The Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) is the nation’s largest undergraduate research program at a single institution, where first-year students experience the excitement of scientific discovery firsthand. Participants do real-world research, use cutting-lab equipment, develop technological innovations, and publish papers in peer-reviewed science journals. The end result is students who are better prepared for the future and more likely to excel in the sciences, math and technology.

	A Research Edge.   FRI Undergraduate Students Over 1000 College of Natural Sciences first year students currently participate in FRI. Over three semesters, they work alongside faculty doing research and earning course credit in areas like astronomy, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics! Learn more »
	Bridging Research and Education.   FRI Faculty FRI fundamentally alters the paradigm of undergraduate education in the sciences, offering first-year students the opportunity to progress in their degree plans while performing cutting-edge, original and publishable research. FRI opens up faculty members’ research to dozens of trained undergraduate researchers, who work alongside faculty and graduate students on projects, learning how to be part of the scientific community.   Learn more »
	A Model for Science Education.   FRI Replication Sites The FRI is the nation’s first and largest program to place freshmen in dedicated labs doing real, original research. This program is modular, exportable and infinitely scalable, so it is changing the way students learn science at The University of Texas at Austin. It serves also as a model for other colleges and universities as they look to modernize their STEM curricula and priorities for the 21st Century.  Learn more »
	Support Undergraduate Research.    FRI ENDOWMENT FOR A NEW GENERATION Students emerging from this program - which spans two+ semesters of integrated coursework and laboratory research - will have considerable lab experience (in newly renovated, dedicated research labs), exposure to cutting-edge research, and a deep understanding of the scientific process. Many FRI students publish in peer-reviewed journals and present their research at national conferences. Learn more »