Transfer Opportunities for Undergraduate Research (TOUR) Program
The Transfer Opportunities for Undergraduate Research (TOUR) program connects newly admitted transfer students from community colleges and four-year institutions with faculty-led research experiences. Through one-on-one faculty mentorship and structured professional development, student researchers build core academic and research skills while gaining hands-on experience in their chosen field. The program is designed to support academic growth, foster community and belonging, and strengthen career readiness. Students are compensated for their research contributions. This new one-year, paid research program connects high-achieving transfer students with faculty mentors for Fall 2026 and Winter 2027.
Faculty members apply by submitting a project proposal outlining the research goals and the skills sought in a student researcher.
Transfer students who meet our eligibility requirements are invited to apply.
The Experience+ team then shares up to three qualified student applications for each faculty mentor to review and select their final researcher.
A transfer student, according to UM–Dearborn, is a student who has attended another college or university after graduating from high school. Note: Students who earned college credit only through dual enrollment/early college while still in high school are typically considered first-year applicants, not transfer students.
Eligible students should receive invitations to apply via email. Interested students need to apply by July 8, 2026. If you believe you are eligible, but have not received an email to apply, please email us at [email protected].
Research skills. Mentorship. Sense of Belonging. As part of UM-Dearborn's Transfer Opportunities for Undergraduate Research (TOUR) program, you'll find that it's not just a job in a research lab - it's about being mentored by a faculty member one-on-one, becoming a researcher, and developing a sense of belonging at the University of Michigan - Dearborn.
This is a paid position that will span Fall 2026 through Winter 2027. In addition to the faculty mentorship, student researchers are a part of a cohort that regularly engages in both professional development workshops and fun social activities together throughout the year. At the end of the program, TOUR students present their research to campus at a spring research showcase. Student researchers will be hired as student employees and paid via university payroll every two weeks. Students should expect to work 10-15 hours per week, depending on the needs of your faculty researcher. Each research project is unique, though students should expect to work in person and remotely depending on project needs.
TOUR faculty researchers submit a project proposal outlining the research goals and the skills sought in a student researcher. Interested and eligible students apply to the TOUR program. The Experience+ team will then identify up to three qualified students per project for faculty mentors to review and make the final selection. Experience+ sponsors research projects across all four colleges (CASL, CECS, CEHHS, and COB) covering a range of different disciplines and methodologies, and representing the diversity of research activities taking place on our campus.
Student Participant Requirements:
- Attend the TOUR student orientation in August
- Attend the TOUR kickoff in September
- Participate in 6 of several student professional development sessions on various topics offered throughout the year
- Present at the Spring Research Showcase in April
- Complete surveys as requested
Any student who transferred or will transfer to UM-Dearborn in 2026, with at least a 3.0 GPA is eligible to apply. If a student participates in the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, they are unable to participate in this program. Students in TOUR are expected to be enrolled in 12 credits.
TOUR is modeled on UM–Dearborn’s successful Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program, where faculty have leveraged mentored undergraduate research to:
- Start seed projects that grew into larger research grants
- Increase research momentum with sustained student contributions
- Co-author papers and presentations with undergraduate researchers
- Build a longer-term pipeline for labs, groups, and scholarly teams
Because TOUR spans the full academic year, faculty benefit from continuity across two semesters. For fall, faculty will have time to onboard and train their mentee and then make meaningful progress toward results and dissemination in the winter. The TOUR program will end with a campus showcase of the student/faculty project.
All tenure and clinical track faculty are eligible to apply. Faculty can mentor a student while on sabbatical.
How the matching process will work
- Faculty submit a brief project/mentor application describing research interests and the type of student support needed.
- We will match you with up to three high-achieving transfer students aligned with your project.
- You will select one student from that matched group to work with you for the academic year.
TOUR students will engage in professional development sessions throughout the year, social activities, and career and graduate school exploration under the guidance of EXP+ who will administer and monitor the program so that faculty and students can focus on research.
Interested in mentoring a TOUR student?
Please submit a faculty application by May 8 or attend the virtual faculty information session on April 23 (RSVP here)!
