Characteristic of Excellence Overview: Undergraduate research is fundamentally a student-centered activity that involves faculty mentoring. Institutions have a responsibility to highlight the educational and professional impact of the activity. As a high-impact practice, faculty and administrative leaders should design undergraduate research experiences that are equitable and accessible, incorporate the best practices in undergraduate education, and highlight the connection to advanced degrees and career readiness competencies such as those detailed by the National Association of Career and Employers (NACE). Relevant issues include, but are not limited to, providing multiple opportunities for all students to engage in undergraduate research experiences within and beyond the physical and virtual classroom, high expectations for the student, an emphasis on ethical conduct in research, outlining paths to progress, assessing student development, connecting the research topic to societal and community issues, and demonstrating the benefits of undergraduate research experiences for students’ next steps. Awareness of how societal barriers and inequities impact the opportunities of some students must also be considered when designing and implementing an undergraduate research experience. Students should leave with both transportable skills and products that provide leverage and momentum for their next step.