Options 1: 
Conducting a Biology internship within the Biology Department

Step 2. Fill out an Independent Study Agreement Request Form.
Have your supervisor sit down with you to explain what your goals will be for the semester. He/she should help you fill out this form before it is turned in to the Biology office for approval. Forms can be turned in by hand delivery or faxed to the Biology office at (775) 784-1302.  Before turning in the independent study agreement request form you will need to decide what type and how many credits you will receive (see Tables 1 and 2, above).

Additional requirements: Speak with your faculty supervisor for details. 

 

Option 2: 
Conducting a Biology internship on campus, but in a laboratory outside of the Biology Department.

Step 2. Fill out an Independent Study Agreement Request Form.
Have your supervisor sit down with you to explain what your goals will be for the semester. She should help you fill out this form before it is turned in to the Biology office for approval. Forms can be turned in by hand delivery or faxed to the Biology office at (775) 784-1302.  Before turning in the independent study agreement request form you will need to decide what type and how many credits you will receive (see Tables 1 and 2, above).

Step 3. Independent Study Approval.
If you are conducting a UNR Biology Biology Department you will need approval if you are requesting internship credits though the Biology Department. Call the Biology office 3-5 working days after turning in the independent study agreement form to confirm that you have been approved for credit. If your internship is approved, you will be given a call number at this time. Use this call number to sign up for the appropriate course and number of credits on e-PAWS. Biology students completing an internship during the summer may have to wait until the fall semester to obtain credit. Talk to the Biology Department about this issue if you are a graduating senior. 

Step 4. Midterm Evaluation.
The midterm evaluations are not graded. This is a chance for the student intern to meet with her supervisor in order to get feedback on her strengths, weaknesses and where she can make improvements. Print out the midterm evaluation form and turn it in to the supervisor 1-3 days before a one-on-one meeting. The meeting should include a discussion of progress and a realistic evaluation of the interns goals for the remaining portion of the semester. The midterm evaluation form should be turned into the Biology office before the MIDTERM semester drop date. PICK A DATE AND MARK YOUR CALENDAR. You may be dropped from the course if we do not hear from you by the midterm drop date.

Step 5. Final Evaluation and Paper.

Final Evaluation:
The final evaluation form needs to be filled out by the supervisor after a one-on-one meeting at the end of the semester. The supervisor is responsible for mailing the final evaluation to the Biology office (mail stop 314, UNR, Reno, NV 89557). If the intern turns in the final evaluation, it should be delivered in a sealed envelope with the supervisor's signature across the seal. 

Things to watch out for:
(1) The final evaluation can effect an intern's grade. A student receiving a 2 or 1 on any portion of the evaluation can have their final grade lowered by half or one grade point, respectively. 

(2) Any student not completing the total number of hours will either be given an incomplete, a lower grade, or an "F" in the course. This will be determined by the supervisor and the Biology Department.

Paper:
BIOL 299 Interns
Interns are required to turn in a mini paper that consists of (1) a  description of the internship and the intern's accomplishments, and (2) a commentary on how this internship affected the intern's decisions about future career choices.  The paper needs to be at least 2 pages long and is graded by the supervisor. The supervisor needs to turn in a copy of the graded paper so we can assign a grade. The intern may choose to deliver it by hand to the Biology office in a signed, sealed envelope.

BIOL 491, 492, 493 Interns
The scientific paper (see below) needs to be at least 7 pages long and is graded by the supervisor. The supervisor should mail a copy of the graded paper, along with the final evaluation, so the Biology Department can assign a final grade before the end of finals week. The intern may choose to deliver these documents by hand to the Biology office in a signed, sealed envelope.

491, 492 and 493 interns completing their first semester are required to turn in a "half" scientific paper. This paper consists of the following:

A. Introduction- The introduction is a way of demonstrating your knowledge of the project and explaining why you conducted this research. It is recommended that the introduction follow the same format used in Biology 192. We call this format "the upside-down pyramid" where the writer discusses her topic from general to specific by first provides background information on the topic and then eventually leading her reader into a short introduction of the intern's project. The final paragraph should include a short description of why you are conducting this research and can include a statement about the hypothesis.

B. Methods- This section lets the intern demonstrate his knowledge of what he is doing. It should include a detailed description of the protocols the intern is conducting in his own words. Many Cell and Molecular Biologists will reference general protocols instead of giving a detailed description of the procedures. We suggest that the intern include a complete description of the protocols so he can demonstrate a working knowledge of the procedures and can describe them using proper scientific vocabulary. 

C. Results and Discussion- These two sections should be combined in the half scientific paper format and should include initial data (raw or summarized) and a preliminary interpretation of that data. Length of this section may vary depending on the intern's progress. 

D. Literature Cited- At least 5 outside references should be cited within the paper and included in this section. 
 

491, 492 and 493 interns completing their second semester are required to turn in a "full" scientific paper. This paper consists of the following:

A. Abstract- This is the first section of your scientific paper and it acts as a summary of your work. All abstracts should be short (250 words or less) and  stand on their own so the reader can quickly obtain an overview of your work without reading the paper. Key elements of an abstract include a few sentences that concisely state what you did, why you did it (the importance of your research), how you did it (very briefly with few details), your results, and your conclusions.  This means that your abstract will have pieces from your Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion sections. It is best to write the abstract after you have completed all other sections of the paper. 

B. Introduction -(see description above). Existing introduction from the previous paper may need to be updated. 

Methods- (see description above). Existing methods from the previous paper may need to be updated. 

C. Results- Should include a summary of the data but no conclusions should be drawn in this section.

D. Discussion- This is the section where the intern interprets and discusses his results. The last part of this section should address the original question stated in the introduction and some conclusions should be drawn from this work. An expansion on the discussion section can include an interpretation of how this work has contributed to the overall knowledge in this scientific area. 

D. Literature Cited- At least 8 outside references should be cited within the paper and included in this section. 

Have your supervisor contact Dr. Christie Howard (784-1704) or Dr. Cynthia Mastick (784-1155) to discuss details and options.