Undergraduate Research is inclusive of all disciplines (including those in liberal arts, business and STEM) and is defined as an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline . The Office of Undergraduate Research and Artistry (OURA) works with anyone connected with undergraduate research, from prospective and actively engaged undergraduate researchers to research mentors (faculty, staff, graduate students, and post-docs), program administrators, university administrators, and external partners.

The mission of OURA is to serve as a resource at Colorado State University to promote and expand experiential learning for undergraduate students through research, artistic, and other creative experiences with skilled mentors. We embrace CSU’s Principles of Community in our daily work and highly value the contributions of all undergraduate researchers and artists in any and all disciplines across all 8 colleges. OURA’s vision is to provide opportunities for all undergraduate students to discover, realize, and act on their interests and passions. We are continually challenging ourselves to view all OURA programs and initiatives with an equity lens and to center minoritized students in all that we do. A core value of OURA is that our success will be the result of intentional efforts that are focused on equity and inclusiveness paired with assessment and revision. OURA views diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) efforts as inseparable from our work.