Undergraduate research opportunities
The Department of Biology offers numerous research opportunities to undergraduate students Engaging in research is fundamental for those aspiring to pursue a career in the sciences, and it will stand out on medical school admissions, graduate school applications, and job interviews alike.
The undergraduate research experience takes on many forms. Whether you are conducting experiments, analyzing data, or helping keep the lab clean and organized, being part of an academic biology lab and team is an invaluable experience. Students who form relationships with graduate students and faculty early on in their academic career will have greater opportunities to learn advanced research skills, explore new fields and deepen the knowledge gained in the classroom.
Engaging in undergraduate research yields several benefits:
- Gain valuable experience that will be advantageous in any career path, including medical school admissions and graduate school applications
- Potentially earn credit towards your degree
- Meet new colleagues and expand your future career options
- Explore different areas of research and find your research passion!
How to get involved in undergraduate research
Getting involved in undergraduate research offers several avenues for participation. The best place to start is to find a project that captures your interest. Talk to your faculty mentor and reach out to our faculty members to explore potential research opportunities.
Getting started with finding 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.
Ready to take the next steps?
Explore research projects in the Department of Biology and learn more about how to earn research credit.