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Mission, Vision & Values

Our Mission

Undergraduate Research & Fellowships (URF) is responsible for UT’s centralized undergraduate research programming and nationally competitive fellowships support infrastructure. Our mission is to develop, coordinate, and assess diverse undergraduate research programs and fellowships support services; provide holistic student advising services, using the context of research and fellowships, that help students clarify their goals and more deeply engage with the campus, local, state, national, and global communities; educate the campus community about opportunities in undergraduate research, creative production, and nationally competitive fellowships; report on campus-wide undergraduate research and fellowships engagement and identify pathways/barriers to improved access and participation; celebrate student engagement in these high-impact educational experiences; support faculty mentors and, relatedly, recognize and celebrate strong mentoring relationships between students and faculty.

Our Vision

We encourage students to take every advantage afforded them as members of a top-tier research institution. Our vision is for a nationally recognized culture of inclusive undergraduate excellence at UT wherein all students are challenged to expect the best of themselves and have both the opportunity and support to pursue undergraduate research and nationally competitive fellowships.

Our Values

As a unit within the Division of Student Success, URF approaches its work with a deep commitment to: diversity, equity, and inclusion; collaboration across and beyond the university; and working with students to help them identify, develop, leverage, and articulate their strengths. Our work is grounded in a commitment to access and the belief that undergraduate research and the pursuit of nationally competitive fellowships can activate, in all students, purposeful exploration through which they can develop key skills, hone strengths, and expand and clarify their professional goals and unique vision for improving their communities. We believe further that, at their best, engagement in undergraduate research and the pursuit of competitive fellowships are not solo efforts nor uniform, but rather collaborative, self-expressive, and transformative educational experiences for our diverse students.