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Undergraduate Research Opportunities

The Path to Undergraduate Research in the Biological Sciences

Some of the most exciting biological research in the nation and even the world is taking place in the College of Biological Sciences at the Ohio State University. As an undergraduate student, you can experience this excitement while learning about the latest advances in your field. Opportunities are available in many of our laboratories for undergraduates to undertake projects ranging in duration from months to years. Some undergraduates may even choose to work in laboratories outside the College of Biological Sciences or become involved in research at some other institution.

Selecting a Research Advisor

Your first step should be to review the research interests of the faculty in your department(s) of interest and to contact the Undergraduate Research Coordinator in that department. The Undergraduate Research Coordinator can help you identify labs with interests related to your own. Once you have decided on one or more possible faculty advisors, you should do a bit of background reading to familiarize yourself with the field before contacting the faculty member to schedule a brief interview. During the interview, you should expect to discuss the project in which you are interested, the time and effort expected of you, the laboratory personnel with whom you might interact, and any other expectations the faculty member might have. Once you and your faculty research advisor have agreed to work together, you should also see your major advisor about registering for 693, 699, or H783 credit.

Departmental Faculty Undergraduate Research Coordinator
Biochemistry Prof. Venkat Gopalan
EEOB Prof. David Stetson
Entomology Prof. Dana Wrensch
Microbiology Prof. Kurt Fredrick
Molecular Genetics Prof. Amanda Simcox
Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology Prof. David Somers

Also, see the links under "Other Undergraduate Research Opportunities" below.

New Undergraduate Research Funding Opportunities

The Dean's Undergraduate Fund and the Mayers Summer Research Internships provide new funding opportunities for qualified undergraduate student researchers.

The Dean's Fund grants $300 per quarter to support student research. Students must apply for funding and may reapply up to three times for the award, which goes directly into an account to support their research costs.

Evaluation of applications will be done by a Student Advisory Committee, composed of leaders from CBS undergraduate clubs and its Honorary, HELIX.

Selected students are required to submit a report detailing how funds were spent to help his or her research. Additionally, student awardees are expected to present their research at the College of Biological Sciences Annual Undergraduate Research Colloquium the next spring.

The Mayers Internship provides financial aid for students working in labs for the summer. Selections are made by the Faculty Advisory Committee and are based on the quality of the research proposal, the student's academic performance and promise and the faculty project advisor's statement regarding the structure/substance of the applicant's project. Eligibility requires adequate progress toward a CBS major, enrollment at Ohio State during the summer of the award and plans to graduate with distinction.

The $3500 Research Internship gives especially promising students majoring in the biological sciences the opportunity to enhance significantly the quality of their senior Honors Research Projects. Students selected spend approximately 40 hours/week doing research over a ten-week period to insure the intensity and quality of the experience.

For more information and an application for the Dean's Undergraduate Research Fund, visit www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/undergrad/deans-ug-research-fund.php. For additional information about either of the opportunities described above, contact the Associate Dean for Curriculum and Student Affairs, Caroline Breitenberger (breitenberger.1@osu.edu).

Important Research Presentation Dates

  • Learning how to present your work is an important part of the undergraduate research experience. Future employers will view your research presentations as evidence that you have developed valuable written and oral communication skills. 
  • The 2009 Undergraduate Research Forum of Biological, Mathematical and Physical Sciences will be held in the Physics Research Building Atrium on April 24, 2009. All undergraduate students carrying out research in the biological sciences (broadly defined) are urged to participate, including students still in the planning stages of their project. Every student participant receives a gift certificate and is eligible to compete for several prizes. Written evaluations and suggestions for improvement will be provided to all participants in time for those presenting at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum three weeks later to polish and refine their posters. 

    • Abstract deadline: April 6. Please submit abstracts online

  • Applications are being accepted through April 1 for the Richard J. and Martha D. Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, scheduled for May 13, 2009. Final presentations, which may be in the form of poster presentations, videotape, multimedia presentations, performances, etc., may represent any undergraduate research area, and cash prizes will be given in each of the final categories. Students of any rank are welcome to participate—works in progress are okay. More information can be found at http://denman.osu.edu/.

Other Undergraduate Research Opportunities at OSU

Research Opportunities Available Outside OSU

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