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One advantage of
attending the Johns Hopkins University is the opportunity to participate
in research as an undergraduate. Laboratories in Biology, Biophysics,
Chemistry, Psychology and departments in the Medical Institutions regularly
have openings for qualified undergraduates to participate in research.
A student may earn up to six credits per year with a maximum total of
24 credits which count towards the 120 needed for graduation. More important
than credits, research experience complements classroom education by teaching
you laboratory skills and critical thinking.
What
are the requirements for Undergraduate Research?
Professors make a large investment of time and resources in students doing
research in their laboratories. Students thinking about working on a research
project should first consider several important points. The first is that
they have adequate free time available. On average it will require 15
hours per week of laboratory work to earn 3 credits per semester. It is
most desirable that this time be available in a small number of large
blocks, for example, three afternoons per week. Working on weekends is
possible, but the initial training period will require the student to
be in the lab at the same time as the professor. The second requirement
is disciplined study habits. To have 15 hours per week free for research,
students must be able to keep up with their courses. The third requirement
is commitment. Professors expect students to work in their labs for more
than one semester in order to complete a research project. It usually
takes several months of training before students are able to work on their
own project, so students must plan to work for at least a year in a specific
lab.
How
do you find an undergraduate research position in a lab?
There are several approaches that can be followed to finding a research position.
One approach involves consulting the web page of
the department of interest, where a list of the faculty members and their research interests can be found.
Another approach is to ask friends or acquaintances if they know of openings in any labs.
From these sources, a student can choose several faculty members whose research is of interest to them.
The student should then go to the web pages of those faculty members and locate the list of the professor's
current publications. (A description of the research carried out by members of the Biology Department
can be found here .) Students can obtain these publications
from the library and read one or two to gain further insights into the type of research carried out in
different labs. Once the student has prepared themselves, he or she should contact the faculty member expressing
interest and inquiring if a position would be available. Be brief, and ask for an interview.
Please do not spam the faculty. Write to individuals. If the faculty member responds favorably,
the student should write a resume listing their academic qualifications, previous lab experience, and schedule
showing the time they have available for research, and bring this to the interview.
Treat the interview like a job interview. If the professor has no room, ask if she or he knows of any
other labs with openings.
How
do you register for Undergraduate Research?
After finding a place in a research lab, students must register to receive academic credit.
If the professor is a full time member of Arts and Sciences or Engineering, students register for
undergraduate research in that professor's department. To register, in addition to a registration slip with
the professor's signature, students also submit a "Undergraduate Research/Independent Study/Internship
Supplemental Registration Form" for full time members of the Homewood faculty and a "Summary Report
of Independent Work" form when the term is completed (see the Compendium). Students working for a member
of the faculty of biology sign up for 020.503-504 Introduction to Research in Biology if a freshman or sophomore,
or 020.513 or 020.514 Research Problems in Biology if a junior or senior. If the professor is a member of a
Department in the Medical Institutions, the student must find a faculty sponsor holding a full-time appointment in
the School of Arts and Sciences or Engineering to act as a sponsor. The sponsor is usually the student's advisor,
and will require the student to fill out the Requirements
for Students Conducting Independent Research agreement . He/she will advise the student on the adequacy
of the research project and will receive a report at the end of the semester describing the work of the student
and the grade for the course. In this Summary Report of Independent Work, the professor in whose lab the student works will indicate the student's final grade. In the Biology Department,
the students must also write a three page paper using the introduction, materials & methods, results and
conclusions format of a scientific paper, and undergo an oral examination about the research project.
Students should register for the undergraduate research course in the department of your Arts and Sciences or
Engineering faculty sponsor.
Robert Horner, Lecturer
Macaulay Hall, Room 313
410.516.7281
rdhorner@jhu.edu
DISCLAIMER -
Information on this page should be confirmed by the Registar's Office,
the Department of Biology, or the course instructor. Information on this
page is for the added assistance of students. It is not intended to replace
official JHU publications. Mistakes should be reported to the Webmaster.
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