Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Hands-on research experience is one of the most effective ways to learn about science. It teaches you the culture of research laboratories, how to think logically to develop a hypothesis or exploratory question, and how to use published research to design novel experiments. Research also serves as valuable preparation for graduate and professional programs or technical jobs.

Opportunities range from academic coursework with research components to spending summers, semesters, or even four years working alongside professors and peers in a research laboratory.

How to Get Started

Arranging a research opportunity begins with identifying your interests and exploring the work underway in faculty laboratories. Review faculty research websites and read at least the abstracts of some of their publications. If you know other students doing research in a Biology lab, ask them about their experiences to find a good fit for you. Consider whether you can afford the time commitment—typically, each credit of research requires about six hours per week. This includes reading, thinking, and discussing biology with labmates, though this can vary between labs.

Next, contact one or more professors to express your interest and ask how you can participate. Doing your homework beforehand will help you demonstrate genuine enthusiasm and readiness to contribute. Here are some tips:

• Email is the best way to reach a professor. Avoid calling or texting.
• Plan ahead: contact professors in the spring for opportunities in the following fall, since many train new students at the semester’s start.
• Mentioning availability during the summer can make you a more attractive candidate, as much research happens then.
• Most labs are at capacity, so don’t expect an immediate spot. If the lab is full, ask if openings may arise next semester and how you can get involved in the meantime—perhaps by attending group meetings or trying a different professor.
• Don’t be discouraged if you’re not accepted right away. All faculty are research-active, and many ways to participate exist.

Independent Study for Credit

Once you and a professor agree on your lab participation, email them your full name and 930 number. The professor will enter an override in Banner, allowing you to register for the independent study course. This must be done before the add/drop period ends for your research semester.

• Freshmen with a biology background can apply for Freshman Research (BIOL 201, 1 credit), which introduces early research with a faculty mentor. You’ll learn about this in your introductory Biology class.
• Introduction to Biological Research (BIOL 303, 1 credit) is another gateway to supervised lab or field research. It is graded Pass/Fail and may be repeated once with the same or a different faculty advisor.
• Research in Biology (BIOL 403, variable credit) involves independent lab or field research under faculty supervision. A written report is required. This course may be repeated up to 6 credits total, though only 3 credits count toward the Biology major.

Summer Research on Campus

Summer is an active research season for faculty, and many Biology students participate in paid or unpaid research in campus labs. Follow the same steps described above under “How to Get Started” to find opportunities.

The Biology Department supports about 50 undergraduate majors doing full-time summer research through internal and external funding. Students working full-time for ten weeks receive free housing in campus residence halls courtesy of Arts & Sciences.

Various summer research funding options are available.

Summer Research off Campus

Many Biology majors gain research experience through off-campus summer programs, such as National Institutes of Health internships or National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs. Information about off-campus opportunities is available through the Cohen Career Center.

Honors

In their senior year, students may undertake an Honors project, a formal research experience with greater challenges and rewards than typical faculty-supervised research. Over the year, you collaborate closely with a faculty mentor to carry out a research project culminating in a written thesis, which you defend publicly before a faculty committee.