Undergraduate Research Programs

Local governments already provide extensive official election information, but much of this content, though publicly available, does not effectively reach actual constituents. In the context of local elections, citizens often struggle to access high-quality, official election information in a timely and easily understandable way. Can an AI-powered election chatbot help constituents more easily understand and use official election information? Students will help develop the AI election chatbot by building a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) system grounded in the state and county’s official sources. The chatbot will be piloted during the June 2026 local elections through a small-scale experiment to evaluate its effectiveness in improving information access and voter trust. (Led by Do Won Kim (dowonkim@umd.edu; https://do-won.github.io/), Dr. Giovanni Luca Ciampaglia & Dr. Cody Buntain)

Ideal candidates will have:

• Experience using Python, R, or other programming languages.
• Basic knowledge of LLMs (especially RAG), with practical experience prompting LLMs via APIs.

You’ll learn:

• Hands-on skills in LLM-powered chatbot development, API integration, and field-testing civic-tech applications

It is vital to ensure that all people are empowered to understand how algorithmic models analyze and use data, and how this impacts our understanding of who we are. The goal of this project is to bring together people that have taken genetic ancestry tests and INFO students to: 1) critique/contest/reimagine current AI-driven genetic data visualization practices, and 2) collaborate on designing alternative interfaces for displaying genetic ancestry testing data. While this research project applies to genetic data specifically, the impact on self-conceptualization extends more broadly to algorithms involved in producing data about ourselves, including health data, activity data, etc. (Led by S. Nisa Asgarali-Hoffman (sasgara1@umd.edu) & Dr. Sheena Erete)

Ideal candidates will have some or all of the following skills:

• Interface design/mockup skills.
• Experience and comfort with interacting with communities (e.g., A religious group, a student club, a sports team, a charity organization).
• Creativity and an openness to using your imagination (can be creative in an artistic way and/or in the way you think/problem-solve).
• A keen sense of observation (e.g., Can you listen well to others? Are you good at centering other people in a conversation instead of yourself? Are you good at picking up the subtext when someone relays an anecdote to you? Do you enjoy trying to analyze what people say and using that information to create solutions?).

You’ll learn:

• Qualitative research methods, especially those used for community-based participatory research (CBPR). This includes interviews, community-engaged research workshops, co-design, arts-based research, and more!

We’re looking for undergraduate students in the UMD College of Information who are:

• Interested in learning and pursuing research careers, including graduate study.
• Looking to build research skills and methods in a collaborative team environment.

This program is not recommended for those in their final semester.

To apply, please complete the application form and upload the following materials:

1. Your most recent unofficial UMD transcript.
2. Your resume or curriculum vitae (CV).
3. A personal statement in PDF format (no more than 2 pages) addressing:
   1. Why you are interested in the UROP opportunity.
   2. How this experience aligns with your career goals.
   3. Which project interests you most and why.
   4. How you meet the ideal candidate requirements for the project you are interested in. Also discuss other relevant skills, courses, or experiences demonstrating your ability to contribute to a semester-long research project.
   5. Any additional insights or experiences related to the listed projects.

Deadline: Applications are due by Monday, December 1, 2025. Selected students will be notified in late December, and the program will begin with the start of the Spring 2026 semester.

For any questions, please contact Dr. Eun Kyoung Choe at choe@umd.edu, Do Won Kim at dowonkim@umd.edu (for Project 1: Election Chatbot), or S. Nisa Asgarali-Hoffman at sasgara1@umd.edu (for Project 2: Genetic Testing Co-Design).

We look forward to receiving your applications!

Community-based co-design research investigating the digital literacy needs of Ethiopian immigrants in the Washington D.C. metro area, including the prototyping and community testing of a digital literacy intervention. (Kurubel Belay & Dr. Ana  Ndumu)

• Should have:

• • Interest in immigrant information behaviors, particularly English-learning and Ethiopian immigrant communities
  • Interest in digital literacy, language, and technology
  • Familiarity with Ethiopian culture or languages, or a strong interest in learning about and supporting Ethiopian immigrant communities

• You’ll learn:

• • Secondary research, design thinking principles and methods, developing and evaluating prototypes, and community-based research.

Facilitating co-design practices with children to understand how design processes develop through reflection and iteration. (Elana Blinder & Dr. Beth Bonsignore)

• Should have:

• • Experience working with children ages 7-12
  • Interest in qualitative research, child-computer interaction, and/or youth empowerment and learning
  • MUST be available 3:30pm-6:30pm on Thursdays in Spring 2025

• You’ll learn:

• • Design thinking skills through co-design with children, qualitative research skills such as interview, observation, and qualitative coding.

Research is work conducted to deepen our understanding of the world. Research happens in all disciplines, from life or social sciences to technology and arts. It includes scientific inquiry, data collection and analysis, theory development, prototyping building and testing, and creative endeavors. Research takes place in academic institutions like UMD and in the industry. 

Undergraduate students can use research to gain specialized skills and experience with projects outside the classroom, receive professional mentorship, and learn things they may not have been exposed to through their coursework. Research experience is especially relevant for students interested in innovation, entrepreneurship, and graduate studies. Undergraduate researchers at the College of Information can develop skills in: 

• Critical reviews of academic research and literature
• User-centered design and participatory design
• Analysis of large-scale datasets
• Software and algorithm development

…and more!

For more, check out the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) website.

What’s it like being an undergraduate researcher? 

Undergraduate researchers should approach their research role with the same commitment as a job or internship. Given the time-intensive nature of research, students should plan to commit to their research position over semesters rather than weeks. This long-term involvement allows for a deeper understanding of the projects, mastery of new skills, and the opportunity to develop a strong working relationship with research supervisors. 

Depending on the research project, students may be involved with various tasks such as running studies with research participants, cleaning and analyzing data, writing code or reports, conducting literature reviews, and preparing posters and manuscripts for presentations. 

How can research lead to mentorship for students?

Undergraduate students work under the guidance of senior researchers such as a faculty member or a doctoral student. Research mentors help students understand and prioritize their tasks, fostering continuous learning and meaningful contributions to the project. Over time, these relationships can also provide academic and professional support, and potential pathways to graduate and doctoral studies. Students should take time to clarify their own goals and expectations to ensure a good match between themselves, the project, and their supervisor. 

How can a student get involved in research?

Students may be eligible to apply for specific research programs and internships, or may reach out to researchers and professors directly. Students are encouraged to ask themselves the following questions to understand what may best fit their needs: 

• Are there any broad domains or specific topics that you find interesting? 
• What skills do you already possess and what skills do you want to learn? 

Are you willing to accept opportunities that are unpaid or for course credit? Undergraduate researchers typically volunteer or work for a certain number of hours of course credit. 

Within the University of Maryland

The University of Maryland, College Park is a leading research institution, and faculty across all academic departments conduct research. Here are some resources to help you get started:

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) provides support for all UMD students. 

• Undergraduate Research Opportunities and Competencies is a self-paced online resource granting students a certificate for learning about the foundations of research, tools to support undergraduate research, AI and information literacy, and how to take action in research environments. 
• Open office hours with OUR staff occur every week. 
• The FIRE program (First-Year Intensive Research Experience) connects incoming first-year students with research training and projects supported by faculty at the OUR. 
• The IRIE program (Immersive Research Internship Experience) is open to all UMD students interested in participating in an 8-week long, intensive summer research experience in close collaboration with faculty mentors and peers. The IRIE program collaborates with departments across campus to provide opportunities relevant to students’ interests. IRIE participants can receive 3 transcript-impacting credits by enrolling in FIRE199 (Research Internship) for the summer. 
• The McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program is open to rising juniors and seniors (60 or more credits) who are interested in doctoral-level graduate studies and research careers. It includes academic and career counseling, mentorship, and exclusive research opportunities. 
• Undergraduate Research Day (URD) celebrates undergraduate research and creative achievements on a campus-wide level. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to share their research experiences with their peers. 
• The Summer Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC) gives students conducting research over the summer an opportunity to showcase their achievements with peers. 

Students are encouraged to research other academic programs doing work related to their interests. Academic advisors may be able to provide guidance as well. INFO students may be interested in opportunities with: 

• Centers and Labs at the College of Information
• Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH)
• Immigrant and International Information Research Alliance (I3R)
• Social Data Science Center (SoDa)
• Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS)
• University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS)
• Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM)

Outside of the University of Maryland

There are also research opportunities beyond the UMD campus that can benefit students. The National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsors paid Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) focused on a wide variety of topics. Students are encouraged to investigate opportunities listed through the NSF.

Additional opportunities through the NSF include the International Research Experience for Students (IRES) program and the Cybercorps Scholars for Service (SFS) program. Students may also be interested in the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP). 

Opportunities also exist for internships at government agencies and affiliate organizations: 

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• National Security Administration (NSA)
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• United States Army Research Lab (ARL)
• Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (JHUAPL)
• Microsoft Computing Research Internships
• Google Research Internships