Mentoring undergraduate researchers is a unique opportunity to guide students towards a lasting love for scientific inquiry. By explaining why the research matters, setting goals that match the students’ sense of purpose and establishing structure to help achieve those goals, faculty advisers maximize student success in the lab and beyond.
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The author’s research with undergraduates is supported by the National Science Foundation (CHE-2404123).
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Patterson, J.D. Student-focused strategies for designing successful undergraduate research projects. Nat Rev Methods Primers 6, 3 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43586-025-00450-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43586-025-00450-7
