Access to Undergraduate Research Activities (AURA) is a platform that connects undergraduate students to research opportunities at the University of Rochester across all disciplines. Using AURA, undergraduates can find research positions that match their interests, and research mentors (professors , principal investigators, research team leaders, graduate students, postdocs and lab technicians) can identify students that are best qualified for their research projects.

AURA was borne out of the need to provide simpler and more equitable access to research opportunities on campus. It is modeled after the Muser platform at Duke University (https://muser.duke.edu/). The website was developed by RocLab in collaboration with The University of Rochester Office of Undergraduate Research (https://www.rochester.edu/college/ugresearch/). RocLab is a motivated group of UR student developers, designers, and marketers who focus on creating and supporting coding projects that benefit the campus community.

This is a beta version of AURA that provides the core functionalities for connecting research mentors and students. In future versions, we will provide a more interactive and comprehensive platform for facilitating conversations and connections for undergraduates seeking research opportunities. We would love to hear your feedback regarding the website (contact@roclab.io).