Undergraduate Research Opportunities In Astronomy | Department of Astronomy

Independent Research: Many Astronomy Illinois undergraduate majors and minors participate in research projects sponsored by individual faculty members. Starting in Fall 2023, we will be using the Astronomy Research Application Portal to solicit interest in joining faculty research groups. Using the portal is preferred over e-mailing the faculty member directly. Students interested in participating in faculty research projects are encouraged to enroll in ASTR 496 RI: Survey of Current Research, which is offered every fall semester.

Applications for the IDEAS program are due March 1, 2024, for the summer 2024 program. The IDEAS site has the latest information and application details: https://publish.illinois.edu/astroideas/

If you are interested in Astronomy research as a UIUC undergrad, here are some opportunities you may be interested in:

The URAP (Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program) has a call every Fall (typically October) with research positions: https://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/programs/urap.html
The office of undergraduate research has a variety of other programs and resources here: https://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/programs/explore.html
On-campus research opportunities are often posted to this site: https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/6204
NSF (National Science Foundation) REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) programs: There are many REU programs which host summer research opportunities (list here: https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.jsp?unitid=5045). These programs will typically have mid-winter deadlines. Astrobites has some useful advice here: https://astrobites.org/2013/01/05/so-you-want-to-apply-for-an-reu-heres-how/
There are also many organized non-REU summer programs (community-maintained list here: https://www.astrobetter.com/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=Summer+Internships).
NASA internships are advertised for both Summer and semester positions (full or part time): https://intern.nasa.gov/. There are several different ways to find a NASA internship, through the OSTEM office, as a PATHWAYS intern, or as an international intern.