UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

---

GENERAL INFORMATION (for specifics on Kimball/Braun lab, see below)

If you are interested in gaining research experience, there are a number of listings where you can find a lab doing research that interests you.  Information about finding a suitable lab and some general information can be found on the Dept. of Zoology and the Honors Program sites.  Some specific positions are advertised (e.g., URAP below), while other faculty may not list positions but may be open to students joining their lab. So also look at listings of faculty that are open to having undergraduate researchers in their lab (see Science for Life and Honors Program below - even if you are not in these programs, this can provide a useful listing of faculty) and then contact faculty to see if they have a current opening.  You may also be interested in the Science for Life program and should check it out.
    URAP
    Science for Life mentors
    Honors Program

KIMBALL / BRAUN LAB

My lab is co-run with Edward Braun; some students work with one of us and some with both of us.  What I write below generally applies to working with either of us.  In addition, some of the graduate students in the lab have worked with undergraduates, and that is another way students have joined the lab.  So if one of the graduate students have a project that interests you, you may also want to contact them directly.  All students (regardless of who you work with), have to follow some basic lab rules (these are largely those for safety, a requirement to be courteous, and to assist in keeping the clean and functional), and failure to do so will result in being asked to leave the lab (and hopefully we will never have to ask anyone to leave).

I have had a number of undergraduates work in my lab over the years (see Lab Group), and I regularly take one or two new students into the lab. I do not have a "set" number of undergraduates that can work in the lab, and whether I take on new students depends on what is going on in the lab, the interests of the students, and whether I have time to help train and get them started. So it is always worth contacting me if you are interested in the projects going on in my lab (I highly advocate you scan my Research and Lab Group pages to make sure you are interested in what is going on in my lab).  

Committment
Working in the lab requires a commitment of time, and a willingness to focus while you are in the lab. I expect students to commit a minimum of 6 hours per week (I prefer 8-10), and to spread that out over at least three days (in 1-3 hour segments).  Many lab procedures we do take only 1-2 hours at a time, but have multiple steps that need to be done on different days.  So being able to come in multiple times in a week allows better follow through and makes it easier to learn the steps of a protocol.  Before you ask to work in my lab, make sure you can commit this amount of time in your schedule.  If you cannot, consider doing research another semester when you are less committed.

When students come to the lab, I expect them to be attentive and willing to focus on what they are doing.  Lab work is not "relaxation" time between classes, and a student that repeatedly comes to the lab focussed on other issues may be asked to leave the lab. Successful research requires thinking about what you need to do, making sure you are organized, and paying attention to details!

Working in the lab can require a lot of training.  Depending on the amount of time students can commit each week, it often takes at least a semester for students to become proficient at the basic protocols we do in the lab.  For this reason, I will not consider students that only want to commit a single semester to research (e.g., a senior that will be graduating shortly).  While some students only remain in the lab for a semester, such as when the lab is not a good fit for the student, I feel that students that have gained the most have been in the lab for at least a year.

In addition to the project a student works on, all students are expected to assist in general aspects of running the lab. This involves cleaning up after themselves (including putting away notebooks and other, washing dishes used, etc.), cleaning and keeping the lab organized (not a lot of this, but it needs to be done), preparing things for the autoclave, etc.  The graduate students, post-docs, and myself all do this, and I expect all undergraduates to assist in this as well.  There is no "lab housekeeper" so participating in this is required.   

Types of projects available to students
I have had students working on all or almost all projects we have going in the lab.  The projects differ in focus, type of skills (some require mostly lab work, while others require some computer work, and still others are open that are mostly compuatation and analytical), and amount of committment that is required.  Students that are focused, careful, think about what they are doing, pay attention to the information provided to them, and are attentive to details can succeed at all of the things we do in the lab if they put sufficient time into it.  So I do not restrict students to working on only one or a few projects, but instead try to match students to appropriate projects (e.g., ones that are consistent with their ability to commit and their skill level in the lab).  

Since students coming in to the lab generally have no previous experience, I often have students work on one or two different projects their first one or two semesters so they can gain a variety of experiences, get exposure to multiple projects, and generally learn their way around the lab.  I have found this is the best way of introducing students to the lab.  Initially I try to make sure that I, or someone else, is available to assist students.  As students learn their way around the lab and become experienced with various techniques, they will begin working more independently. 

Independent research
Students in the lab work, to varying degrees, independently (that is, without my constant supervision).  After gaining general experience, students may take on some type of "independent" research.  

Some students take on one part of a larger project (e.g, PCR amplification, sequencing, and data editing and alignment for one locus for a set of species), and are content to continue contributing to a larger whole.  This type of research requires less committment and investment, and is a great way to be involved with research for students that for varying reasons do not want or have the time to make a greater committment; it is also a good first step for a student unsure about taking on a greater committment -- a student can learn the ins and outs of how to finish up a dataset, without being committed to a larger project.

Other students, after gaining exposure to the lab, want to work on a project where they are the primary researcher.   This requires a lot of committment, and is not suitable for all students.  Students that want to do this can talk to me about possible projects, to find a project that fits within the scope of the lab, is feasible for the time committment, and matches their interests.  At minimum, I expect a student who commits to this to complete the majority of data collection, and these studens (if successful) will then be an author on the publication.  Some students go futher, and also participate in analyses and/or writing of the paper as well.  Depending, on level of involvement at these stages, students may be first author of the publication (e.g., Cox et al. 2007).  Be warned - taking a study from initial idea, through data collection, analyses, and write-up can often take several years.  

Other students work closely with one other person, and while they are not the primary researcher, they may be one of just two (e.g., working closely with a post-doc or graduate student).  In these cases, they may not be the primary person expected for all steps (and so may not be required to make such a large committment), but may take on more responsibility than if they were contributing one small part of a much larger project.  

Overall, we have had students that have taken various different approaches to getting research experience, and I am open to a variety of situations.  This has worked most successfully when students have been realistic about their expectations, clear about their goals for doing undergraduate research, and aware of the actual time they can commit to doing research.  For some idea of what students have done in the past (or are currently doing), check out thee Lab Group page and scroll down to information about undergraduates.

Lab meetings
We generally have regular lab meetings, where someone in the lab presents either a paper or a grant they are writing, a talk they are preparing, or ideas they are thinking about (e.g. possible projects).  At times we read papers published from other labs.  Lab meetings are not mandatory, but they can be informative to get a better understanding of the various research projects going on in the lab.  Particularly for students thinking about going to graduate school where they will be doing research, lab meetings may be helpful.  If you decide to work on an independent project (where you will be making a major contribution and involved in various aspects of it), I expect you to attend most weeks.

Research for experience, credit, and/or pay
Some students that join the lab come in as volunteers (no pay, no credit), while others prefer to sign up for research credit in their first semester (see 4905 below).  Most students in the lab are not being paid, though occasionally I have money to hire a student.  If I have money, I initially offer the position to students already working in the lab, though occasionally I hire a new student. 

My expectations are the same for volunteers and students taking research credit (students that are being paid may be held to a somewhat different standard, depending on the position and expectations I lay out for it).  There are several considerations to think about when deciding whether to volunteer or do research for credit.  As a volunteer, if you decide after the semester begins that you do not have sufficient time for research, or if you are unhappy in the lab, it is possible to quit working in the lab (so far, this has only happened once, but sometimes a courseload is heavier than expected).  If you are getting credit, you will likely be able to apply the hours to your degree, so the time you spend doing research also goes toward graduation.  Many students prefer to volunteer for their first semester before taking research hours, and/or take research hours in those semesters where they have lower course loads.

In addition to ZOO4905 hours, there are similar courses through other programs (e.g. honors independent research) that can also be taken.  You should look at your program and discuss this with an advisor.  Also be aware that different degrees may have different requirements about how many hours (if any) you can apply to your major, so you should be aware of this.  Students that want to graduate with honors may be required to complete a certain number of 4905 hours.

ZOO4905 is one course that allows you to obtain credit through the zoology department for research.  You can multiple credits a semester;  I expect students to work a minimum of 6 hours if they are taking 1 or 2 credits, 9 hours if they are taking 3 credits, etc.  If you do 4905 hours, there are a number of requirements you should be aware of (for details, see the Zoology web page).

Please be aware that you are required to write up a short proposal BEFORE you can enroll.  This MUST be given to me in advance (at least 3 days before the deadline), so I can read it and comment on it.  This will cover what you will be researching, and it is a way I can correct misconceptions, make sure you have realistic expectations, etc.  It should help you focus on what you will be doing, and help you put your research into a broader context.

You will also be required to write a final report. Again, I require this be given to me several days BEFORE it is due.

Other general information
There are a variety of opportunities on campus and in our lab you should be aware of.  All of these are for students that want to make a strong committment to research, and they are primarily for students that are willing to focus full-time for a summer to conduct research (though the research may not be completed until a later semester).  The first two of these are generally given to students already involved in a research project, and we preferentially fund REU students that are already in our lab as well.  In addition to these programs, there are sometimes other programs that become available.

    The University Scholars Program awards  fellowship money for a summer and the following school year to allow you to conduct research.  They also provide some travel money.

    The Science for Life Program also has money, primarily for students that are early in their career.

    In addition, we sometimes can support students through Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) money through the National Science Foundation.  Some of this comes from programs on campus, and some has come associated with grants in our lab.