The broad objective of NSC 290 is for the student to become familiar with the current projects, techniques, and publications of a neuroscience research laboratory. In order to do this, the student will need to become familiar with the most important current literature that is significant for the work in the laboratory and take part in a research project in the laboratory. The emphasis will be on scientific reading and writing, and
on obtaining sufficient practical experience to comprehend the process of development of scientific ideas as well as the problems and difficulties involved in research. To find a faculty sponsor, look first at the research opportunities available on the NSC web page at the following address:
http://sitemason.vanderbilt.edu/neuroscience/facultyandresearch
You will find a short research description of the faculty involved in the neuroscience program. It is left to your initiative to determine what area of research you wish to pursue. Email or call the scientist whose research description you like and ask whether you could visit and work in her/his lab. We suggest that you contact more than one lab. Some researchers will tell you that they already have several students and cannot take any more. After you have found a mentor, retrieve the contract (290 contract.pdf), fill it out together with your faculty sponsor, have him/her sign it, and bring it to the Director of Honors and Independent Study (DHIS) for approval. Once the DHIS has approved it, he/she will contact Carol Wiley who will register you for NSC 290. A confirmation email will be sent to both the student and faculty sponsor.
Students that are considering taking NSC 290 are urged to make contact with potential faculty sponsors early in the pre-registration period for the semester they plan to enroll. If after following all these guidelines you still have questions, contact the DHIS.
Once a student has been admitted to NSC 290, his or her primary interactions during the semester will be with the faculty sponsor and members of the sponsor's laboratory. The goal of the research component of this course is not research achievement. That would be impractical in the time available. Rather, the student will use the time spent on a research project to become familiar with the research process. Reading and understanding the relevant research literature and discussions with the mentor and other members of the laboratory are important components of the course.
Final report. This is an 7 to 10 page report, due on the last day of classes. It should contain background information, a description of the research project(s) on which the student worked, a section in which future directions of research are discussed, and a short reference list. For the final report, the mentor is encouraged to comment on a first draft of this report. One copy of the final draft should be submitted to the mentor and another to the course coordinator.
The final report is to be graded by the faculty sponsor and a graded copy must be given to the DHIS by the last day of class. The final grade for the course will be assigned by the faculty sponsor with concurrence of the Director of Honors and Independent Study. The grade will be based on the final paper along with a strong emphasis on the faculty sponsor’s evaluation of the student's performance. Please contact the DHIS if you have questions about the organization and style of the paper.
The paper is to be graded by the faculty sponsor and a copy must be given to the DHIS by the last day of class. There will be a deduction of one letter grade for papers received after the deadline.
The final grade for the course will be assigned by the faculty sponsor with concurrence of the Director of Honors and Independent Study. The grade will be based on the final report along with an emphasis on the evaluation of the student's performance in the laboratory of the faculty sponsor.
