Nov. 1, 2025
Nurse Researchers
Pitt Nursing students have the unique opportunity to be matched to faculty-led research projects in its Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program.
TOPICS: Education | School of Nursing
At the University of Pittsburgh, undergraduate students working toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) have the opportunity to conduct research in critical areas of human health. While experiences like these are typically reserved for graduate school, the School of Nursing’s Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program (URMP) matches students to faculty-led research projects.
More than 100 students typically complete the program each year, with research topics for the 2025-26 academic year ranging from analyzing endocrine-disrupting chemicals in human milk to expanding surgical care in Laos. Since the program’s inception in 2008, many students have published their research as first authors and presented their findings at conferences across the country.
“Pitt Nursing is unique in that we have an organized program to match undergraduate students with mentors who are actively conducting impactful research.”
Yvette Conley, URMP director and senior associate dean for research and scholarship
In addition to equipping students with critical thinking skills widely valued across the nursing profession, URMP sets students up for success if they choose to pursue a graduate degree or research career. URMP participants gain a solid foundation in collecting, managing and analyzing data and reporting their results, and some have even gone on to become faculty members and URMP mentors at Pitt Nursing, bringing the program’s mission full circle.
“Pitt Nursing is unique in that we have an organized program to match undergraduate students with mentors who are actively conducting impactful research,” says Yvette Conley, URMP director and senior associate dean for research and scholarship, School of Nursing. “We are taking future nurses and exposing them to research early in their education, and you can’t say that for many other BSN programs.”