Research Experience for Undergraduates in Biology Programs
Undergraduate research experience in biology programs offers invaluable opportunities for students to engage in hands-on scientific inquiry, develop critical skills, and explore potential career paths. These experiences, often taking the form of summer research internships or research projects during the academic year, allow students to work alongside faculty and researchers, contributing to ongoing research efforts and gaining practical experience in their field.
Benefits of Undergraduate Research
Engaging in research enriches a student's education by providing opportunities to:
- Learn new skills: Students acquire practical laboratory and field techniques, data analysis methods, and scientific writing skills.
- Strengthen their resume: Research experience demonstrates initiative, problem-solving abilities, and a commitment to scientific inquiry, making students more competitive for future opportunities.
- Explore possible careers: By working in a research setting, students gain firsthand exposure to different career paths in biology, helping them make informed decisions about their future.
- Make new friends and colleagues: Research projects provide opportunities to collaborate with faculty, graduate students, and other undergraduates, fostering a sense of community and expanding professional networks.
- Work closely with a faculty mentor: Mentorship from experienced researchers provides guidance, support, and valuable insights into the scientific process.
- Take advantage of being at a leading research university: Access to state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge research projects, and renowned faculty members enhances the learning experience.
- Advance knowledge and addresses public health concerns: Students benefit when working directly with faculty whose research advances knowledge and addresses public health concerns.
- Improves science education: The research can also improve science education.
- Develops more nuanced understandings of the human condition within the broader environment: Research helps to develop more nuanced understandings of the human condition within the broader environment.
Types of Research Opportunities
Undergraduate research opportunities in biology come in various forms, each offering unique experiences and benefits:
- Summer Research Internships: These are short-term, intensive research experiences that typically take place during the summer months. They provide students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in a research project and gain significant hands-on experience. Many of these opportunities offer a salary, travel costs and/or housing.
- Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs): REUs are paid summer research opportunities in many different STEM disciplines across the United States, funded by the National Science Foundation.
- Summer Internship Program (SIP) in Biomedical Research: The National Institute of Health (NIH) offers a similarly structured program to REUs.
- Independent Research Projects: Students can work with a faculty member to design and conduct their own research project, either during the academic year or over the summer.
- Volunteer Research Assistant Positions: Volunteering in a research lab provides an opportunity to gain experience and learn new skills while contributing to ongoing research efforts.
- Paid Research Assistant Positions: Some faculty members hire undergraduate students as paid research assistants, providing them with valuable experience and financial support.
- Independent Study Courses: Students can enroll in independent study courses to conduct research under the guidance of a faculty member.
- Honors Theses: Students pursuing honors degrees often conduct independent research projects that culminate in a written thesis.
Finding Research Opportunities
Several resources can help undergraduate students find research opportunities in biology:
- The National Science Foundation: The National Science Foundation has a search page that includes the contact information for Research Experiences for Undergraduates summer research programs. You will need to contact the specific program for application information.
- PathwaysToScience.org: PathwaysToScience.org has a searchable database of 600+ summer research programs for undergraduates in all STEM disciplines. These are all fully funded opportunities including programs sponsored by NSF, NASA, NIH, etc. They also have a selection of resources to help you strengthen your applications.
- Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR): The opportunities below have been submitted to CUR for display.
- University Websites: Many universities have websites that list research opportunities available to undergraduate students.
- Department of Biology: Many of the faculty in the Biology Department work with students during the semester.
- Faculty Papers in Google Scholar: You can also check out recent faculty papers in Google Scholar to see how their interests map onto yours.
- Faculty Members: Reach out to individual faculty members to see if they are recruiting students for the upcoming semester; keep in mind that most instructors do not have research programs. However, their labs may already be full, and in this case, you might not hear back from them (don’t take this personally!). Also note that some faculty may have certain courses that are prerequisites for completing research in their laboratories.
- EEOB faculty laboratories page: Check out the EEOB faculty laboratories page to see which faculty members are investigating topics that interest you. Then, set up an appointment to ask an EEOB professor if they would be able to help you plan a research project that could be carried out over a period of several months. If the professor is not able to serve as your mentor, ask for advice about other possible mentors.
Specific Program Examples
- National Nuclear Security Administration Minority Serving Institutions Internship Program (NNSA-MSIIP): The National Nuclear Security Administration Minority Serving Institutions Internship Program (NNSA-MSIIP) offers paid internships designed for talented undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates, from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Participants work on a research project with a faculty mentor. The program provides opportunities for training in computational biology & science communication. We host seminars, networking & social activities. Participants will receive a stipend of $650/week and a weekly meal allowance of $85/week for the 10-week program. Each participant will also be eligible for a travel stipend. Students from any 2-year or 4-year college or university may apply provided they have achieved a grade of B or higher in General Biology (cell and molecular) as well as Chemistry courses for majors. Additional biology courses in genetics, immunology, or related areas will be considered but are not required. Priority will be given to qualified students who have not already participated in summer research programs and are enrolled at institutions without extensive undergraduate research opportunities. Participants in the REU Program will engage in full-time laboratory research throughout the 10-week program. Research experiences will be complemented by two-hour weekly meetings during which trainees will practice communicating their research activities and engage in professional development activities. Participants and mentors will meet weekly throughout the internship to discuss their respective research experiences and career aspirations. Mentors will assist students in developing an individual plan to help participants define their short- and long-term goals. The REU Program culminates with a symposium open to all of The Wistar Institute’s scientists where each participant will present a poster explaining their research experience. Selection criteria include transcripts, two letters of recommendation from college/university professors, a personal statement including a description of education and career goals, and an online interview.
- CanSUR Program: Cancer-focused Summer Undergraduate Research (CanSUR) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded program meant to generate excitement in highly motivated undergraduate students.
- REU in Biophysics at the University of Michigan: The University of Michigan Biophysics REU Program provides selected undergraduate students from around the United States an opportunity to conduct ten weeks of full-time research with a biophysics faculty member.
- Amgen Scholars Program: The Amgen Scholars Program is designed to recruit exceptional students interested in careers in biological and biomedical sciences with an intensive summer research experience.
- Young Scholars Program: The Young Scholars Program (YSP) is a six-week residential science and mathematics summer program for Florida high school students with significant potential.
- SENIC REU Program: The SENIC REU program consists of an intensive 10 week summer research experience at the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, Georgia Institute of Technology.
- Biology Summer Undergraduate Research Program (B-SURP): Paid summer research through the Biology department.
- Bio-X Summer Undergraduate Summer Research Program (Bio-X USRP): Paid summer research through the Bio-X center.
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Research Opportunity (NeURO): Two quarter (winter/spring or spring/summer) fellowship with guided coursework and research opportunities.
- Human Performance Alliance Undergraduate Research Program: Two quarter (spring/summer) program with guided coursework in the spring and paid 10-week summer research experience.
- Major Grant: Stipend for a 10-week summer research project.
- Research Experiences Especially for Freshmen and Sophomores (REEFS): Paid summer research at Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey.
- Carnegie Summer Intern Program: Paid full-time and part-time research positions in plant biology during the summer. This program is run by the Stanford-affiliated Department of Plant Biology of the Carnegie Institution.
- Choose Development!: Two year program with 10-week paid summer undergraduate research trainings for students from underrepresented minority (URM) groups, first-generation college students or those with disabilities interested in pursuing research careers in developmental biology and related areas.
- Discovery Postbaccaleaureate Research Education Program (PREP): One-year paid research and graduate school preparation program at Ohio State University after completion of your undergrad.
- Undergraduate Research Laboratory (U-Research) in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology: The Undergraduate Research Laboratory (U-Research) in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology is established to provide opportunities for undergraduate students to conduct supervised independent research in behavioral ecology. It is especially suitable for undergraduates who consider careers in basic scientific research, secondary education, and graduate programs in biological and behavioral sciences. Students in U-Research also participate in a variety of outreach activities by going to local grade schools and engaging grade students in hands-on activities.
Preparing for a Research Experience
To make the most of a research experience, students should:
Read also: Mastering Research: A Student's Handbook
- Start Early: Begin exploring research options as freshmen and sophomores.
- Maintain a Strong GPA: A GPA of at least 3.0 is often required for research opportunities.
- Identify Areas of Interest: Explore different research topics and identify areas that spark your curiosity.
- Contact Faculty Members: Reach out to faculty members whose research aligns with your interests and inquire about potential opportunities.
- Be Flexible: Be open to different research projects and be willing to contribute to your mentor's research program.
- Develop Strong Communication Skills: Practice communicating your research activities and findings effectively.
- Attend Conferences: Present your research at undergraduate research forums and conferences.
- Consider registering for BIOL 9499: Undergraduate Research & Creative Works: If you are a good match to the opportunity in the research lab, you may want to register for BIOL 9499: Undergraduate Research & Creative Works. You will work with the faculty member to get the permission code during the registration period for the research semester, spring, summer, or fall. By registering for this course, you can receive academic credit for the lab research.
Examples of Student Research Projects
Here are a few examples of honors theses from former students who worked in EEOB:
- Alex Johnson, The effects of third-party interactions on investment in cooperative behavior in the cooperatively-breeding cichlid, Neolamprologus pulcher.
- Jo Pi and Jeff Cronley, Modeling the distribution of mobile pastoralists in the Logone floodplain
- Elizabeth Hoskins, Modeling the social influences on growth in group-living fish.
- Sarah Kiger, “Competitive ability of non-native prairie species in response to soil nitrogen and diversity.”
- Aubrey Griffin, “Isolation of DNA SNP Markers for Massasauga rattlesnakes.”
Participating in Research Over the Summer
Interested in participating in research over the summer? Check out these programs on- and off-campus! We will be adding more opportunities as we become aware of them.
- Getting paid for your research through Federal work study: Available research positions at Stanford.
Undergraduate science conferences
- Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS): November 2021, virtual format!
- SACNAS' National Diversity in STEM Conference: October 2021, virtual format!
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