The past few decades have witnessed an increasing separation of research and teaching, particularly in the area of undergraduate education. Supporters of such a separation have argued that involvement of undergraduates in research is incompatible with the idea of the research university. However, one of the founding principles of the research university, defined by Wilhelm von Humboldt two hundred years ago, is the close partnership of student and faculty in their joint pursuit of research as part of the university function of teaching and learning. In this essay, a concise history of this renowned scholar is provided, leading to a discussion of strategies (with examples) that enable institutions to provide opportunities for undergraduate research in biology, despite the challenges faced by mass higher education and limited resources.