Research internships (BSCI 280a-280b) are available for one credit per semester; a total of two credits may be earned in this way.
a) Objectives
The broad objective of BSCI 280 is for the student to be familiar with the principal current projects and publications of a research laboratory (in the case of a large laboratory, the focus may be on a part of the 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 of the internship will be on scientific reading and writing, and obtaining sufficient practical experience to comprehend the process of development of scientific ideas, as well as the problems and difficulties involved in research. By the end of the semester, the student should be able to describe the work of the laboratory in terms readily comprehensible to scientists in related but different fields. BSCI 280 may be a preliminary to Directed Research (BSCI 283), Independent Research (BSCI 286), or Honors Research (BSCI 296), or it may be a self-contained research experience.
b) Prerequisites
Prerequisite: BSCI 110A. Prerequisite or Corequisite: 110B.
c) Selection of a research mentor
The student will
select a mentor from the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences. Faculty from departments other than Biological Sciences are not eligible to serve as research internship mentors. It is recommended that students interview several faculty members before making a selection. The research interests and recent publications of the Biological Sciences faculty may be found at the Department web site. The student should make arrangements to work with a specific mentor, and then register (see below). We recommend that interviews, arrangements, and registration be completed before the conclusion of Phase I of registration.
d) Application / Registration
- Read the course requirements (section e. below)
- Select a research mentor. Before deciding on a research mentor, contact several faculty members and discuss potential projects. Decide on a project by agreement with a potential research advisor.
- Download and complete the application form
- e-mail the completed application form to your research mentor. Paper forms will not be accepted. Include a short text message to the effect that the application is attached.
- Your research mentor should then forward the entire e-mail, including the attachment, to the appropriate Course Coordinator. In Spring and Fall, the Course Coordinator will register the student. In Summer, the form is still required, but the student will register in the normal way at the beginning of the summer semester. In all cases, the Course Coordinator will sign and keep on file a hard copy of the form. This process assures the department that the research advisor has seen and approved the proposal.
e) Requirements
1. Research effort. 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.
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.
3. Final report. This is an 8 to 10 page report, due on the last day of classes. It should contain background information, a description of current projects, a section in which future directions of research are discussed, and a short reference list. References should be given in the text by author (use the form "et al." for references with more than two authors), and listed alphabetically at the end of the report in the style of Journal of Molecular Biology, Journal of Cell Biology, or similar. The reference list should include titles, and beginning and ending page numbers. Figures and tables are permitted but not required. The page length includes figure legends, but not figures, tables, or the reference list.
f) Grading
The course coordinator, in consultation with the research mentor, will determine the student's final grade in the course based on:
* Mentor's evaluation (40%). This portion of the grade will reflect the performance of the student during the semester.
* Final report (60%)
Grades for the two reports will take into consideration both the written reports and the oral examinations, and will be assigned by the course coordinator.
