Research Enhancement Office

The Life Science Division has a number of research programs for undergraduates pursuing degrees in life science majors.  Some of these programs are accompanied with funding and some are not. There are several types of opportunities for students, including (See Application Home Page for additional information) :

Lower-Division Research

• Student Research Program, SRP, is a program that gives course-credit to lower-level undergraduates and transfer students who participate in research under the direction of a faculty mentor.
• Biomedical Science Enrichment Program, BISEP, is a summer program that prepares highly-motivated freshmen from under-represented groups in science to begin an independent research project early in their academic careers.
• CARE Fellows Program & Scholars Program provides professional development and funding for students from underrepresented groups that are currently conducting research with a faculty mentor.
• Undergraduate Research Fellows Program, URFP, provides professional development and financial support, starting as early as sophomore year, to conduct an independent research project under the mentorship of a UCLA faculty.
• COMPASS Life Sciences, is a resource that provides Life Sciences’ undergraduates with opportunities for research and funding that will pay them to get involved with research.

Transfer Student Research

• Student Research Program, SRP, is a for-credit program that prepares lower-level undergraduate and transfer students to excel in research
• COMPASS Life Sciences, is a resource that provides Life Sciences’ undergraduates with opportunities for research and funding that will pay them to get involved with research.

Upper Division Research

• Undergraduate Research Fellows Program, URFP, provides professional development and financial support for students conducting an independent research project under the mentorship of a UCLA faculty.
• Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, URSP, provides upper-level undergraduates with financial support to continue further with independent research under the mentorship of UCLA faculty.
• Beckman Research Scholarship provides research funding for Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics (MIMG) or Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology (MCDB) majors
• Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Program is a capstone program, which provides the opportunity and funding to work closely with faculty on biomedical research topics.
• Maximizing Access to Research Careers, MARC is a capstone program, which provides funding for undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds in the biomedical and behavioral sciences.
• Amgen Scholars Program is a nationwide paid residential summer research program that provides extensive preparation for those interested in attaining a PhD or MD/PhD.
• CARE SEM Summer Research Program provides funding for highly-motivated students, from under-represented groups in science and/or from life-challenged backgrounds, to undertake summer research with a UCLA faculty.
• COMPASS Life Sciences, is a resource that provides Life Sciences’ undergraduates with opportunities for research and funding that will pay them to get involved with research.

See the Undergraduate Research Center–Sciences for complete information about funding, research opportunities, and other programs that enhance undergraduate education.

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