WHAT IS UROP?
NASA’s Illinois Space Grant Consortium (ILSGC) is happy to announce that its 23rd Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) will take place in the summer of 2026. UROP is a program designed to cultivate and support research partnerships between University of Illinois undergraduates and faculty members. All projects focus on NASA-related science and/or engineering research. We want to invite highly motivated undergraduates to apply to participate in UROP.
We envision this program to involve about 26 University of Illinois undergraduate students who will:
- Contribute actively to an intensive research project for 10 weeks (40 hours per week) over the summer;
- Participate in the weekly seminar series (presentations on research ethics, technical writing, and preparing presentations) organized by the Summer REU committee throughout this summer;
- Present your research and fully participate in a one-day symposium on July 30, 2026
We believe this program offers students a unique opportunity to participate in NASA-related STEM research.
The selected students will participate in research activities for 10 weeks, from May 18 to July 31, 2026, under the supervision of a faculty member and their graduate student(s). Your faculty mentor sets the start and end dates, but we expect you to commit to 10 weeks of intensive research. The program is supported by the NASA Illinois Space Grant and faculty contributions. Each student will receive a maximum award of $7,000 in support. Students are expected to participate in the program for approximately 40 hours per week.
Funding will be released, subject to the authorization of funds by NASA. Placements will not be made until NASA has authorized the funding.
HOW DO I FIND RESEARCH PROJECTS SUPPORTED UNDER UROP?
The research project descriptions from 2026 submitted by the faculty are listed below. You must expand the selections under each department to see the project list.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- Current student at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign
- Highly-motivated undergraduate student
- Provide a statement of interest (review the project descriptions to help with this).
- Provide current transcript
- Provide a current resume or CV
- Complete the online application
WHEN DO I APPLY? WHAT IS THE TIMELINE?
- 10 Dec. 2025 – UROP website updated
- 16 Dec. 2025 – Student Application Opens
- 2 Feb. 2026 – Student Application Closes
- 9 Feb. 2026 – Applicant information/recommendation sent to faculty/mentor(s)
- 23 Feb. 2026 – Faculty/Mentor selections sent to Heidi
- 27 Feb. 2026 – Offer letters sent to students
- 23 Mar. 2026 – Students accept or decline the offer (Faculty/Mentor will be informed immediately)
- 15 Apr. 2026 – Student stipends and appointments established
- 18 May or 26 May 2026 – UROP starts (flexible upon Faculty/Mentor approval)
- 25 July or 31 July 2026 -UROP ends (flexible upon Faculty/Mentor approval)
HOW DO I APPLY?
The application opens on December 16, 2025
The application closes on February 2, 2026
- Complete and submit the application form.
- All application materials are submitted through the online site, including your interest statement, resume, and transcript/academic history. Transcripts/Academic Histories should be PDF documents. You do not have to submit an official transcript, but the document does need to include your GPA.
Completed application form WITH transcripts/academic histories is due by February 2, 2026.
Sometimes, an interview may be arranged between the student and mentor(s) before the final selection is announced.
Program Requirements:
- Attend at least 5 of the summer seminar series talks.
- Complete the pre- and post-program surveys.
- Complete NASA STEM Gateway Registration
- Participate and present at the UROP symposium at the end of the summer. Submit a title and create a presentation or poster on your summer research activities.
As part of NASA’s award requirements, UROP students must register on NASA STEM Gateway and participate in the Illinois Space Grant’s longitudinal tracking program. Student participants will be contacted regarding any publications or proposals resulting from their research experience. This tracking also determines the long-term benefits of the NASA Space Grant Program.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact:
Heidi Bjerke
Senior Coordinator, Illinois Space Grant Consortium
217-300-0151
hbjerke2@illinois.edu
2026 Projects
Please review each of the projects. You must expand the department to see the opportunities with each mentor. We recommend taking notes on your favorite projects to write your interest statement for the application.
Project #1 – Sustainable Agriculture Drone Research Project
Mentor: Dr. Elle Wroblewski
AE 298 RES and AE 498 AG students may already be familiar with the agriculture drone project from Midwest Nice Aerospace Engineering. This summer project seeks to refine the reporting and technological information generated for the project in order to create future educational materials to facilitate AE 498 AG sections, as well as promotional materials for alumni and sponsors.
Student Activities:
Students will work on drone fabrication and testing in part, but will also focus on document creation and audio-visual media production. Students should have AV production skills, technical writing skills, taken ECE 205 or equivalent, and have a strong interest in agriculture. Aeronautics and drone interest or specialization in AE 202 or RSO work is preferred.
- Number of positions available: 1
Project #2 – Assessment of spatial visualization training effectiveness for undergraduate students
Mentor – Dr. Brian Woodard
Decades of research involving many thousands of participants has consistently shown that spatial skills are one of the strongest predictors of future success in STEM coursework and STEM careers independent of math and verbal ability. Research also shows that spatial skills are malleable, and individuals may need different methods to practice and improve their skills. For example, a series of studies showed that gender differences in STEM education could be reduced by enhancing spatial skills through computerized training that involves different forms of practice in solving spatial visualization problems.
Based on this background information, The Grainger College of Engineering has been offering an elective spatial visualization training course for first-year students since 2019 (ENG 177 Spatial Visualization). Data have been collected regarding these students’ spatial visualization abilities before and immediately after the course. Additionally, a large dataset is available showing the longitudinal impact of the training course on these students’ success in their subsequent STEM courses. Data organization, analysis, and visualizations are needed to investigate and publicize these outcomes illustrating the impact of this particular course and the importance of spatial visualization skills more generally in STEM.
The student may also develop new instructional materials to support the visualization course. This could include developing new questions for the training platform and/or designing and 3D printing physical guides to demonstrate principles of visualization.
A successful student for this project will have an interest in Engineering Education research. Skills with programming for organizing datasets and creating visualizations are required. Statistical analysis will be needed to examine the data, so some background knowledge in statistics, or willingness to learn some statistical analysis, is required. Experience with CAD (preferably NX), a rendering program like Blender, and 3D printing will also be beneficial if new instructional materials are developed.
Number of positions available: 1
Project #3 – Critical Design of Dual-Mode, Monopropellant Propulsion Hardware
Mentors: Dr. Victoria Coverstone and Dr. Joshua Rovey
Dual-mode propulsion enables significant flexibility and adaptability of the spacecraft. Recent efforts have focused on developing compact chemical and electric multi-mode propulsion solutions to address modern missions’ immediate/high thrust and high efficiency/low thrust needs. Typically, two independent systems would be designed for each of these thrust-generating capabilities, but by utilizing a monopropellant, a single propellant tank and feed system can be used for both types of thrust. This capability has been demonstrated in the lab environment but has yet to be implemented on an in-situ satellite.
We are looking for enthusiastic undergraduate students with systems, aerospace, electrical, or computer engineering backgrounds interested in both research and hardware development. Research interests should align with the space systems field. Previous design experience working on hardware and electronics intended for use in space environments is a plus but not a requirement. Additionally, availability to continue work into the next academic year is a plus but optional.
Students involved will have the opportunity to work with a group of engineers in the laboratory environment and use simulation and modeling software for structural, orbital dynamics, and concept of operations analysis. Students will learn to operate test equipment necessary to conduct research operations.
Students will be involved in:
- Reviewing and refining current system requirements.
- Conduct trade studies on state-of-the-art versus traditional technologies.
- Develop new tools and methods that can be utilized for system/subsystem/component level evaluation.
- Review, refine, and track resource budgets within the current system design (e.g., Mass, Volume, Power, Data, Comms).
- Risk Identification
- Failure Mode and Effects, Lifetime Cost, Safety Concerns, and Risk Analysis.
Number of positions available: 1-2
Project #4 – Human Spaceflight Education Research Project
Mentor: Dr. Elle Wroblewski
Spaceflight Education and Aerospace Medicine is an area that the Midwest Nice Aerospace Research group is branching into. We would like to develop connections and contacts within the university and affiliated spaces for future education initiatives in human spaceflight education within aerospace engineering. This project sees to develop upon stakeholder needs including those of analog astronauts and astronauts to ground control, aerospace Medicine experts, in-space agriculture, and space vehicle and robotic design.
Student activities:
Networking on campus to determine stakeholder needs will be a primary responsibility of the researcher, including documenting interviews and conducting surveys. The student must be interested in human spaceflight and should have a strong background in communications, public speaking, and ideally publishing, marketing, and scientific communication. Secondary research tasks will involve writing technical documents, designing educational interventions, and data processing for related projects.
Number of positions available: 1
Project #5 Turbulent control with metamaterial experiments
Mentor: Dr. Theresa Saxton-Fox
In this project, you will support a graduate student in setting up and completing experiments, studying how a turbulent boundary layer responds to complex surfaces. The project is part of a larger multidisciplinary effort, targeting the use of “metamaterials” – materials that have microstructure that makes their dynamics very different from traditional bulk materials – for turbulent control. In this summer, we will be implementing 3D printed materials in a wind tunnel and using laser-based flow measurement techniques to study how the flow responds to static and dynamically moving materials.
Student Activities:
Duties will include designing and manufacturing experimental components, assisting in the execution of laser-based diagnostics, experimental de-bugging, multidisciplinary meetings with solid mechanics faculty and graduate students, and potentially some data analysis, depending on the interest of the student. No experience required, but strong interest is a must!
Number of positions available: 2
Project #10 Frontally-cured Resins for In-space Composite Manufacturing
Mentor: Dr. Jeff Baur and Baxter “Joey” Tindall
In-space manufacturing refers to the on-demand fabrication of aerospace grade structures in extreme environments. This area is widely being researched at UIUC through the manufacturing of carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRC) using low-energy curable resins such as dicyclopentadiene (DCPD). This project seeks to expand the chemistry available to be used as the polymer matrix in carbon fiber reinforced composites for in-space manufacturing. We are looking to examine polymer blends with a low-energy cure cycle capable of achieving desirable curing kinetics, thermomechanical properties, and a high interlaminar strength. This project will examine both neat resin and carbon fiber composite properties to characterize thermomechanical and mechanical properties of resin blends.
Student Activities: The student will work with a graduate student currently working on this project. Student tasks will include the formulation of resin blends and fiber-reinforced composites through vacuum-assisted resin infusion (VARI). The student will help make composite samples to test for DMA and mechanical testing; this includes the process of making resin, infusing the composite, and post-processing to prepare for testing. Students should have an interest in carbon fiber reinforced composites or materials characterization. Preferred experience includes materials characterization tools such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA), or mechanical testing equipment such as an Instron frame, which will be used throughout the summer. A background in aerospace, materials science, engineering, or chemistry is preferred. Prior experience in a composites lab or other lab environment is also preferred.
Number of positions: 1
Project #11 Effects of Vasculatures on the Densification of Additively Manufactured Ceramic Matrix Composites (1) and Analysis of porous structure of CF3D Manufactured Ceramic Matrix Composites through X-ray CT characterization (2)
Mentors: Jeff Baur, Hanseung Lee, Asim Shahzad, Atik Rahman
Project Overview
a. (1) The objective of this project is to vary the pyrolysis heating and cooling profiles and to understand the resulting microporous structure as well as the overall porous networks. If time allows and the process is developed, ultra-high temperature particles are to be involved. This includes mixing and dispersing of the particles, printing and infiltrating with the particles, then varying the same goal of investigating the porous structure as above.
b. (2) The objective of this project is to analyze the porous structure of the additively manufactured ceramic matrix composite throughout each PIP cycle to analyze how the porosity evolves over the cycles, then to correlate its structure to permeability capabilities.
Student Involvement/Responsibilities/What You’ll Learn
The undergraduate research assistant will learn with the graduate student mentor the process development to achieve a densified ceramic matrix composite. The student shall learn how to operate various equipment to be able to manufacture the composites and to analyze them, including CF3D, ovens, furnaces, infiltration setups, X-ray CT characterization software, and some python programming. From the analysis that the undergraduates provide, we plan to relate them to the permeability capabilities that will dictate the infiltration and thereby the densification, as well as its future application for transpiration cooling.
Student Prerequisites
a. The most important student prerequisite is the willingness to learn and stay active. As this project will involve continuous experimental runs on the furnace which will take up a lot of time, the student should be physically able to be present in the lab for the experiment and stay alert as the high-temperature experiments could be potentially hazardous.
b. Some other desirable attributes include:
- Prior experience in image processing and characterization
- Prior experience in composite manufacturing or high-temperature processing
- Prior experience in working in research settings and laboratories
Number of Positions Available: 1-2
Project #6 – Unlocking the Potential of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Imagery in Agriculture
Mentor: Sunoj Shajahan and Xiaoyu Zhang (Graduate Student)
Excess water or ponding in fields can hurt crops, damage soil structure, and lower yields. Many older farm drainage systems in Illinois can no longer keep up with modern farming needs, leading to standing water after heavy rains. This project uses satellite images and GeoAI to identify and map ponding areas across local farms. Students will help collect satellite imagery and organize data, create maps, and look for patterns in how water moves and stays in the fields. The goal is to better understand drainage issues and support efforts to improve soil and crop health across Illinois.
Student Activities
We are looking for students with experience in Python and Jupyter Notebooks. Basic knowledge of GIS and an understanding of geospatial datasets are preferred. Students will gain hands-on experience in data analysis, mapping, and GeoAI applications in agriculture.n.
Number of positions available: 1
Project #7 – Bio-inspired Polymer Manufacturing
Mentor: Dr. Nancy Sottos and Anna Cramblitt
Figure 1. Examples of Frontal Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (FROMP). (A) Polymerization quickly proceeds through neat monomer resin, transforming from liquid to solid. (B) Surface patterning formed spontaneously due to instabilities during frontal polymerization. (C) Top-down IR image of maximum temperature reached during polymerization with instabilities. (D) Dogbones for tensile testing of patterned materials. (E) Patterns in a translucent material viewed under cross-polarized light.
Poised at the intersection of materials science and chemistry, this project will focus on a technique for manufacturing patterned polymer materials with Frontal Polymerization (FP). FP is a rapid, scalable, energy-efficient polymer synthesis route. In our group, we focus especially on Frontal Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization, which allows us to make polymers with a wide range of properties under ambient conditions, at scale, in a single reaction step lasting less than a minute. Taking inspiration from nature, we can use FP to “grow” materials with built-in bio-inspired patterns. These patterns arise when we tweak the boundary conditions, initial conditions, or chemistry of the system to create “instabilities” in the polymerization front.
This project aims to deepen our understanding of the patterns formed via instabilities in FP, explore and characterize new formulations for patterning, and enhance our ability to control pattern formation. Characterization techniques such as IR imaging, DSC, tensile testing, video front speed measurements, and optical microscopy can be used to observe pattern formation and understand the effects on material properties. Day-to-day activities may include preparing samples for DSC, mixing new monomer formulations, preparing patterned samples while recording the polymerization reaction with a visible or IR camera, and analyzing data.
Interested students should have a background in Materials Science & Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or similar, with a basic understanding of organic chemistry/polymer chemistry. Familiarity with the concepts behind common polymer characterization methods such as DSC, DMA, NMR, TGA, and/or mechanical property testing is helpful.
Applicants can contact Anna Cramblitt at annacc2@illinois.edu.
Number of positions: 1
Project #8 High-performance stable thermoset resins for in-space manufacturing
Mentor: Dr. Nancy Sottos and Pranav Krishnan
This project aims to develop a novel materials system for low SWaP (size, weight, power) in-space polymer and composite manufacturing. Polymers and polymer-matrix reinforced composites (PMCs) are ideal structural materials for numerous engineering applications on Earth (aerospace, robotics, automobiles etc.) due to their high specific strength and toughness. This strength and low-density also makes them ideal for large structures in space such as radio telescopes and satellites, and one day, habitat modules. However, such structures are currently space-constrained by their requirement of being shipped from earth (origami/kirigami-inspired foldable structures are a required workaround). In addition, conventional PMCs require large amounts of energy and time to fabricate, in purpose built autoclaves the size of the part (eg. aeroplane chassis’).
Our approach utilizes Frontal Polymerization (FP), an energy-efficient process powered by a self-propagating exothermic reaction, that requires over 1000x less energy/volume and can be coupled with diverse manufacturing techniques such as resin-transfer molding and 3D printing. Existing FP resins are volatile and have short shelf-lives. We aim to develop a shelf-stable, highly-reactive resin system based on a novel class of monomer molecules and encapsulated catalyst microparticles. We will tailor this material system of resin and polymer to optimize for processability during manufacturing, stability, reactivity, and resistance to space conditions (temperature range, atomic oxygen, electromagnetic radiation etc).
Student activities:
An undergraduate student would be involved in the material synthesis, characterization and data analysis, as well as 3D printing or mechanical testing if they are interested. Materials chemistry will compose a large part of the project, exploring new chemistries and their suitability for in-space manufacturing. Materials characterization tools such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Shear Rheometry, and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) would be in use – students will be trained on these techniques. A background in Chemistry or Materials Science is preferred, or prior research experience in a chemistry lab environment.
Students who are looking to apply to graduate school in the future, and are interested in longer term research projects that will continue past the summer will be given preference.
Number of positions: 1
Project #9 – Improving Durability of Hydrocarbon Polymers for Low Earth Orbit Applications
Mentor: Dr. Nancy Sottos and Kenneth Cox (PhD Student)
The privatization of aerospace industries has resulted in a modern space race among global powers through corporate actors. This has resulted in the number of objects launched into space increasing from 220 to 2800 over past decade (1). However, the lifespan of satellites has not significantly changed from an average of 15 years set 2 decades ago and with the rapid increase in launches strategies need to be found to increase the lifespan and decrease the weight of satellites (2). That is why this research is focused on improving the durability of polymers in outer space as they are often used to bind or seal parts of satellites. Polymers also have a lower density than most metals which can make satellites lighter. Lighter satellites are cheaper to send to space and keep in orbit; however, polymers generally erode more than most metals. Polymers erode from colliding with atomic oxygen or debris in low Earth orbit which weakens its structure and decreases the lifespan of the satellite. That is why this research is focused on improving atomic oxygen resistance of polymers while maintaining or improving their mechanical properties. To improve these properties, we are testing both commercially available and custom-made additives with the ability to form a protective glass-like layer which could prevent further oxidation of the polymer while maintaining mechanical properties. We are working on engineering (i.e. geometry of surface) and chemical (i.e. additives) strategies to improve the uniformity and durability of these protective layers.
Student Activities:
As part of UROP, your main responsibilities will include manufacturing polymers with
different levels of additives and exposing these materials to simulated space conditions for
varying durations. Then you will measure the changes in surface chemistry/structure using
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and microscopy as well as testing physical property
changes. Therefore, students should have knowledge of organic and inorganic chemistry and
have experience working in a chemical laboratory.
Number of positions: 1
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q. What should I include in my statement of interest?
A. Your statement of interest should highlight your skills and experiences relevant to the research project, as well as what you hope to gain from the opportunity. Emphasize your strengths, academic background, and enthusiasm for research.
Please avoid including your ranking or preference for specific projects in your statement, as it will be shared with all mentors involved.
Q. How long should my interest statement be?
A. Your statement of interest should be concise and focused, ideally between 250-500 words. This length allows you to provide enough detail about your skills, experiences, and goals while remaining clear and to the point.
Q. How are people selected for the UROP positions?
A. Your application will be forwarded to the mentors of the projects you select. The mentors will review the applications and may contact you directly to schedule an interview. Once the mentors make their selection, they will notify Heidi, who will then send you an offer letter.
Q. When will I be notified that I haven’t been selected for a UROP position?
A. Final notifications will be sent once all positions have been filled. This process may extend until late March or early April.