An evaluation was done of the first year of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), which is designed not only to teach students about research and/or certain academic topics, but also to facilitate the identification of minority students with the university. This second aim is based on the current thinking that retention of minority students is significantly influenced by the social factors of identification with the university community. Failure to achieve identification with the institution may particularly plague minority students. The UROP pairs students with faculty advisors on the basis of mutual interests. The students then serve as research assistants to their faculty advisors throughout the course of the academic year, participating in laboratory groups, research discussions, and team meetings. The evaluation surveyed sophomores after their freshman year in the program and used an experimental condition (120 under-represented minority students), a primary control condition (60 African American UROP applicants), and a secondary control condition (146 white dorm residents). Results reveal that sophomores in the UROP were taking significantly more upper level credits than were either their minority student counterparts or the majority control students. Students also showed positive motivational and behavioral changes. Ten figures are included. (JB)