The Undergraduate Research Scholars (URS) program, available on several campuses statewide, supports students in faculty-mentored research projects and provides professional development and preparation for internships, graduate school, and/or the workforce. Participating students receive training in presentation development and encouragement to present research at national conferences, including the NM AMP Student Research Conference. The URS program also prepares students to consider opportunities to pursue a graduate degree.

NM AMP has a new STEM research focus of either climate, sustainability, and/or resilience for students to integrate into their research interests. This new focus will begin in the Spring semester of 2025. This change in focus will further promote student engagement and encourage interdisciplinary research in STEM.

The following areas are a few examples of types of research integration in natural and/or built environments:

• Sustainable methods and infrastructure (such as beneficial use of waste; construction using less energy or resources)
• Adaptive infrastructure (such as climate-resilient power grids; infrastructure that allows adaptation as demand changes)   
• Resilient water systems (such as water preservation; desalination; advanced water filtration)
• Resilient food systems (such as drought tolerant crops; food production using less resources)
• Healthy, resilient ecosystems and environments (such as bioremediation of contaminated soil or water; ecosystem recovery after natural or human-caused disturbance; sustainable land management; mitigation of soil erosion; plants and animal physiology and adaptation)
• Community health and vitality (such as the study of post-fire lung cancer)
• Climate studies (such as impact on human health, ecosystems, and water resources)
• Energy topics (such as renewable energy; reflective paint that reduces heating costs; geothermal energy; improved efficiency in energy storage)

**Students are encouraged to consult with their mentors as to how they can integrate resilience, sustainability, and/or climate. In addition, the AMP Institutional Coordinators can provide a faculty mentor list that can help you integrate your research.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Any student (4-year institution) majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM)  is eligible to apply. Further qualifications also include:

• U.S. citizenship or permanent resident per NSF guidelines
• Full-time enrollment in a STEM discipline
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 at the beginning of each semester of URS support
• A strong interest in and potential for graduate studies is also considered 

Applications

URS program applications for Fall 2025 close on TBD.

Complete the Fall 2025 URS program application by clicking here: APPLY