each semester.
- If you presently work on your proposed project as a research assistant, please describe how receiving a LASURI scholarship will allow you to continue or expand on your research.
Identify your Faculty Mentor
- Provide the name of the faculty member who has agreed to serve as mentor for your project.
- Explain why you are interested in working with this faculty mentor and/or why they are the best person to support your project.
Faculty Questions
- How closely did the student work with you on developing the proposed research project? Very closely, fairly closely, minimally, not at all.
- How strongly do you support this application? Very strongly, strongly, moderately, weakly, not at all.
- Will you able to work closely with and mentor the student during the proposed duration of the LASURI scholarship? Or will the student mostly with other parties (TAs, GAs, Fellows)? Or both? Please explain.
- Please describe why the student’s project merits a LASURI scholarship.
- Please explain why you would like to work with the student.
- Please explain if the student’s proposal describes an original independent project. Or, otherwise, how the project contributes to your existing research or laboratory project.
- If you are sponsoring more than one LASURI application, please IDENTIFY AND RANK the students you are willing to mentor.
Application submission
Visit SnAP to upload responses. Faculty mentors will receive a link to complete their questions after students complete the application. The deadline is 11:59 PM on Friday, March 27th.
After the deadline, the LASURI Faculty Review Committee evaluates and scores project proposals. Projects are scored on the clarity and feasibility of the research question, method for data collection, and alignment of the project with the student’s professional goals. Student and Faculty Mentors will be notified regarding their application status in early May.
What LASURI offers students
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Digital Tools & Resources
Access shared Google Drive resources like scheduling tools and step-by-step guides for abstracts and research presentations—all designed to support your success.
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Career-Focused Workshops
Build skills through workshops on presenting your research and leveraging it for internships or careers. Additional sessions are shaped by student input and post-grad goals, including a fall welcome event with faculty mentor insights.
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Peer Learning Communities
Connect with fellow scholars in small groups based on your career interests. Meet regularly to share progress, gain feedback, and support each other’s goals.
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Earn Credit with LAS 289
Turn your research into academic credit through this flexible course. You’ll strengthen your professional skills and learn how to confidently talk about your research in interviews and networking settings.
How LASURI benefits students
As a Research 1 institution, research is a core part of our college culture. We want students to become part of our scholarly community by adding to their fields and developing their research identities. Students also gain valuable “real-world” skills through their involvement in mentored research projects that make them competitive when applying to post-graduate programs and jobs.
Student Resources
Stories from atLAS Interviews with LASURI Scholars
Frequently Asked Questions
Is LASURI resqtricted to certain majors?
LASURI is open to any undergraduate, degree-seeking student whose major field of study is in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. We encourage students majoring in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and interdisciplinary programs in LAS to apply for the award.
How many times can I participate in the program?
We encourage you to continue your research partnership over several semesters. However, to serve the largest number of students as possible, LASURI funds are limited to two semesters.
Students who have already received a two-semester LASURI award are urged to apply for other scholarships or register for course credit instead. Those who have received one semester may reapply for one additional semester.
Who can be a faculty mentor?
Mentors from all colleges are welcome, though preference may be given to faculty with a LAS affiliation. Faculty mentors may include individuals with tenure-line, clinical, emeritus, or research appointments. Advanced graduate students and teaching assistants are not eligible to formally serve as faculty mentors.
If a faculty member has already agreed to serve as mentor for your project, great! Once you enter their contact information in the LASURI student application, the faculty member will receive an email prompting them to complete the mentor portion of the application. Be sure to give them plenty of time before the application deadline to do this; you’ll be able to see in SnAP when the mentor’s portion has been submitted.
I won't be on campus full-time next year. Can I still apply?
Full-time enrollment is required to receive LASURI funding. However, if you will be a full-time student during one semester next year, you can apply for only that semester. Most projects approved for LASURI funding carry over two semesters, but the committee will entertain proposals for single-semester projects. Be sure to discuss this with your faculty mentor so you can design a project feasible for this time frame.
If you originally apply for and receive two semesters of funding and later find out that you won’t be available for the full year, let us know right away. You’re able to receive funding only for the semester in which you are on campus, enrolled full-time, and participating in LASURI.
Can faculty work with multiple LASURI students, either on the same project or on multiple projects?
If they are willing to mentor more than one student, they may support more than one application. However, they will be asked to prioritize the applications and preference may given to their highest-ranked applicant(s).
Do I have to complete the general application on SnAP before I can apply for LASURI?
Yes, new SnAP users will need to answer the general questions before you can apply for a specific opportunity. However, the LASURI review committee does not focus on the general portion of the application.
I'm considering a project that requires human participants. Will I need IRB approval?
Yes, but talk to your faculty mentor about what’s required. If you’re contributing to their larger project, it may fall under the approval they’ve already received.
What does it mean that I have been named as an alternate or only recieved one semester of funding?
The selection committee identifies and ranks alternates to be funded if another participant withdraws from LASURI. There is no guarantee that an alternate will be offered funding, but it remains a possibility, and being named an alternate should be seen as an acknowledgement of the research proposal’s strength.
On occasion, the committee will decide to offer one semester of funding to certain projects in an effort to allow more students to participate. If you accept the semester of funding, be sure to work with your faculty mentor to adapt your project to the new time frame. If you have time left in your undergraduate career, you can reapply for one additional semester of funding in a future academic year.
What types of requests for reserach expenses will LAS consider funding?
LAS will consider requests for laboratory reagents, equipment, study participant compensation, student conference travel funds, books, etc.
If your student mentee is chosen to become a LASURI Scholar, we will send you information regarding the process for requesting funds. Approved fund requests will typically not exceed $250.
As always, materials purchased with LASURI funds remain university property.