Three wildlife researchers or volunteers outdoors wearing waders, smiling as a man in a blue cap holds a turtle equipped with a small tracking device attached to its shell.
Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI)

Tracking Blandings turtles and monitoring nesting areas.

A group of field researchers standing in a wooded stream area wearing chest waders, with one woman in front holding a orange measuring tape reel.
Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI)

Evaluating the health of the Fonteyn Kill, a stream that runs through campus.

Two men crouched outdoors planting a young sapling into the soil, wearing work gloves and rubber boots.
Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI)

Recreating an ecological laboratory on the Vassar campus. 

A person holding up two translucent orange prescription pill bottles fitted with mesh, white caps, green wire, and handwritten labels on their sides.
Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI)

Deploying “oobinators” to combat the emerald ash borer.

Two researchers in a laboratory smiling while a woman uses tweezers to inspect a small component at a bench.
Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI)

Preparing a protein sample for the atomic force microscope.

Two researchers working at an optics table, with one using a screwdriver to adjust an optical mount while the other fine-tunes components on the optical breadboard setup
Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI)

Using lasers to analyze the physical properties of silicon wafers. 

Two researchers wearing safety glasses and light blue protective gloves working at a lab bench with a setup of fluted paper filters in small funnels.
Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI)

Preparing soil samples for chemical analysis.

Two researchers examining a small 3D-printed electronic device together in front of a 3D printer.
Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI)

Building robots to study evolution. 

Two researchers in a laboratory examining the back label of a green bottle together over a work table filled with petri dishes.
Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI)

Investigating the safety of “green” pesticides. 

2027 Schedule Highlights

Monday, January 11

Faculty proposals open

Friday, January 29

Faculty proposals due by 5 p.m.

Friday, February 5

Faculty approvals

Monday, February 15

Student application open. All full-time Vassar students are eligible to apply to the Undergraduate Research Summer Institute.

Thursday, February 25 at midnight

Student application closes at 11:59 p.m.

Friday, March 26

Faculty decisions due

Monday, March 29

Student offers sent by email

Monday, April 5

Student acceptance deadline by 11:59 p.m.

Tuesday, May 25

First day of URSI/URSI kick-off meeting

Friday, July 30

Last day of URSI

Wednesday, September 22

URSI Symposium