RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) — South Dakota Mines has been elected to the Universities Research Association.

The organization says it helps to establish and operate laboratories and facilities for research in the physical and biological sciences.

The URA has been involved in several scientific endeavors, including the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead.

The goal is for students and professors to collaborate with lab experts across the country.

There are over 90 research organizations within the URA, including Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale and the University of Michigan.