RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
Research opportunities are available in many faculty laboratories at the University of Virginia and also at the institution's satellite research stations. Undergraduate students are encouraged to undertake independent, original research as a part of their academic experience. These programs help some students to decide whether they enjoy the independent work required in graduate study.
Independent Research
Robert Kretsinger, Director of Independent Research
The Biology Department encourages undergraduates to pursue independent research. Research generally involves surveying the relevant scientific literature, designing experiments, acquiring technical expertise, evaluating experimental and/or observational data, and communicating results and conclusions. Students who spend several semesters and/or summer(s) in the same laboratory often accomplish enough to co-author a paper in a scientific journal. Research experience is also invaluable for students planning on enrolling in a top-tier graduate or professional school. Students enrolled in independent research are eligible for the Distinguished Majors Program. For more information, deadlines, and applications, visit the DMP website.
Research at Mountain Lake Biological Station
Edmund Brodie, III, Director of Mountain Lake Biological Station
MLBS offers many research opportunities for undergraduate students. The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU-Sites) program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation ( DBI 0453380 ) and brings undergraduate students from around the country together for an exciting ten-week summer program of guided, but independent, original research in field biology. For more information about research assistantships and internships for undergraduate students, visit the MLBS website.
Eastern Virginia Medical School Summer Research Internship
This is a mentored summer research program in medical, biomedical, public health, and behavioral research. Applicants must be rising graduating college seniors or graduate medical students in their first or second year of study. Participants will conduct pre-selected, mentored research projects from start to finish and shadow clinicians, pediatricians, psychologists and surgeons in various specialties. This summer research internship comes with a $3,000.00 stipend. Deadline for applications is February 19, 2010. For more information, contact Linda.Merhige@chkd.org.
Oculus Undergraduate Research Journal
Want to be published? Submit your research to the Oculus, the Undergraduate Research Network's research journal! Any research paper written by a UVa undergraduate is eligible. Entries are typically between 7 and 35 pages in length. You may submit more than one paper. All submissions must be made in MS Word .doc format or OpenOffice.odt format. All supporting media (images, charts, tables, and the like) must be supplied in either .jpg or .tif file format. The deadline for submissions is generally in September. Please direct your questions to oculus@virginia.edu or visit the Oculus website.
