Iowa State is a land-grant research university but getting involved as an undergraduate student requires doing more than just going to class and getting assignments completed by their deadlines.

The various colleges at Iowa State have different research programs available. There is also a university-wide Undergraduate Research Assistant (URA) program through which juniors and seniors can undertake graduate study.

In order to be eligible for that program, students must be classified as a junior or senior by Iowa State, have a cumulative Iowa State GPA of at least 3.25, have filed with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), be eligible for work-study in the United States and apply to the program itself.

The pay for that undergraduate research opportunity is a minimum of $11 per hour for students in their first year in the program, with a maximum of $3,520 for the nine-month academic period, according to the program website. Students not only have the opportunity to add to their resume in their field, but also make money in the process.

Sarah Moody, senior in political science, is working with Mark Nieman, assistant professor of political science at Iowa State.

“I was interested in furthering my research skills, so I just went in and asked if I could assist him this summer,” Moody said. “I’m loving it so far, because I’m learning a lot about the research process and I enjoy it because what I’m doing doesn’t require a lot of oversight — so I feel very independent.”

Depending on the research program and department, there is also the possibility of traveling and attending conferences alongside others in the program.

There are occasionally research opportunities listed on the Iowa State Student Job Board, which can be found through AccessPlus.

During the summer, there are still various research opportunities at Iowa State. Doing research does not necessarily mean staying at campus to do it, and for the sciences, working at the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory at West Okoboji Lake is among the research opportunities.

Through conducting research, students gain “firsthand experience with equipment and laboratory procedures,” according to Iowa State’s undergraduate research web page. “The opportunities are as rich as your imagination.”