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Research Immersion Programs for High School and Undergraduate Students - High School, Community College & Undergraduate Research Immersion Programs
Submitted by Victoria Deguzman, Assistant Director for Programs and Engagement, ITS-Irvine, UCI.
The Pre-College Research Immersion Program (PRIME) provides an opportunity for high school students to learn about transportation careers and engage in transportation research in an 8-week, unpaid internship program under faculty supervision.
The Transportation Research Immersion Program (TRIP) is an 8 to 10-week paid summer program for undergraduate and community college students to engage in transportation research projects and continue their transportation research into the academic year as formally directed research for academic credit, all under faculty supervision.
These opportunities are ideal for students who would like to learn more about the field of transportation and also experience transportation research firsthand. Selected students are assigned to specific research projects and contribute meaningfully to that project under faculty guidance and mentorship. No prior research experience is required.
Both programs offer the following benefits: (i) a certificate of completion upon finishing the program, (ii) the opportunity to create a final project deliverable, (iii) formal presentation of their research and deliverable at a dedicated research seminar, and (iv) a heightened awareness of research methods and exciting career opportunities in transportation, along with a better understanding of the pathways to pursue them. The TRIP program additionally offers facilitated opportunities for external engagement and recognition (TRB Annual Meeting, SCAG, CTF, WTS, IEEE, etc.). We hope to add similarly facilitated external engagement and recognition opportunities to the PRIME program beginning with the summer 2025 offering.
