This state-funded program strengthens undergraduate education in the life sciences by increasing the participation of students in biological research. The Bioscience Program awards scholarships to outstanding students to recruit them into the sciences and
to offer opportunities that emphasize laboratory research experience. Through these activities, students are encouraged to prepare for careers in research, medicine, and education. A strength of the undergraduate program is the close faculty and peer interaction afforded each student. Small class size in certain courses and early establishment of faculty/student meetings create enormous learning advantages. Members of the faculty in the biological sciences at the University of Utah have a long tradition of providing research experience for undergraduates, and this has proven to be of invaluable benefit to students as they pursue admission to medical or graduate schools.
Research activities for University of Utah undergraduates. The Bioscience Program provides opportunities to do research under the mentorship of University faculty and to become acquainted with students who have similar interests. Since mentors can hold appointments in many different departments, students have the option of
working in diverse fields including biomedical science, biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, genetics, physiology, morphology, ecology, and evolution. The close faculty and peer interactions afforded participants, along with the practical research experience, enable students to make informed career choices and is invaluable preparation for graduate study.
Students in the two-year Training Program take special laboratory and seminar courses, and are
placed in research laboratories of faculty from the Biology Department and departments housed at the School of Medicine. The research experience can last throughout the undergraduate career. These awards provide $1000 in the first year, $1000 in the second year, and amounts covering wages for time spent on the research project in the second year. Students can receive additional support if chosen as teaching assistants. While selection is based on scholastic record and career plans, each individual's application is evaluated for its unique aspects. Twenty awards are available.
Advanced undergraduate researchers can apply for financial support through the MiniGrant Program. After a competitive grant application, awards are made that provide hourly wages. The student must be currently engaged in a research project and be a full-time student majoring in biology. Preference is given to teams where grant support is limited and/or where these funds allow the
sponsor to work with more undergraduates. About twenty awards are available each semester.
Summer Outreach Programs
Since the undergraduate programs rely on having a pool of qualified and interested students, an outreach program
for precollege students has been developed. The Bioscience High School Summer Research Program offers 20 students two weeks of training in basic laboratory procedures followed by six weeks of assisting faculty with research. A small stipend is provided and some students subsequently may obtain employment in a research lab. Students must have an algebra course and one science course (Biology or Chemistry) completed by the end of their junior year. Applicants must be residents of Utah.
The Bioscience Program and the Graduate Programs in Molecular Biology and
Biological Chemistry jointly conduct a Summer Undergraduate Research Program. Students spend ten weeks working on individual research projects in the laboratories of faculty mentors.
For more information, please contact:
Bioscience Undergraduate Research Program
University of Utah
Department of Biology
257 South 1400 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0840
(801) 581-5013
e-mail: BioURP@bioscience.utah.edu
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