The Summer Research Opportunities Program provides students with a faculty-mentored research experience
June 19, 2026
Written by: Leslie Revaux
On June 4, 10 undergraduate students arrived on the University of Iowa campus, many for the first time, to embark on an immersive, eight-week research experience.
The students are participating in the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP), part of a nationwide network through the Big Ten Academic Alliance. The program gives second- and third-year undergraduate students an inside look at graduate education at a public research university.
SROP participants work closely with individual faculty mentors on research projects and professional development. The goal is to help students understand both the opportunities and expectations associated with graduate education. Through curriculum and conversation with current graduate students, participants gain insight into balancing coursework, research, teaching, and professional responsibilities within a research university environment.
“What sets Iowa's SROP apart is the intentionality behind its structure,” said Belén Avalos, a rising fourth-year student at San Diego State University who in this year’s program.
“Rather than placing undergraduates in a lab and stepping back, SROP builds a full environment of support. Students work directly alongside distinguished faculty on mentored research projects, while also receiving guidance from active graduate students who help demystify the path to graduate school. I find this layered mentorship particularly meaningful because it means I am learning not just how to conduct research, but how to think like a researcher and future professional.”
Participants apply through a competitive process and must be matched with a faculty mentor before they can be accepted.
The Graduate College administers SROP, which has a strong track record of preparing the next generation of graduate and professional students. Nearly half of participants over the program’s 40-year history have gone on to pursue master’s or doctoral degrees.
Belén Avalos
Home institution: San Diego State University
Major: psychology, emphasis in neuroscience
Year: Incoming fourth year undergraduate
Finding a path through research
For many students, the SROP experience creates a long-lasting connection with Iowa.
“When they come to Iowa, participants are able to access research opportunities that they may not have at their home institutions,” said Brian Lai, associate professor of political science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a long-time mentor for the program.
Chad Rhym, now a UI doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, joined SROP in 2018 as a third-year student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, who was torn between pursuing a career in photojournalism and a graduate degree in sociology.
“When I applied, I framed my summer in Iowa City as, in some capacity, a trial run. I truly wanted an intensive learning experience where I could fully immerse myself in what it means to be a graduate student, while also embracing a period to gain hands-on research experience and see whether this was a career I wanted to pursue,” said Rhym.
“What I found over my eight weeks in the SROP program was more than I could have ever asked for. I remember being completely enamored of the care and guidance from mentors, and of the time to reflect on what it meant to conduct engaging, collaborative, and thoughtful research. SROP completely sold me not only on the idea of pursuing a PhD, but also on the fact that I could do so with support from faculty and staff here at Iowa."
Daniel Tranel, professor of neurology in the Carver College of Medicine, credits one-on-one faculty mentorship for the program's long-running success. "Students gain an appreciation for the exciting paradigm of scientific discovery and high-level pedagogy, and emerge with an understanding of and appreciation for how they could pursue careers as scientists and educators.”
“In my decades of experience as a mentor in SROP, what is always impactful to me is the buoyant curiosity that the scholars bring to the program and to my lab,” said Tranel. “I have learned from every one of them, how their lived experiences fit with mine and shape the direction of our science. The privilege of serving as an SROP mentor for decades has provided me an opportunity to extol the many virtues of Iowa—the compelling combination of resources, opportunities, and lifestyle that makes this such a wonderful place to work and live.”
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Building community across disciplines
SROP’s interdisciplinary approach creates a distinctive experience for participants. Unlike many summer research programs that focus on a single discipline, SROP welcomes students from a broad range of fields, including the arts, humanities, social sciences, STEM, and professional programs. This year’s cohort of students represents nine institutions in six states.
The Graduate College collaborates with the Office of Undergraduate Research to co-host events and build community among SROP participants and other students participating in summer research on campus. At the end of the summer, students present their work at the Summer Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC).
“SURC is a unique opportunity for UI students and those who are visiting for the summer to mingle and talk about their experiences and what they achieved,” said Tawny Tibbits, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research. “The event highlights not only the breadth of research happening on our campus, but also the dedication of UI faculty and staff to developing and training the researchers and professionals of tomorrow.”