About Our Students

Since its pilot in 2019, SISRM has grown from just one course and a handful of students to a robust program of 8 courses, daily workshops, and 370+ student participants.

Our students come from diverse backgrounds and possess a variety of academic and professional skills and goals. In our most recent cohort the student body included UChicago undergraduates participating in the RA fellows program, visiting undergraduate students from Chicago State University, the Insper Institute of Education and Research, City Colleges of Chicago, and pre-college students from the Laboratory Schools.

SISRM fellows complete the program well-positioned for future academic and research pursuits. Throughout the program, fellows are exposed to programming and career resources that focus on thinking critically and creatively about skills and their applications.

2024 SISRM Cohort at the Art Institute of Chicago

SISRM RA Fellows

A core component of the Summer Institute is the Research Assistant program. The fellows who participate in this program work as part-time assistants on ongoing faculty projects throughout the University. For many students, this experience is the first introduction to a large academic research project.

Our alumni build on the skills gained during the RA program to pursue additional research opportunities, both on and off campus. Many view the RA program as a building block for their own academic pursuits and use the skills developed and relationships made to complete a BA thesis.

80 undergraduates participated in the RA fellows program in Summer 2025. To date, SISRM has supported 457 student RAships with 180 members of the research community.