Undergraduate research opportunities

There are many ways to participate in research as an undergraduate. Begin by reviewing the research through the faculty profile pages and/or department research projects that aligns with your interests.

Set up a first conversation (either by email or in person) with a prospective faculty member to discuss a potential fit within their research.

When independently pursuing a research project, be sure to get in touch in a professional and respectful way to ask if they are willing to take on any new student researchers. Personalize each correspondence and give them as much information as you can about your availability, type of position you are looking for (are you volunteering, seeking academic credit, or, on the rare occasion, looking for a paid assistantship), and your interest in their research. Think of this like a job interview - many students want these spots and you will make a bigger impression if you review the professor’s research so you are knowledgeable about their field.

Once you have found a research opportunity, sit down with the faculty member to discuss what your goals will be for the semester. Upon mutual agreement with the faculty member, you can earn research internship credits (i.e., BIOL 298, 491, 492) that count towards your biology or neuroscience degree.

Complete a research internship agreement at the start of the semester in which you are seeking research internship credits to the Department of Biology. You can request the agreement form from the Department of Biology Office (biology@unr.edu).

The agreement should include the following:

• Your name
• The course you wish to receive credit for
• The semester in which you wish to receive credit
• The number of credits you are pursuing
• A brief description of the project to be completed with your supervisor, including laboratory and/or field research methodology and experimental design, how the final grade will be determined, dates materials are due, and how many hours of unpaid work the research project will require
• Your signature, date and contact information
• Your research supervisors signature, date and contact information

Once the form is signed and submitted to the Biology Office (biology@unr.edu), our office staff will give you the call number needed to sign up for the credits. Use this call number to sign up for the appropriate course and number of credits in MyNevada. Students completing an internship during the summer may have to wait until the fall semester to obtain credit. Talk to our Biology and Neuroscience faculty mentors about this issue if you are a graduating senior.