Dear friends,
At Michigan, a life-changing education begins when students move beyond learning what is known and begin contributing to what comes next. That moment—when curiosity becomes discovery, when a student begins to see themselves as a scholar, creator, researcher, or problem-solver—can change the trajectory of a life.
Building on nearly 40 years of impact through the nationally recognized Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), the new Center for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Inquiry marks a bold next chapter in undergraduate education at the University of Michigan. With UROP as its flagship program, the center will serve as the central home for undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative work across disciplines.
Through the center, students will pursue ambitious questions, collaborate with faculty and research mentors, engage communities, create new knowledge, and share work that matters—at Michigan and far beyond. They will learn by doing: in laboratories and libraries, archives and studios, field sites and communities, digital spaces and public forums. Just as importantly, they will build confidence, purpose, belonging, and the skills to lead in a rapidly changing world.
The need is clear. Many students arrive at Michigan eager to explore but unsure of how to begin. Some do not yet see themselves as researchers or creators of knowledge. Others cannot afford to accept unpaid or underfunded opportunities, travel to present their work, purchase needed materials, or dedicate time to a transformative experience without financial support. Your generosity can remove those barriers by providing undergraduate research stipends, summer discovery awards, project supplies, conference travel, creative production support, and mentoring programs. It can help a student find a mentor, join a research team, present original work, or discover a future they had not yet imagined.
This is a defining moment! With donor support, Michigan can build a comprehensive ecosystem of undergraduate discovery—one that expands access, strengthens mentorship, and prepares students to transform curiosity into confidence, confidence into capability, and capability into lifelong impact.
Will you support the Center for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Inquiry today with a gift to the UROP Strategic Fund? Your partnership will help open doors many students do not yet know exist—and once opened, those doors can change everything. Thank you for your support.
Go Blue!
Michelle D. Ferréz, Ed.D.
Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Research & Student Success
Senior Director, Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP)
