Undergraduate Research

Students conducting research on Sapelo Island, GA.

Undergraduate research is an excellent way to enhance your biology degree and make yourself stand out among other candidates for internships, jobs, or graduate or professional school. Check out our tips on how to identify a research lab to get involved.

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Research courses

 

Research for Credit

To receive course credit for conducting research, you must be involved in a biology-related, research project and not simply providing services that are only distantly related to research goals (e.g., washing glassware or preparing media). Students not completing their Senior Research Experience should register for BIOS 4699. Students who are completing their Senior Research Experience should register for BIOS 4690. BIOS 4699 can count towards a Biology major’s program of study; up to 6 credits of BIOS 4699 can count as Biology electives, and additional BIOS 4699 credits count as free electives. Your faculty mentor must provide permission for you to register for any of the research classes; please see full instructions for how to register on the Permits and Registration page.

You and your professor must agree upon the number of hours for which you'll register; 1 credit hour equals 45 hours of work over the course of the semester, which works out to 3 hours per week per credit hour during the fall and spring semesters, or 4.5 hours per week per credit hour in the summer semester. After registering for the course, follow these instructions to change the default from one hour

 

Research for Pay

In some cases, you can be paid to conduct research-related activities. As with research for credit, you must be involved in a biology-related research project, and not simply providing services that are only distantly related to research goals. Current pay rates are ~$10-12/hr depending on experience. After you and your faculty member agree to the terms, you must visit the Biological Sciences finance office to complete appropriate paperwork to get paid. You will then be responsible for completing bi-weekly timesheets that your faculty mentor signs. If you are hired at the start of a semester, you should register for BIOS 4698. Although these are audit-only, no-credit courses that do not count towards your program of study, they allow you to document your paid research experience on your transcript. Your faculty mentor must provide permission for you to register; please see full instructions for how to register on the Permits and Registration page.

You and your professor must agree upon the number of hours for which you'll register; 1 credit hour equals 45 hours of work over the course of the semester, which works out to 3 hours per week per credit hour during the fall and spring semesters, or 4.5 hours per week per credit hour in the summer semester. After registering for the course, follow these instructions to change the default from one hour

 

Paid Research Fellowships

Georgia Tech offers a number of competitive paid research fellowships that match you with a Georgia Tech faculty member for a semester-long research experience. These programs also have travel awards. For more information, see

 

Research as a volunteer

You may volunteer to conduct research-related activities. These arrangements are informal and the work can be negotiated between you and your faculty advisor. You must fill out the Georgia Tech Agreement for Volunteer Services form available from the Biological Sciences office to officially recognize the volunteer relationship.

 

Research for credit or pay outside the School of Biological Sciences

Biology majors can conduct research in other Schools within Georgia Tech or even at institutions outside of Georgia Tech, and obtain credit for BIOS 4690, 4698, or 4699. Dr. Chrissy Spencer, the School of Biological Sciences Associate Chair for Undergraduate Affairs, will serve as official co-supervisor and instructor of record within Biological Sciences for the class. Note that a co-supervisor is not needed if your faculty mentor has a minor or courtesy appointment within the School of Biological Sciences. The primary research faculty mentor (e.g. in Psychology, Emory University, etc.) must be a PhD or MD level scientist, preferably in a group leader-like role (not a postdoc, etc). To obtain approval for this research to count for BIOS course credit, arrange with a PI to do research and then complete the Permit Request Form for Research Outside of Biological Sciences. If appropriate, the Associate Chair will approve the project for credit or pay. [Note: the permit form for BIOS 4690 is linked below under Senior Research Permit Request form.]

You and your professor must agree upon the number of hours for which you'll register; 1 credit hour equals 45 hours of work over the course of the semester, which works out to 3 hours per week per credit hour during the fall and spring semesters, or 4.5 hours per week per credit hour in the summer semester. After registering for the course, follow these instructions to change the default from one hour

 

Senior Research Experience

All Biology majors complete a Senior Research Experience consisting of a research course (either BIOS 4590 or 4690), and BIOS 4460 Communicating Biological Research. BIOS 4590 Research Project Lab is taught by Biological Sciences faculty members each semester; topics vary depending upon the faculty teaching the course; BIOS 4460 should be taken concurrent with BIOS 4590. BIOS 4690 Independent Research Project is conducted under the supervision of a faculty member in the research laboratory; BIOS 4460 can be taken either concurrent with or in the semester after taking BIOS 4690. In addition, you must take BIOS 4460 either concurrent with or in the semester after taking BIOS 4590 or 4690. Note that if BIOS 4460 is taken after BIOS 4590 or 4690, you must seek a permit to register by emailing bio-registration@lists.gatech.edu (include your GT ID number in your request).

Course Description and Prerequisites BIOS 4460 Timing and Other Notes
BIOS 4590 Research Project Lab Class of 12-24 students. Taught by BioSci faculty. Graded by course instructor. No prior research experience required. Take BIOS 4460 Communicating Biological Research concurrently.
BIOS 4690 Independent Research Project Individual research project. Arrange for a faculty mentor. Write short proposal at start. Write paper at end in scientific manuscript style. Graded by faculty mentor. Pre-req: 1 credit hour prior research experience (BIOS 2699, 4699). Take BIOS 4460 Communicating Biological Research concurrently or during next semester. For Research Option students: take LMC 4701 during semester prior and take LMC 4702 during concurrent semester (Must be in Research Option to take LMC 4701 and 4702).

See these instructions for registration issues related to BIOS 4590 or BIOS 4460.

Complete the Senior Research Permit Request form for a permit for BIOS 4590 or BIOS 4690.

 

Georgia Tech Research Option

The Research Option gives you a competitive advantage on getting into graduate and professional schools through an intensive, multi-semester research experience, an undergraduate honors thesis. For more information, see our page on the Research Option for Biology majors.

 

Vertically Integrated Program (VIP) courses

Vertically integrated projects are team-based, multidisciplinary research experiences for students and faculty. With multi-semester research projects, VIP courses offer opportunities for developing and practicing new skills, mentoring new team members, and contributing to a long-term research goal. Up to six credits of 3000 or 4000-level VIP coursework led by at least one faculty member from the School of Biological Sciences can count toward Biology Breadth electives, and any additional credits can count toward free electives. For more information, see the Vertically Integrated Projects website.

 

Summer Research Internships: Research Experience for Undergraduates (REUs)

Summer is an excellent time to gain research experience, either here at Georgia Tech or at another institution. Many institutions have summer research programs specifically for undergraduates; many will pay you to do research for the summer (~$4000 for a 10 week program) and also cover travel, housing, and in some cases food. Research mentors are great people to ask for letters of recommendation when it comes time to apply for med/grad/dental/pharmacy/etc. school or jobs after graduation.

When to apply: Most of these programs have deadlines in January or February

How to find the right program: To find funded programs, you can Google the standard program acronyms, like​ REU, SURF, SURE, SROP, with the topic you’re are interested in: Evolution, Ecology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, etc.

General listings of summer research opportunities:

Opportunities in Georgia:

 

Travel awards

If you have been accepted to present a poster or talk at a conference, you may qualify for travel funding from the College of Sciences. See that CoS Conference Travel Grants page for more information.

 

How to identify a research lab

  1. Demonstrate your engagement and eagerness to learn in your courses, and make yourself known to your professors. Undergraduate research is competitive and you are more likely to be accepted with the faculty member of your choice if you have a strong record of academic excellence and can communicate with faculty.
  2. Choose a research area of biological sciences that you find interesting and that overlaps with faculty expertise here at Georgia Tech. Think about the topics in biological sciences courses you have enjoyed most, then think about how these courses fit in with your career goals - for example, are you seeking a career in medicine, the biotech industry or in environmental protection?
  3. Identify several (more than 3!) potential faculty mentors whose research programs are of interest to you. You can consider faculty in the School of Biological Sciences as well as other Schools at GT or neighboring institutions (Emory, GSU). Most faculty update their web pages fairly regularly with their current work, and their newest publications can be found through literature searches online. You should read their work before contacting faculty. You don’t need to understand everything; but you do need to be aware of what they do. You can read about faculty research interests and ongoing projects in the School of Biological Sciences at the links below:
    1. Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
    2. Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
    3. Integrative Physiology
    4. Molecular and Cell Biology
  4. After you’ve made a list of faculty members, email them to tell them about your interest in research, including why you are specifically interested in their research group. It needs to be clear that you are sending an individual email rather than mass emailing multiple faculty. Ask if they have an opening for an undergraduate researcher beginning in the specific semester you wish to start, and ask to meet with them to discuss their current research projects. It is important to emphasize both why you think that an undergraduate research project would be a valuable experience for you, and also why you would be a good choice to join their research group. Don’t forget that you need to think about how your work will benefit other scientists and our understanding of biological sciences in general, not just how you will benefit individually. If you are not sure your email text strikes the right tone, you can ask your advisor for feedback on the text before you send it
  5. Do not be discouraged if the first professor tells you no, or if you do not receive a response. There are many reasons why faculty may not take on more undergraduate researchers. For example, their lab may be full, or they may be over-committed with other responsibilities. It is appropriate to politely follow up a week later on an unanswered email by replying to it and briefly re-expressing your interest to the professor. Your chances of being invited to join a research group are better if you get to know a professor. Take their classes and show an interest in their work. If you are courteously persistent and demonstrate success in your coursework, you are more likely to secure a research opportunity.
  6. Other options to connect with a research group are to reach out to graduate students, such as your graduate TAs, who are working in research areas of interest to you, and to work with the Georgia Tech Undergraduate Research Ambassadors program for support identifying and securing a research position. The UROP office also offers excellent suggestions for getting engaged in research. 
  7. Once you secure a research opportunity, request a registration permit as soon as possible and before the close of phase II registration, and be sure to toggle the credit hours as agreed upon by you and your research mentor.