URAP - Undergraduate Research

Through URAP, faculty and graduate students have undergraduates working with them as research assistants. The undergraduates have responsibilities ranging from animal husbandry to data collection.

Why should you participate in URAP?

Mentoring an undergraduate can be a mutually beneficial relationship where undergraduates gain practical research skills, learn the scientific method first hand, obtain a source for letters of recommendation, and potentially earn honors for a written description of their work.

You learn how to manage research assistants, get more research done, and potentially publish papers with undergraduates (something that is attractive to future employers).

How do you find undergraduates?

The best way to find a competent undergraduate that you work well with is to ask students in courses that you TA. Laboratory courses are great settings for you to gauge how well a student can follow directions, and if they are really interested in biology.

Write a brief (100-200 word) description of the work you need help with, and what you require of the student. Give this to the graduate students on the URAP committeeso that it can be posted on the zoology homepage, and as flyers in Bartram-Carr halls.

You can also post your description on the university-wide database.

What are the undergraduate's responsibilities?

Undergraduate students have the option of volunteering on an informal basis, or earning research credit hours (see here). After two semesters of earning research credit, students have the option of earning honors by presenting their research as a thesis.

What are your responsibilities?

At the minimum, you should make sure that you have all the resources needed for the undergraduate to complete the URAP project (space, equipment, funding, etc...). Initially, undergraduates may need close attention while they learn the techniques and skills needed for the project. The amount of time that you spend with them will, of course, depend on the project, and how quickly the undergraduate learns. With some luck, the time you spend training a student will repay itself several-fold in the amount of work accomplished.

URAP home page