Oxford College is a small liberal-arts intensive 2-year undergraduate division of Emory University, where inquiry-based courses are a required part of the general education program. We have developed an authentic research experience for undergraduates that mimics--as much as possible--a real undergraduate research experience. Our program provides a multiyear research experience spanning the freshman and sophomore years that anchors the undergraduate teaching labs to the problem of designing, synthesizing, and testing possible anticancer compounds. We have focused primarily on characteristics that allow students to embrace uncertainty, foster commitment to the project, evaluate data, and apply/reinforce critical thinking. Using modified published rubrics, we assessed the level of inquiry for each of the different characteristics of our project and argue that the high level of independence required of the students may aid in their cognitive and affective development as budding scientists. Finally, we discuss how we addressed the many challenges that we faced in the implementation of the program, as well as the favorable student response.