Are
you a Biology undergraduate student looking for a lab
research opportunity? The Biology department has been
very successful placing undergraduate students within
laboratories, and we currently have 79 undergraduate students
actively engaged in laboratory research and technician
positions.
Before applying
to work in a research laboratory, you should really think
about what you wish to achieve with this experience as
undergraduate research opportunities vary in their scope
and range.
Most students start working as a lab assistant in a lab,
performing routine tasks such as running gels, washing
glassware, and setting up PCR reactions. This type of
position may be paid or may be performed in an unpaid
intern capacity. Often, research labs have funding from
outside grants to hire both work-study and non work-study
students to work as technicians. Sometimes, however, the
budget of a lab is tight, and you should consider whether
or not you would be willing to volunteer if your lab of
interest is short on funding.
You may also wish to work in a laboratory as a research
assistant. This type of experience is vastly different
from a technician. In the research assistant mode, you
will be asked to perform independent research on a project
of your own. Most often, this project is a facet of an
on-going research effort in lab and you will work closely
with a graduate student or post doc. You will be expected
to perform experiments independently, hypothesize on data
collection and manipulation, defend your conjectures,
and you may even be asked to present your research at
lab meetings or conferences. Because research assistant
positions are highly selective, most students begin working
in a lab as a lab assistant to gain experience and demonstrate
proficiency, and then are asked to continue on in the
research assistant mode. Although it is unusual, some
students do begin an undergraduate research assistantship
right away. Most often these students have been involved
in an outside laboratory experience or have demonstrated
themselves to be outstanding in laboratory classes.
After considering the different options available to
you, please fill out the Biology
Department Undergraduate Research Opportunity questionnaire
and, shortly after, you will be contacted by a department
faculty member.
Although funding for most undergraduate research experiences
comes from external granting agencies, it may occasionally
be useful or in your best interest to seek your own support.
More informaton can be found on the undergraduate
research funding webpage.
