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Freshman Research Initiative

STEM Framework

UT-Austin Reform Efforts

The Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) at The University of Texas at Austin has transformed the undergraduate science education experience by merging the teaching and research missions of the research university. The program is becoming a national model for offering the benefits associated with undergraduate research experiences at scale. Specifically, FRI aims to:

  1. Attract, retain, and ensure the success of all students in science,
  2. Engage large numbers of students in research that is publishable in scientific journals or has other important impacts outside of the classroom, and
  3. Create an environment for assessing the efficacy and impacts of undergraduate research experiences, and identifying causal mechanisms underpinning this pedagogical approach.

Launched in 2005 as a pilot with 43 undergraduates, FRI has grown into the only program in the nation that places 800+ freshmen (>40% of the entering class in the College of Natural Sciences, 50% women, 40% underrepresented minority or first-generation college-bound students) in dedicated labs doing original scientific research. The FRI experience spans three semesters, for which students complete general education requirements and earn credit for introductory laboratory courses. Specifically, students complete a general scientific inquiry course and then join one of 25+ research "streams" for two semesters, in disciplines such as astronomy, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, and computer science. Each stream is lead by faculty principal investigator (PI) and a postdoctoral-level Research Educator (RE), who work closely to ensure that the research and teaching objectives of the stream are met.

Longitudinal tracking data indicate that FRI has multiple important effects. Thirty-five percent more FRI students graduate than a matched sample of their peers. For Hispanic students, this effect is even more pronounced as their graduation rates double relative to their matched peers who do not participate in FRI. FRI students also have higher upper-division GPAs in their science courses and more go on to graduate and professional schools: 32% of FRI students versus 9% of non-FRI students in the College. More than 130 FRI students are co-authors on published or in-press research articles, demonstrating that undergraduates can make substantive contributions to the scientific endeavor.