Research Excellence Program for Undergraduates
Build your research experience. Show what you’ve achieved.
Turn your undergraduate research, creative or scholarly work into recognized experience. The CAS Research Excellence Program for Undergraduates helps you build research skills, document your progress and earn digital badges as you work with faculty, participate in workshops and share your work.
You don’t have to start at the beginning. Choose Research Readiness, Research Engagement or Research Scholar based on your experience and goals.
Research can take many forms. You might work in a lab, investigate a question in the humanities or social sciences or pursue creative or scholarly work with a faculty mentor.
The CAS Research Excellence Program for Undergraduates gives you a way to build on those experiences and earn recognition for your progress. Through workshops, research or creative activities and opportunities to communicate your work, you’ll develop skills that can support your academic and professional goals.
The program is housed in UB Learns, where you can find resources, track requirements and apply for your digital badge. Please enroll now to be added to the UB Learns page if you do not already see this program in your UB Learns courses.
The program offers three digital badges based on your level of research experience. Start with the badge that best matches your current experience and goals.
Research Readiness
Build your foundation.
Develop foundational research skills and gain experience with undergraduate research, creative or scholarly activities.
To earn the Research Readiness badge, you must successfully complete:
- At least two approved research workshops
- The Introduction to Research Videos series
- One credit of a 498 research course or 40 hours of research, creative or scholarly activities
- An approved one-page research project plan or overview
Research Engagement
Take your research further.
Build on sustained research or creative engagement and develop your ability to communicate your work through a presentation or written research summary.
To earn the Research Engagement badge, you must successfully complete:
- At least two approved research workshops
- At least six credits of 498 research credit or 240 hours of research, creative or scholarly activities
- One of the following:
- A poster presentation at a UB, regional or national conference
- An oral presentation, demonstration or performance
- A two-page research abstract or summary
Research Readiness
Showcase advanced research experience.
Demonstrate sustained research or creative engagement and share your completed work with the College of Arts and Sciences community.
To earn the Research Scholar badge, you must successfully complete:
- At least two approved advanced research workshops
- At least 12 credits or 480 hours of research, creative or scholarly activities
- A presentation at the CAS Undergraduate Research Showcase
- A faculty-endorsed poster or presentation slide deck of your completed research
- Eligibility: UB students pursuing a degree program in the College of Arts and Sciences and non-CAS students actively engaged in research with CAS faculty
- Level: Undergraduate
- Credit: Not for credit
- Instruction method: Hybrid, with some requirements available online
- Average time to completion: About two semesters per digital badge
There are no sequential prerequisites between badges. You may begin with Research Readiness, Research Engagement or Research Scholar based on your experience and goals.
As you conduct research and complete program activities, you’ll strengthen skills that can help you take greater ownership of your academic and professional development.
Skills developed*:
- Career and Self-Development*
- Communication*
- Communicating Research
- Critical Thinking*
- Professionalism*
- Research
*National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) career readiness competencies.
Skills you need. Proof you have them.
When you complete a level of the program, you’ll earn a digital badge issued through Credly. Your badge contains information about your achievement, including the criteria you completed and the skills you developed.
The badge belongs to you, so you decide how to use it. Share it on social media, add it to your digital resume or embed it in your e-portfolio to show others what you’ve accomplished.
Ready to earn recognition for your research experience?
Fill out the form below to request access to the CAS Research Excellence Program for Undergraduates in UB Learns. Once you have access, you can review program information and complete the micro-credential application within UB Learns.
For questions about the CAS Research Excellence Program for Undergraduates, please contact:
Smita Samanta
Director for Undergraduate Student Research; Instructor, Department of Chemistry
College of Arts and Sciences