Many Hands Make Stronger Work: Building Cross-Institutional Undergraduate Research Experiences Using Universal Design for Learning

Designing an undergraduate research experience in which all team members can meaningfully contribute and experience growth can be challenging, especially for virtual teams working across institutions. For two years, the authors worked remotely as a team that included several undergraduate researchers in a highly involved research project. Through the partnership, the two principal investigators on the project were able to involve more undergraduates in research than they could individually, using a mentoring model that drew on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to ensure students had opportunities for intellectual involvement in the research process. By working as an integrated team, rather than two individual groups working in parallel on the same project, undergraduates built strong connections with each other across the universities in two different states. This Viewpoint article offers valuable insights and practical recommendations for researchers seeking to create similar research opportunities for undergraduates.