Independent Study & Undergraduate research

Independent Study Form and Information packet

Any undergraduate can conduct research with any faculty member (who accepts them)! Working in the lab will not only teach you the fundamentals of research but also will earn you academic credit. If nothing else, you will learn skills and techniques that could lead to postgraduate employment!

Common misconceptions:

"Nobody wants an undergrad in their lab."

This is not true at all. Faculty members enjoy working along side undergraduates and believe that it is very important for the student to get hands on experience working in a lab. They want you to feel as though you are a part of their research team and they want you to enjoy and learn from your experience in the lab. In fact, most faculty members got their start as undergraduate researchers.

"It’s too difficult to work in a lab."

When you work in any faculty member’s lab you are working as a member of a research team. You are not expected to know everything about a subject when working on an independent study. You are expected, however, to apply your classroom and laboratory knowledge to your project and to have done your homework before starting in the lab. You will not be “spoon-fed.” Your research team members and faculty research adviser are there to help you with any questions or concerns you may have when working in the lab, but they expect you to work hard and remember what they tell you. It is a learning experience for you as an undergraduate. Faculty research advisers want you to learn and do research, but at the same time enjoy the experience of working in a scientific setting.

“I registered for an independent study, am I expected to perform experiments completely by myself?”

Although the course is called “Independent Study”, it is not a truly independent research experiment. You will never be forced to perform long, arduous, difficult tasks or research by yourself. You are usually given simple tasks initially. As you prove yourself, you will be given more responsibility and independence. Your research team members and faculty research advisers work with you throughout the entire experiment.

“I’m already taking a large course load, how would I have the time?”

Most individuals interested in taking an independent study have the idea that they will have to be in the lab from sunrise to sunset. This is a complete misunderstanding. When working on an independent study you are required to participate in lab research/activities for a minimum of six hours per week. Your schedule for working in the lab will be determined in conjunction with your research adviser, but you will need to be a very organized person.

Basic components of Independent Study:

• Register for BIOL 492 (P/F) or BIOL 495 (Graded) Independent Study (2 – 4 credits, 1 credit = three hours/week). BIOL 495 requires that you first take BIOL 392, "Introduction to Research." The BIOL 392 Web site is a very useful link, please take time to visit the site whether you enroll in the class or not.
• Work for a minimum of six hours per week in the lab
• Obtain some prior knowledge of the material that will be studied in the lab. (i.e. if you participate in an independent study on molecular genetics, it is important that you have previously taken a course on molecular genetics or genetics and did well in that course)
• You will be working in the lab on a project with your research team and faculty member.
• The more experience you have, the more you can do. BIOL 300 is a good practical lab to prepare yourself.

Let’s review — any undergraduate can do research! All you need to do is find a “research adviser.” You do not need to design your own project!

Procedure for enrolling and participating in an independent study:

1. Pick an area of research in biology that interests you: ecology, evolution and systematics; molecular genetics, cell biology and physiology; biomedical research (located on the MCV campus); etc. For a list of available faculty members, visit Undergraduate Biomedical Research.
   
   For example, John Doe is interested in cell biology.
   
   
2. Pick no more than five faculty members whose research interests you. (See faculty Web site for a complete list of all faculty members in the biology department)
   
   John Doe discovers that he is interested in the research that John Ryan and Robert Tombes conduct.
   
   
3. Make an appointment with your top choice and discuss the possibility of working in that faculty member’s lab. This faculty member will become your faculty research adviser and he or she will help you design your research project.
   
   John Doe makes an appointment with Dr. Tombes. When they meet, Mr. Doe brings a resume and a copy of his transcripts. Dr. Tombes is so impressed with Mr. Doe’s preparation and interest that Dr. Tombes decides that Mr. Doe can work in his lab. They begin to design a research project involving the expression of different CaM kinases in mouse embryonic stem cells.
   
   
4. After choosing your adviser and research experiment sign up for BIOL 492.
   
   John Doe successfully signs up for BIOL 492.
   
   
5. Determine a schedule with your research adviser for when you will be working in the lab. Remember the time that you will work in the lab depends on the number of credits your independent study is worth (1 credit = three hrs/week in the lab. I.e. Your independent study is worth 2 credits, you would work two days a week for approximately 3 hours a day.)
   
   John Doe talks with Dr. Tombes and they agree that John will work in the lab on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1 –- 3 p.m. Thus, John’s independent study is for 2 credits.
   
   
6. Within two weeks of the beginning of the semester, you need to submit a proposal of your research project to Stephanie Millican in the Biology Office (located on the first floor of the Life Sciences Building). Also, you will need to fill out and submit the Independent Study Form with your proposal.
   
   John Doe develops a proposal with the help of his research adviser and turns it into Stephanie Millican.
   
   
7. At the end of the semester, you submit a final report of your research project to Stephanie Millican.
   
   John Doe successfully completed his research in Dr. Tombes’ lab and turned in a final report to Stephanie Millican.