Many other institutions now have undergraduate research programs. MIT's UROP appeared in 1969, offering all undergraduates the chance to work for pay or credit in every department at any time in their undergraduate careers. It is probably still the largest and broadest program of its kind. A substantial portion of UROP takes place at MIT in fields other than science and engineering. They can, but they are not expected to.
Most students join the ongoing work of faculty.
A large portion of UROP's funding for students comes from MIT General Funds. The rest of the UROP Office's stipend budget comes from gifts, grants, and endowment income. The greatest amount of funding of UROP stipends comes from faculty sponsored research grants and departmental funds. This is also where students can receive help and advice regarding their UROPs. The UROP Office is part of the Academic Resource Center.