MCB majors can participate in ongoing research programs of the faculty. Places for undergraduates in MCB faculty labs are limited, therefore it is recommended that you contact faculty well in advance of a prospective start. Make sure you contact several professors since there are few slots for research and many students looking for research opportunities. Faculty receive a lot of requests from students and general emails are easy to forget and fall through the cracks. Make sure you tailor each email to the professor/lab you are contacting.
In your email you should include: 1) why you want to work in a lab, what interests you about their research and how will this experience help advance your academic or career goals; 2) how many hours per week can you dedicate to laboratory research; 3) your CV (include any laboratory or computational skills you have); and 4) your unofficial transcript. Be sure to send a follow-up email after about 1 week if you don’t hear back from the professor.The most important thing is to convey your interest and willingness to get involved! Check the professors’ websites for any specific information they may require prior to contact.
Research for MCB Credit
Most undergraduates who work in faculty labs enroll for academic credit. Undergraduate research credit is earned by enrolling in MCB 4896, MCB 4996 (Honors), MCB 4897W or MCB 4997W (Honors) under the research advisor’s listing. 4896 and 4996 may be taken as 1-6 credits by arrangement with the research advisor. In general, each credit hour requires a minimum commitment of 3 hours work/week in the advisor’s lab, however some faculty may require >3 hours of lab work/week per credit hour. Students enrolled in 4896 or 4996 must also submit a written and/or oral report (e.g. lab meeting presentation) to their research advisor at the end of the semester, with the format determined by the advisor. 4896 and 4996 may be repeated for credit, but a maximum of only 3 credits can be counted as MCB credit (Group 3, laboratory credit). 4897W and 4997W are 3 credit supervised thesis writing arranged with your research advisor and count toward the Group 4 W requirement.
Because of the limited number of positions for undergraduates in MCB faculty labs, undergraduates often find MCB-related research positions with faculty in other departments (for example: PNB, EEB, Animal Science or UConn-Health). If the research project is sufficiently related to MCB topics, and the commitment of effort is in line with MCB policy, a student may be allowed to enroll in MCB 4896, 4996, 4897W or 4997W by arrangement between an MCB faculty instructor and the student’s research advisor.
Students enrolled in MCB 4896, 4996, 4897W or 4997W may be required by their research advisor and/or MCB faculty instructor to complete and sign an agreement covering laboratory conduct and expectations, learning objectives, and thesis requirements. Sample forms are provided below.
Finding and Funding Research Opportunities
Office of Undergraduate Research is the place to start when looking for research opportunities both on UConn campuses and nationwide. Here is a great starting point. For UConn-based research OUR is an invaluable resource for how to get started finding research programs, how to approach professors and initiate requests for positions. OUR is also the primary source of information about financial support through SURF grants and WSRAP.
Office of Student Financial Aid Services is also a good place to start for finding potential financial support for undergraduate research activities at UConn.
Work-Study Research Assistant Program Students who receive a federal work-study award may, through the assistance of the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), find work in an MCB lab. WSRAP students who are working in an MCB lab as a work-study employee may also earn MCB research credit (4896 or 4996), but only if there is a clear separation of work-study and research-for-credit tasks and effort accounting. This special circumstance should be worked out in consultation with the faculty advisor and the OUR.
Student labor. Some faculty members obtain money to pay undergraduates from research grants for work in their labs. If you wish to be considered for such work, visit the student jobs website and submit an application.
12twenty is an online platform where UConn students can connect with the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills for career coaching, UConn departments looking for student employees, and employers looking to recruit UConn talent for internships and full-time positions.
The Honors Program is designed especially for students interested in gaining research experience. Even if you did not join the program before you came to UConn, it is not too late. Visit the Honors Program office in ROWE, Rm. 419 for more information.
UConn Holsters The Holster Scholar Program is a selective enrichment opportunity available only to first-year Honors students. The program supports a small number of motivated students who pursue independent research, design, or creative projects during the summer following their first year.
Caxide Scholars Program The Caxide (Kah-Sheed) Scholars Program awards funding to support student-designed and student-led projects, including creative endeavors, community service initiatives, entrepreneurial ventures, research projects, and other original and innovative projects.
STEM Scholars The STEM Scholars are beneficiaries of NextGeneration Connecticut, a revolutionary $1.7 billion investment to advance STEM education. Through research, courses, advising, events, and community engagement, STEM Scholars make discoveries, build relationships with leading experts and peers, and prepare for their future. The STEM Scholar Community is a smaller community within the Honors Program designed to help the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, leaders, and problem-solvers connect to their areas of interest and success.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) Awards support the University of Connecticut full-time undergraduate students in summer research or creative projects.
CAPS Research/McNair Scholars Program There are multiple research opportunities within the Center for Access and Postsecondary Success (CAPS). APPRENTICE: First and second year students can apply in the spring semester to be an Apprentice and shadow alongside research group members the following fall semester. This is an exploratory semester for students to learn how they like being an undergraduate researcher and gain a foundation in experiment design, data collection, and communication, and how to incorporate research hours into their schedule. Apprentices are matched with a research group at the Storrs campus based on their fields of study and interests. SCHOLAR CANDIDATE/SCHOLAR: Second and third year students can apply in the fall semester to be a Scholar Candidate in the spring semester and earn either the CAPS Research Scholar or McNair Scholar title at the end of the spring semester. Scholars advance on a research project for the remainder of their undergraduate career and thoroughly prepare for research-focused graduate degrees in the STEM disciplines (M.S. and Ph.D.) through professional development workshops and the option to partake in the fully-funded, two-month summer component at the Storrs campus. HOLISTIC MENTORSHIP AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT is a priority and is provided for all Apprentices and Scholar Candidates/Scholars to efficiently navigate their academic, career, and personal goals so students are recognized as competitive candidates. ELIGIBILITY: Students who are from low-income households, who are first-generation to college, and/or from groups underrepresented in research-centric graduate degrees across STEM fields are eligible to apply. The CAPS Research/McNair office is located in Rowe 221-B or email renee.trueman@uconn.edu anytime.
University of Connecticut Health Center Undergraduate Summer Research Internship Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences.