UNC Office for Undergraduate Research

What UNC Office for Undergraduate Research does

The Office for Undergraduate Research (OUR) is an administrative unit within UNC-Chapel Hill's College of Arts and Sciences that connects undergraduate students with faculty-mentored research opportunities across all academic majors. Headquartered on the third floor of Steele Building in Chapel Hill, NC, with a core staff of approximately 19, OUR operates a centralized Research Opportunities Database, runs the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) awarding $3,000 per student, administers undergraduate travel awards for conference presentations, and runs structured programming including the Carolina Research Scholar Program, Accelerated Research Program, IDST 198/199 research courses, and the Amgen Scholars Program. Service delivery is supported by a Faculty Liaisons Network embedded across 35+ departments and 50+ student ambassadors, and outputs are showcased through the annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research symposium, the JOURney peer-reviewed undergraduate research journal, University Research Week, the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS), and the biennial Research in the Capital poster session at the NC General Assembly.

OUR's underlying technology is administrative rather than proprietary: a university-hosted website (our.unc.edu), an opportunities database, social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn), email newsletters, and Zoom-based staff appointments form the operational backbone. The office does not develop or sell technology products; its function is to facilitate connections and disburse institutional research funding, academic credit (via standard university courses such as BIOL 395, CHEM 395, PSYC/NSCI 395, BMME 295/495, IDST 198/199), and recognition.

Commercially, OUR has no independent revenue stream: it is funded institutionally through UNC-Chapel Hill's College of Arts and Sciences, with services provided free of charge to enrolled undergraduates. Grant funding (SURF, travel awards, summer research course awards) and research credit courses flow through standard university channels. With no independent ownership structure, no funding rounds, and no growth-equity signals, the office is structurally and economically a university department rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

UNC Office for Undergraduate Research

Legal name

Office for Undergraduate Research

Website

https://our.unc.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Office for Undergraduate Research (OUR) is an administrative unit within UNC-Chapel Hill's College of Arts and Sciences that connects undergraduates to faculty-mentored research, competitive funding such as $3,000 SURF grants, structured research curriculum, and platforms including an annual symposium and peer-reviewed journal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Research Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD)

Keywords

• Undergraduate research support
• Research mentorship programs
• Research fellowship funding
• Academic research services
• Student research facilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Chapel Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. University Funding & Institutional Support: OUR is funded through UNC-Chapel Hill as part of the College of Arts and Sciences. It operates as a university administrative office providing research facilitation services to undergraduates at no direct cost to students beyond standard tuition.
2. Research Grants & Fellowship Disbursements: OUR administers grant programs including Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) of $3,000 per award, travel funding for conference presentations, and summer award for research courses. These funds come from university and external sources and are disbursed to student researchers.
3. Research Credit Courses: Students earn course credit (e.g., BIOL 395, CHEM 395, PSYC/NSCI 395, BMME 295/495, IDST 198/199) through their regular university enrollment. These courses are billed as standard university tuition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The UNC Office for Undergraduate Research is a university administrative unit that facilitates undergraduate participation in research at UNC-Chapel Hill. It matches students with faculty mentors, administers competitive research grants (including SURF awards of $3,000 and travel awards), delivers research-skills courses (IDST 198 and IDST 199), runs structured programs such as the Carolina Research Scholar Program and Amgen Scholars Program, and hosts presentation venues including the Celebration of Undergraduate Research and the JOURney journal. Services are provided free of charge to enrolled UNC undergraduates across all majors.

Product overview

The Office for Undergraduate Research (OUR) is a university administrative office, not a commercial tech product. It offers a suite of interconnected programs and services to facilitate undergraduate research at UNC-Chapel Hill. Core offerings include a Research Opportunities Database for finding research positions, the Carolina Research Scholar Program (CRSP) as a structured completion framework, and the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) providing $3,000 grants. Supporting services include IDST 198 and IDST 199 introductory courses, the OUR Student Ambassadors Program for peer guidance, Faculty Liaisons in departments, the Amgen Scholars fellowship program, and the annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research symposium. Additional offerings include travel funding for conference presentations, JOURney peer-reviewed journal, University Research Week, the Graduate Research Consultant Program, and the Accelerated Research Program. The OUR also coordinates the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS) for students statewide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Competitive summer research grant of $3,000 for UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduates to support a full-time summer research project with a faculty mentor.
• Carolina Research Scholar Program (CRSP) Structured program that provides undergraduates with a recognized credential for completing significant research during their undergraduate career, including mentored research and presentation milestones.
• Amgen Scholars Program at UNC Summer research program for undergraduates hosted at UNC-Chapel Hill in partnership with the Amgen Foundation, providing research experience, mentorship, and funding.
• IDST 198: Research Beyond Academia For-credit undergraduate course that introduces students to research questions and methods beyond the traditional academic setting.
• IDST 199: Research at Carolina For-credit undergraduate course focused on carrying out research at UNC-Chapel Hill with a faculty mentor.
• Celebration of Undergraduate Research (CUR) Annual campus symposium where undergraduates present posters and presentations of their research to the Carolina community.
• JOURney Undergraduate Research Journal Undergraduate research journal that publishes peer-reviewed articles by UNC-Chapel Hill students.
• Research Opportunities Database Searchable online database that lists available undergraduate research opportunities, faculty mentors, and programs at UNC-Chapel Hill.
• Undergraduate Travel Awards Competitive funding for UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduates to travel to academic conferences to present research.
• State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS) Statewide symposium hosted at UNC-Chapel Hill that brings together undergraduate researchers from across North Carolina to present research and creative work.
• University Research Week Annual week-long campus event celebrating and showcasing undergraduate research at UNC-Chapel Hill, organized by the Office for Undergraduate Research.
• Graduate Research Consultant Program Program that pairs undergraduate researchers with graduate student consultants who provide methodological and project-specific guidance on undergraduate research projects.
• OUR Student Ambassadors Program Peer-advising program in which trained undergraduate student ambassadors help other students navigate undergraduate research opportunities at UNC-Chapel Hill.
• Faculty Liaisons Program Network of faculty representatives embedded in academic departments across UNC-Chapel Hill who serve as departmental contacts for undergraduate research.
• Accelerated Research Program Program designed to provide UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduates with accelerated entry into faculty-led research projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 undergraduates participate in Chemistry research alone annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Amgen Scholars FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOUR administers UNC-Chapel Hill's Amgen Scholars Program, a prestigious undergraduate summer research program in science/biotechnology. Dr. Jeremy Purvis, Professor of Genetics, runs the program through OUR. The program provides research opportunities at UNC for undergraduates in science and biotechnology fields.
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)minorOthersOUR participates in UNC-Chapel Hill's SACSCOC accreditation process through the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) themed 'Learning by Connecting, Doing, Making,' promoting experiential learning across campus.
• State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOUR collaborates with institutions across North Carolina to enable students from all NC schools to present their work at the annual SNCURCS symposium. In odd years, students from UNC system schools present at the Research in the Capital symposium for NC legislators.
• All UNC Departments and ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOUR works with 35+ departments including Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Neuroscience, Public Policy, Physics, Anthropology, Art, Music, English, History, and more. Faculty liaisons in each department facilitate undergraduate research opportunities and serve as advisors.
• External Research Institutions and Summer ProgramsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOUR partners with external institutions where UNC students conduct research abroad or at other labs, including NC School of Science and Math, Emory University, Appalachian State University, and Duke University. Approximately 40% of SURF students conduct research internationally.
• Graduate Research Consultant Program (GRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOUR offers the Graduate Research Consultant Program where graduate students and postdocs provide additional research support and mentorship to undergraduate researchers.
• NC General AssemblyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn odd years when the NC General Assembly is in session, students from UNC system schools present their research in a poster session for legislators at the Research in the Capital symposium.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Princeton Office of Undergraduate Research: Princeton's Office of Undergraduate Research, providing funding, advising, and the annual Fall Research Slam. Direct peer to OUR at a peer private research university with analogous programming and governance.
• Yale Office of Undergraduate Research: Yale's central undergraduate research office providing funding, advising, and the annual undergraduate research symposium. Closely comparable to OUR in scope, programs, and target population (all undergraduates).
• Emory University Undergraduate Research Programs: Emory's central undergraduate research programs office, already a named OUR partner for cross-institutional research placements. Comparable in program structure to OUR including summer fellowships and faculty-mentor matching.
• Duke Office of Undergraduate Research Support: Duke's undergraduate research support office, based at a peer NC Triangle-area research university. Already named as an OUR partner institution, making it both a direct peer and a local collaborator.
• MIT Office of Undergraduate Research (URO): MIT's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, a flagship centralized undergraduate research office offering funding, faculty matching, and presentations. One of the most cited models in the field and a direct functional peer to OUR.
• Harvard College Office of Undergraduate Research (COURS): Harvard's central hub for undergraduate research advising, funding, and presentation opportunities. Directly comparable to OUR in mission — connecting undergrads to faculty mentors, providing research grants, and running structured programs — at a peer private research university.
• Stanford University Office of Undergraduate Research (UR): Stanford's equivalent central office supporting undergraduate research funding, advising, and showcases. Operates a Summer Research College and faculty-mentor matching, structurally analogous to OUR's SURF and CRSP programs.

Broad incumbents

• Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR): National organization that supports and advocates for undergraduate research across U.S. institutions. A broader industry peer that OUR engages with indirectly; CUR sets standards and convenes the field that OUR operates within.
• University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP): One of the largest and longest-running centralized undergraduate research programs in the U.S. A broader public-university peer to OUR, with substantially larger scale and a comparable administrative hub model.

Emerging players

• Amgen Scholars Program: International summer research fellowship program for undergraduates in science and biotechnology, hosted at top universities including UNC. OUR administers UNC's chapter, making this a strategic partner as well as a comparable program with peer delivery models.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unc_our
• Facebookfacebook.com/unc.undergradresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unc-office-for-undergraduate-research
• Instagraminstagram.com/uncch_our

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UNC Office for Undergraduate Research