Aresty Research Center for Undergraduates at Rutgers University

What Aresty Research Center for Undergraduates at Rutgers University does

The Aresty Research Center for Undergraduates is an academic center within Rutgers University-New Brunswick that connects undergraduate students with faculty mentors to conduct original research. Established in 2004 following a $4 million pledge from Jerome and Lorraine Aresty, the center operates programs including a year-long Research Assistant Program, a Summer Science Program with $3,000 stipends and on-campus housing for rising sophomores, the Research Intensive Summer Experience (RISE), Undergraduate Research Grants ranging from $200 to $1,000, the Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, and the peer-reviewed Aresty Rutgers Undergraduate Research Journal (RURJ). It also administers the New Jersey Northern Junior Science and Humanities Symposium and supports high school programs such as the Waksman Student Scholars Program.

The center's underlying infrastructure consists of a web-based Undergraduate Research Project Database where faculty post research opportunities and students browse and apply, supplemented by The Hatchery Innovation Studio, a 4,000 square foot collaborative space in Alexander Library equipped with multimedia and meeting facilities. Since inception, the center has supported more than 3,000 students, partnered with approximately 1,500 faculty mentors across all academic disciplines, and disbursed approximately $2.2 million in research support. Revenue mechanics are non-commercial: the center is funded by the original Aresty endowment and ongoing Rutgers institutional support, with student-facing services provided at no direct cost and faculty recruitment handled through the same project-submission portal.

Customer segments are primarily Rutgers-New Brunswick undergraduates (first-year through senior), with Rutgers faculty serving as the supply-side mentors, and a secondary segment of regional high school students reached through the JSHS. Outreach occurs via the center's website, social media channels, in-person and virtual information sessions, and a peer instructor liaison program. The center has produced 19 consecutive years of Goldwater Scholars at Rutgers-New Brunswick, along with the institution's first Churchill Scholar in a decade and first Udall Scholar since 2004, evidencing durable program outcomes.

Name

Aresty Research Center for Undergraduates at Rutgers University

Legal name

Aresty Research Center for Undergraduates at Rutgers University

Website

https://aresty.rutgers.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Aresty Research Center is an academic center at Rutgers University-New Brunswick that connects undergraduate students with faculty mentors for hands-on research, supporting 300+ students annually through programs, grants, and a peer-reviewed research journal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Research Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Flagship Public Research Universities (R1/R2) (EDAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI), Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions (EDAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Undergraduate research programs
• Faculty mentorship programs
• Academic research funding
• Student research opportunities
• Higher education research

Headquarters

HQ city

New Brunswick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: Core funding from Rutgers University to support undergraduate research programs and operations
2. Jerome and Lorraine Aresty Endowment: Original $4 million pledge and ongoing support from founders for undergraduate research programs
3. Student Research Grants: Funding for student research projects ranging $200-$1,000 per award to defray research costs including supplies, travel, and conference presentations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Aresty Research Center for Undergraduates at Rutgers University connects undergraduate students with faculty mentors to participate in hands-on research projects across academic disciplines. Established in 2004 with a $4 million pledge from Jerome and Lorraine Aresty, the Center operates structured programs including the Research Assistant Program, Summer Science Program, RISE, Research Grants, Undergraduate Research Symposium, RURJ (Rutgers Undergraduate Research Journal), and Peer Instructor Program, supporting 300+ students annually with a network of 3,000+ alumni and 153 staff.

Product overview

The Aresty Research Center offers a portfolio of interconnected programs supporting undergraduate research at Rutgers University. The core offerings include the Research Assistant Program (year-long faculty-student research partnerships), Summer Science Program (full-time summer research with stipend and housing), and Undergraduate Research Grants (funding for independent projects). These programs are supported by the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and the peer-reviewed Aresty Rutgers Undergraduate Research Journal (RURJ). Additional services include Peer Instructor mentoring, Information Sessions, and access to The Hatchery Innovation Studio. For high school students, the center administers the New Jersey Northern Junior Science and Humanities Symposium and partners with the Waksman Student Scholars Program. All programs collectively aim to foster student curiosity about research, facilitate faculty-mentor relationships, and expose students to scholarly communication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aresty Rutgers Undergraduate Research Journal (RURJ): An undergraduate-run, interdisciplinary journal designed to showcase the cutting-edge undergraduate research conducted at Rutgers University. Provides undergraduate researchers the opportunity to publish their own work and experience the peer review process.

Products and services

• Research Assistant Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 19 consecutive years of Goldwater Scholar selections
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Menus of Change University Research Collaborative (MCURC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017International network of colleges and universities using campus dining halls as living laboratories. Rutgers-New Brunswick has been part of this collaborative since 2017, providing undergraduate research opportunities in partnership with dining services.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding institution of the Menus of Change collaborative along with the Culinary Institute of America. Leads the international network that Rutgers participates in.
• Culinary Institute of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding institution of the Menus of Change collaborative along with Stanford University. Provides leadership and research framework for the collaborative.
• Rutgers Dining ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting MCURC research in campus dining facilities. Peggy Policastro serves as director of nutrition for Rutgers Dining Services and co-chair of MCURC research.
• New Jersey Healthy Kids InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeggy Policastro serves as director of nutrition and culinary literacy for the initiative, supporting nutrition research collaborations.
• Center for Youth Political Participation (CYPP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Eagleton Institute of Politics, CYPP provides civic engagement research opportunities and programs for students including Aresty participants.
• Eagleton Institute of PoliticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRutgers institute providing political participation research programs including RU Ready and RU Voting, with student research opportunities through Aresty.
• Douglass Residential CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRutgers residential college providing student leadership programs, externships, and research opportunities that connect with Aresty research programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP): Largest and most established centralized undergraduate research matching program in the U.S. Both operate within large public research universities, match undergraduates with faculty mentors, and run competitive summer/year-long research programs.
• UC Berkeley Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP): Berkeley's apprenticeship-style program pairs undergraduates with faculty mentors, closely paralleling Aresty's Research Assistant Program in matching mechanism and academic-credit structure.
• MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP): MIT's UROP is among the oldest and most cited centralized models for undergraduate-faculty research matching, directly comparable in mission and structure to Aresty's portfolio.
• Stanford University Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education: Stanford's central undergraduate research office administers multiple structured research programs (SURGE, SUGAR, SHTEM) analogous to Aresty's Research Assistant, Summer Science, and RISE programs.
• University of Florida Center for Undergraduate Research: Florida's CUR hosts structured undergraduate research programs and a symposium similar to Aresty, operating within another flagship public research university in the same R1 tier.
• Princeton University Office of Undergraduate Research: Princeton's central office runs junior-researcher funding, summer programs, and an annual symposium that mirror Aresty's portfolio structure within another large research university.
• Cornell University Office of Undergraduate Research: Cornell's central office provides similar structured programs, faculty matching, and a research journal/showcase model analogous to Aresty's symposium and RURJ.

Broad incumbents

• Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR): National professional society that supports undergraduate research programs across member institutions. Provides shared standards, advocacy, and conferences relevant to Aresty's mission but at the industry-association level rather than a single institutional operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Rutgers_Aresty
• Facebookfacebook.com/arestyresearchcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aresty-research-center-for-undergraduates-at-rutgers-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/rutgers_aresty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aresty Research Center for Undergraduates at Rutgers University