Gateway to Research Internship Program

What is the Gateway to Research Internship Program?

It is an intensive summer program intended to help build the pipeline for research across the disciplines sponsored by the Office of Research and general support of donors.

While there are numerous and diverse summer research opportunities for Utah State undergraduates, they tend to be focused on more advanced students who are already working at a high level. This program, however, is focused on funding entry-level research experiences for students in support of faculty-led research, especially in areas where external sources of funding for student research support are limited or unavailable.

More About the Gateway Program

Building on the existing support provided by the Office of Research’s Student Research Program, the Gateway to Research program enables faculty to select first or second-year students, as well as internal or external transfer students entering as juniors, to serve as research interns during a 10-week summer term. Faculty mentors will benefit from “Entering Mentoring” trainings, and students will participate in an “Entering Research” workshop. In addition, students and mentors will be invited to join in summer workshops and networking events offered more broadly to the UR community on campus.

An advanced undergraduate student researcher will also be appointed as the “peer group mentor” for the summer – this student will help with program implementation, meet with students individually and as a group, and gain valuable mentoring experience. The peer group mentor will themselves be mentored, and will receive equivalent funding to that received by program participants.

The success of our pilot program in 2023 earned us ongoing UASAL funding, and we hope that its continued success will motivate future funding to support similar opportunities moving forward.

Benefits

Financial Award 

Each student (including the peer mentor) will receive an hourly wage of at least $10 per hour as pre-determined by the mentor for up to $2,000 in wages.

These students will remain eligible to apply for additional Office of Research funding, such as the Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Undergraduate Research & Creative Opportunities grant, or travel grants.

Other Benefits

• Students and faculty will be included in all summer UR events and trainings
• Student participants will be invited to attend the Fall 2026 Research Explorations series (our new orientation series for student researchers)
• Faculty receive research support during critical summer months

Apply for a Gateway Award

Questions

Any questions about the Gateway to Research Internship Program, other student research programs, or to get involved, please email ur@usu.edu.