The appeal to the resource potential of the research practices of university students is determined by the processes of reduction in the community of Russian scientists and the problem of finding ways to resolve the contradiction between the need for scientific support for the sustainable development of the country and the restrictions on the reproduction of scientific personnel in the university environment. The purpose of the article is to search for theoretical characteristics and assess the state of the resource potential of the research activities of university students in the Middle Urals, comparison with all-Russian trends. Theoretical foundations - activity, community and resource approaches. The empirical base is the results of three mass surveys of Russian and regional students conducted between 2016 and 2022. The structural characteristics of the resource potential of the student community's research practices are presented, and a model of their success is proposed as a result of the process of capitalization of scientific and educational knowledge. Conclusions are drawn about the presence of a sustainable resource base for the development of student and professional science within the community of scientists. The prevalence of simple student research practices that do not require significant resource support has been noted. The lag in the development of resource potential in the socio-economic and humanitarian spheres is shown. The question is raised about the place of humanitarian knowledge in the natural sciences and engineering sectors of modern university education.