Undergraduate Scholars Program
Overview
The Sarafan ChEM-H Undergraduate Scholars Program aims to provide interdisciplinary research experience to students in the physical science, engineering, or life science fields. Our primary mission is to provide undergraduates with the opportunity to gain depth in a research area complementary to their chosen or intended major. For example, a physical science or engineering major may be placed in a biological or clinical research host lab. Students are matched with a postdoc mentor in the host lab who comes from a closely-related discipline. Mentors will work closely with students to train them in the scientific method, relevant laboratory techniques, and development of a proposal for a summer research project.
Students apply during their sophomore fall quarter and the program runs from winter quarter through the following fall, including the summer. Selected students will register for research units (3 units/quarter) and a 1-unit seminar course during their sophomore winter and spring quarters as well as the fall quarter of junior year. The seminar, CHEM 193 Interdisciplinary Approaches to Human Health Research (Wednesdays, 3-4:20 pm), will expose students to new laboratory techniques, examination of diverse scientific literature, research proposal development, and technical and non-technical communication skills. Students will engage in peer mentoring activities and benefit from the diversity of academic backgrounds in the cohort. During each academic quarter, students will also be required to spend 8-10 hours per week in their matched lab doing research. Funding will be provided to conduct full time research in the same lab in summer quarter.