First Year Research Experience (FYRE) Application 25-26

The First Year Research Experience (FYRE) Program (see research opportunities here) supports full-time, degree-seeking students in their first year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

Employment: Through the FYRE program, Federal Work Study awards support a job in research or creative activities under the supervision and guidance of a faculty mentor. Students are employed by the Office of Undergraduate Research or the TRIO/SSS program and are matched with a position on campus. During the academic year, students will commit to 5-10 hours per week on their assigned project and will be paid $13.50/hr. FYRE students also participate in monthly skill-building workshops and professional development programming. 
 
To be eligible, you must have a high school GPA of 2.5, either have a Federal Work Study award as part of your financial aid package in MyRed OR be a member of the STEM-POWER or TRIO/SSS program, and fill out this application. 

Course credit: For 2025-26, first year Presidential Scholars may request to participate in a first year research activity provided that they enroll in a course (such as a zero-credit course) meeting the experiential learning requirement for degrees. These research activities for credit will be unpaid, but participants will be offered similar supportive resources (e.g. monthly skill-building workshops and professional development programming).
 
Placement: Every effort will be made to place interested students in a research activity on campus, but there is no guarantee of a placement. Placements depend on a match between student and faculty interest, as well as funding or course availability. Contact courtney.santos@unl.edu with any questions about the program. 
 
Applications are accepted from early June to mid-July annually. Placements are announced in mid-August.

Are you a TRIO student? Required
Are you a Presidential Scholar?
Would you like to combine your FYRE participation with a zero-credit course to satisfy experiential learning requirements for your degree?
Are you a William H. Thompson Scholar? Required
Do you have a work-study award? Required

To determine whether you have a work-study award, please visit MyRed to view your financial aid.

Visit MyRed to view your financial aid: https://financialaid.unl.edu/financial-aid-offer 

Job Preferences 

Please review the “Find a FYRE Opportunity” directory. Identify up to 3 FYRE Opportunities of interest in order of preference (most desired position as first choice job and so on). If you are not interested in multiple positions, select N/A (for not applicable). By indicating multiple positions of interest, students are likely to be assigned a FYRE job. Jobs are listed below by faculty mentor's last name. 

Are you a STEM-POWER or UNL-UBMS TRIO/Summer Bridge student, and you already have a research mentor? If you would like to continue with the same mentor in FYRE, for first-choice job, please select "Other" in the dropdown menu and include your current research mentor's name in the explanation box. 

EXAMPLE: I am interested in this opportunity because it works with how diseases progress as well as cell survival. This job would help me get my foot in the door for my future career as I would like work in cancer research. I think the hands-on experience is also great for learning in a greater depth. This job has a possibility to be long term and I would like to be doing research the whole time that I am at UNL. I know I have the work ethic and desire to improve every day because I have to have these qualities to succeed in the degree I want. I am very thoughtful and work well with others because in engineering classes we have to work with a shared space as a team.

EXAMPLE: I am extremely passionate about global affairs and international relations, despite the fact I am a Biochemistry Major! I have always been fascinated by the world around us; how countries, governments and citizens act and react, internally and externally. The main focus of the research, "the ways people respond to human rights violations, and the ripple effects of those responses”, absolutely relates to my curiosities regarding international relations. The research would allow me the opportunity to look more in depth at the efforts of activists and look deeper into how the ICC operates and their limitations. Although I have no formal research experience, I took many criminal justice, history, and government courses in high school. I am also extremely detail oriented and a great critical thinker.

EXAMPLE: This job interests me not only because it connects to my major in agricultural and environmental sciences communication but it also helps me expand my mind and learn how to use my knowledge to heal the environment for future generations. I wish to learn more about plant ecology and biodiversity to use it professionally and personally, as I hope to one day do some type of gardening/ farming long term. I am a hard worker who enjoys pushing myself out of my comfort zone to be part of a team that can create change big and small.

Flexible Placement

If your top three choices are not available, would you be interested in other FYRE research or creative positions in any of the following Colleges? Please check all that apply:
About You

Please write a paragraph (about 4-6 sentences) in response to each question below to help us get to know you better. 

EXAMPLE: An experience where I enjoyed learning was in my senior year engineering design class. We got to choose an area to solve a problem, so my friends and I decided to create a comfortable way to ice joints after practice or physical therapy. It was absolutely amazing testing the different fabrics for insulation, stretch, and durability. However, the best part was testing the endothermic reaction that we decided on. We tried many different packaging systems to keep the reaction safe but long lasting. Finally finding the right combination of fabric, packaging and chemicals that was safe, effective and comfortable for the athlete put a smile on all of our faces.

EXAMPLE: I have some experience with set design, script writing, art and graphic design. Although my homeschool education has somewhat limited my ability to participate in many traditional group projects, I have experience in collaboration through peer reviews in writing courses with my classmates and working in groups through activities like theater, both as an actor and as Head of Crew. I am a good team player. I have participated in many team experiences, both in sports, theater, choir, and community groups. I am also very willing to learn the skills I will need to thrive in this opportunity.

EXAMPLE: Through FYRE, I hope to hone the skills I may need in my future careers, like the ability to research efficiently, communicate clearly, and thrive in any group. I want to explore my independence, to participate in interesting conversations, and to create and research. I also hope to learn from professionals and other intelligent people and to explore intriguing subject matter.