The Freshman Research Initiative (FRI), developed at the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,07 ...

, gives first-year students in the College of Natural Sciences the opportunity to conduct research in chemistry,

biochemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...

, nanotechnology,

molecular biology Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ...

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...

and

computer sciences Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (including ...

. The pilot program started with 43 students in three Research Streams. Currently, about 1000 freshmen each year are enrolled in 35 differen
Research Streams
within FRI. Each Research Stream (laboratory) is led by a faculty member who provides guidance to their respective Research Streams, set goals and directions, and develop and teach the Research Experience courses to the students within their stream. Each Research Stream has its own dedicated lab, which is run by a research scientist dedicated to the stream. Major funding for this program was provided by

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National ...

and Howard Hughes Medical Institute. TexasFRI

Students who participate in the FRI are 30-35% more likely to graduate with a science degree and 23% more likely to go to graduate school.{{cn, date=May 2018 In addition the program is significantly boosting the number of underrepresented students majoring in science, and approximately 103 students have been included as authors of published research papers.R. I. Shear, S. L. Simmons. Teaching through research: Five-year outcome data from the Freshman Research Initiative at The University of Texas at Austin. Presented at American Chemical Society 67th Southwest Regional Meeting, Austin, TX, Nov 11, 2011.

References

# http://digital.turn-page.com/i/95218/10# # http://www.hhmi.org/bulletin/may2012/features/research_courses.html # http://the-scientist.com/2012/02/01/learning-by-doing/ # http://alcalde.texasexes.org/2011/09/research-program-boosts-student-retention-dramatically/ # http://www.chron.com/opinion/outlook/article/At-University-of-Texas-research-enhances-teaching-1684356.php # http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/resources/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=133

External links

* https://cns.utexas.edu/fri University of Texas at Austin 2005 establishments in Texas