• Congratulations, 2018 SHARE Award Recipients!

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We are delighted to announce the 13 student-faculty teams selected to receive awards for Spring 2018 and thank the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute for its generous support of two of these student awards. Congratulations to all award recipients!

SHARE Awards support undergraduate research apprenticeships in the social sciences, humanities, and arts, offering students majoring in these fields opportunities to develop inquiry skills and explore research interests early in their college careers.

Project Title: The Impact of an Outsider President on Candidate Emergence in Congressional Elections
Student Apprentice: Kyle Adams, Political Science
Faculty Mentor: Paul Herrnson, Political Science

Project Title: Justice in the Dark: How Secretively Funded Campaign Advertisements Shape Judicial Campaigns
Student Apprentice: Erin Dennehy, Political Science
Faculty Mentor: Virginia Hettinger, Political Science

Project Title: Interpersonal Coordination of Goal Directed Actions
Student Apprentice: John Farrar, Cognitive Science
Faculty Mentor: Adam Sheya, Psychological Sciences

UCHI LogoProject Title: The Scholio Project: Designing Online News Comments to Promote Intellectual Humility in Public Discourse
Student Apprentice: Brendan Hogan, Political Science & Psychological Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Michael Morrell, Political Science
Award Co-Sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute

UCHI LogoProject Title: Diverse Experiences of and Evaluations about Sexting and Sexting Victimization
Student Apprentice: Emily Mendoza, Human Development and Family Studies
Faculty Mentor: Alaina Brenick, Human Development and Family Studies
Award Co-Sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute

Project Title: Executive Approval Analyses in Latin America and Recent Political Developments
Student Apprentice: Shankara Narayanan, Political Science & International Relations
Faculty Mentor: Matthew Singer, Political Science

Project Title: Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Perspectives of Witnessed Simulated Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Death in an Opioid Addicted Patient
Student Apprentice: Justin Pedneault, Nursing
Faculty Mentor: Carrie Eaton, Nursing

Project Title: Accountability in Government?:  Assessing the Effectiveness of Ethics Commissions in Connecticut Municipalities
Student Apprentice: Samuel Rostow, Political Science
Faculty Mentor: Kimberly Bergendahl, Political Science

Project Title: A Computer Intervention to Help Reduce Problematic Gambling in College Students
Student Apprentice: Skyler Sklenarik, Psychological Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Robert Astur, Psychological Sciences

Project Title: Social Policy and the Political Lives of American Teenagers
Student Apprentice: Olivia Sykes, Urban and Community Studies & Human Rights
Faculty Mentor: Edith Barrett, Urban and Community Studies

Project Title: Hollow Earth
Student Apprentice: Isabella Uliasz, Studio Art
Faculty Mentor: John O’Donnell, Art and Art History

Project Title: African American Breast Cancer Survivors
Student Apprentice: Caira Ward, Human Development and Family Studies, Africana Studies
Faculty Mentor: Edna Brown, Human Development and Family Studies

Project Title: Psychosocial Factors Influence Pain and Quality of Life in Young Adults with Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Student Apprentice: Tessa Weidig, Nursing
Faculty Mentor: Xiaomei Cong, Nursing

 

• Deadlines Approaching for Summer 2018 Research Opportunities

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Don’t miss out on the opportunity to get valuable research experience this summer. Undergraduate students who are interested in participating in a summer research program should be preparing applications and requesting letters of recommendation now! Check out the following summer research programs with late January and early February deadlines.

Arecibo Observatory REU Summer Program
Deadline: January 25, 2018 (online application); February 1, 2018 (supporting documents)
http://www.naic.edu/reu_program.html
Students selected for this summer research opportunity will work with staff scientists at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico on projects related to ongoing research or instrumentation development. Interested students must be undergraduates in Fall 2018. Strong candidates will be students majoring in astronomy, physics, computer science, and electrical engineering.

Summer Internships in Science and Technology (SIST) – Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab)
Deadline: January 28, 2018
http://sist.fnal.gov/index.php
Fermilab’s SIST program offers 12-week summer internships in science and technology. Internships available in physics, engineering (mechanical, electrical and computer), materials science, mathematics and computer science offer a chance for students to conduct research with Fermilab scientists and engineers.

REU Program in Solar and Space Physics – University of Colorado Boulder
Deadline: January 29, 2018
http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/education/reu/
This 10-week summer REU program targets students with an interest in solar and space physics. Students work under the direction of scientists from one of a number of participating institutions, including Colorado’s Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics and the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s High Altitude Observatory. $500/week stipend and housing provided.

NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) – NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center (CA) and University of California, Irvine
Deadline: January 31, 2018
 https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/nsrc/SARP
This 8-week summer internship program is targeted at highly motivated rising seniors with a strong background in any of the physical, chemical, or biological sciences, or engineering and an interest in applying their background to the study of the Earth system. Selected students will work in multi-disciplinary teams to study surface, atmospheric, and oceanographic processes and will fly on board the NASA C-23 Sherpa research aircraft. $5,000 stipend, travel costs and housing provided.

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute Summer Scholars Program (CRISSP)
Deadline: January 31, 2018
https://crissp.research.chop.edu/
The CHOP Research Institute Summer Scholars Program (CRISSP) is committed to educating and training future leaders in the biomedical sciences, with a special emphasis on advancing laboratory, clinical, behavioral and translational pediatric research. Summer stipend of $4,000 and housing provided.

SAO REU Summer Intern Program
Deadline: January 31, 2018
https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/opportunities/reu//overview.html
The SAO Summer intern program is a research experience for undergraduates where students work on an astrophysics research project under the supervision of an SAO or Harvard scientist. The 10-week program takes place at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program – Gerstner Sloan Kettering
Deadline: February 1, 2018
http://www.sloankettering.edu/summer-undergraduate-research-program
The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Memorial Sloan Kettering sponsors a 10-week summer research program for undergraduate students who are interested in the biomedical sciences. This is a competitive program that accepts 20 students. Applicants must have research experience. $4,000 stipend and housing provided.

Pediatric Oncology Education (POE) Program – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Deadline: February 1, 2018
http://www.stjude.org/poe
This program provides a short-term training experience in either laboratory research or clinical research. Students will be matched with a faculty mentor and will participate in the mentor’s ongoing research projects. Qualified students with an interest in cancer research are encouraged to apply. $400/week stipend provided to selected students.

NSF-REU Internships in Astronomy – Maria Mitchell Observatory
Deadline: February 1, 2018
http://www.mmo.org/get-involved/internships/reu
Six REU internship positions are available for qualified undergraduate astronomy and physics students. These positions provide students the opportunity to conduct independent research supervised by a senior staff member of MMO. $1,800 per month stipend and housing provided.

SENS Research Foundation (SRF) Summer Scholars Program
Deadline: February 5, 2018
http://www.sens.org/education/research-opportunities/srf-summer-scholars-program
This program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct biomedical research under the guidance of a scientific mentor. Paid positions are available at a number of research institutions including Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, Stanford University and Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Full descriptions of each research project can be found at the website link above.

Amgen Scholars Program 
The Amgen Scholars Program, through which students work full-time on independent research projects under the guidance of a research scientist, is hosted at ten institutions in the United States. Each host institution has its own application process; see details about 9 of the institutional programs below (applications deadlines are February 1st. The Caltech program is not listed below as its deadline is February 15th). Amgen research is conducted in fields including biochemistry, bioinformatics, biotechnology, chemical and biomolecular engineering, chemistry, immunology, medical pharmacology, microbiology, molecular biology, molecular genetics, molecular medicine, molecular pharmacology, neurobiology, neuroscience, pathology, physiological psychology, physiological science, statistics, and toxicology.

Amgen Scholars Summer Research Program at Columbia University/Barnard College
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/ug/amgen/
Columbia University and Barnard College offer a summer research program to undergraduate students who are interested in hands-on, biology-related laboratory research. The program is competitive with awards based on grades, recommendations, and career plans. Selected students receive a stipend of $4,000, a meal stipend ($500), and housing on the Morningside campus of Columbia University.

Amgen Scholars Program at Harvard
http://uraf.harvard.edu/amgen-scholars
This 10-week, faculty-mentored summer research program is targeted to students with research interests in the biotechnology fields. The program encourages applications from students whose backgrounds and experiences would bring diversity to biotechnology fields and students from groups underrepresented in the STEM fields. $4,000 stipend, $500 meal allowance, housing and travel costs to Boston, MA are provided.

Amgen Scholars Program at NIH
https://www.training.nih.gov/amgenscholars
Undergraduate students will be matched with a research mentor and participate in a curriculum that will teach leadership skills as well as prepare them for research-oriented careers. Preference will be given to students who lack opportunities to perform independent research during the school year. Students from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Amgen-UROP Scholars Program at MIT
http://web.mit.edu/urop/amgenscholars/
The Amgen-UROP Scholars Program is a competitive program providing the opportunity for undergraduates to participate in faculty-mentored summer research at MIT in the science and biotechnology areas. Students work 40 hours per week for nine weeks ($4,418 salary). Housing in an MIT residence hall and a food allowance of $800 are also provided.

Stanford Summer Research Program (SSRP) – Amgen Scholars Program
http://biosciences.stanford.edu/prospective/diversity/ssrp/
The SSRP-Amgen Scholars program is a research-intensive residential program where students are matched with a member of the Stanford faculty to conduct a research project from a comprehensive list of biological and biomedical science programs. The program encourages applications from students whose backgrounds and experiences would bring diversity to the field. The program provides a stipend of $3,600 and summer housing, meals, and travel to and from Stanford.

Amgen Scholars Program at the University of California, Berkeley
http://amgenscholars.berkeley.edu/
The UC Berkeley Amgen Scholars program is a 10-week summer research program that provides undergraduates the opportunity to work on directly on a research project under the guidance of a UCB faculty member. $5,000 stipend and apartment housing provided as well as travel costs to the UC Berkeley campus.

Amgen Scholars Program at the University of California, Los Angeles
http://www.ugresearchsci.ucla.edu/amgenscholars.htm
The UCLA Amgen Scholars Program pairs students with a UCLA faculty mentor to conduct research in biomedical science, chemistry, bioengineering, or chemical engineering. This competitive program has 15 slots available to non-UCLA undergraduate students. $3,600 stipend for the 10-week program, on-campus housing and some meals provided to selected students.

Amgen Scholars Program at the University of California, San Francisco
http://graduate.ucsf.edu/srtp
The UCSF Amgen Scholars 9-week summer program provides opportunities for undergraduates to conduct research in science and biotechnology under the supervision of UCSF faculty members. Selected students will participate in seminars/lectures and have the opportunity to present their research at the end of the program. Students receive a $4,000 stipend, $500 to cover travel costs to and from San Francisco, and housing.

Amgen Scholars Program at Washington University in St. Louis
http://dbbs.wustl.edu/divprograms/SummerResearchforUndergrads/Pages/Amgen-Scholars.aspx
Undergraduates selected for the Amgen Scholars Program at Washington University will engage in an intensive, 10-week, independent research project under the direction of a faculty mentor. Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and groups historically underrepresented in the sciences are encouraged to apply. $4,000 stipend and housing provided.

Preparing For Your First Research Conference

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By: Soumya Kundu, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

Your first research conference will be one of the most exciting experiences of your research career. After spending months working in your lab, this is going to be your first opportunity to meet other researchers in your field outside of your university, catch a glimpse of some of the work being done by peers at other institutions, and maybe even present your own work! However, as with most new experiences, there is always a degree of anxiety that comes with the uncertainty of not knowing what to expect at your first conference. Here, I will offer a few simple pieces of advice that can help you prepare to make the most of this valuable opportunity. Continue reading →

• Apply Now for Summer 2018 Research and Internship Opportunities

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Undergraduate students who are interested in participating in a summer research or internship program need to plan ahead. December is the time to gather together all the required elements of the applications, including faculty letters of recommendation. All of the exciting summer opportunities listed below have application deadlines in December or January! Don’t miss the opportunity to get research experience.

DAAD RISE – Research Internships in Science and Engineering in Germany
Deadline: Applications are due by December 15, 2017; Letters of Reference are due by January 2, 2018 https://www.daad.de/rise/en/
DAAD RISE gives students in the fields of biology, chemistry, earth sciences, engineering and physics the chance to spend a summer working on research projects with doctoral students at German universities and research institutions. Interested students must first register online between November 1, 2017 and December 15, 2017. Students will then be able to access the internship offers submitted by the doctoral students in Germany prior to completing the application.

Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Program (MLEF)
Deadline: January 3, 2018; http://orise.orau.gov/mlef/
The Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship (MLEF) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy. It is a 10-week summer internship program that provides opportunities to students who are pursuing degrees in STEM fields. The goal of the program is to improve opportunities for minority and female students in these fields, but all eligible candidates are encouraged to apply. Selected undergraduates receive a weekly stipend of $600.

Summer Neuroscience Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SNURF) – University of Vermont
Deadline: January 10, 2018; https://www.med.uvm.edu/neuro/snurf
Two summer research programs will be hosted by the University of Vermont. One is funded by NSF and the other by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Both offer generous stipends and housing. Interested students may apply to only one of the two programs. Details available on the website.

Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI)
Deadline: January 12, 2018; https://science.energy.gov/wdts/suli/
The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program encourages undergraduate students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by providing research experiences at one of 17 participating Dept. of Energy laboratories.

Cold Spring Harbor Undergraduate Summer Research Program 2018
Deadline: January 15, 2018; http://www.cshl.edu/education/urp
The URP program is designed to give students an opportunity to conduct first-rate research under the supervision of senior laboratory staff in the areas of cancer biology, neuroscience, plant biology, cellular and molecular biology, genetics and bioinformatics and genomics. Selected students receive room and board in addition to a $5,000 stipend.

ThinkSwiss Research Scholarships
Deadline: January 15, 2018; http://thinkswiss.tumblr.com/About
ThinkSwiss scholarships support highly motivated undergraduates who are interested in doing research at a public Swiss university or research institute. The scholarship is open to students in all fields. A monthly stipend of approximately $1,050 is provided for a period of 2-3 months.

Summer ORISE Fellowship Opportunities at the CDC
Deadline: January 19, 2018; http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/dls/orise.html
Appointments through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellowship Program. Undergraduate students majoring in the applied sciences may apply. Biology and chemistry majors are preferred. Stipend of approximately $2,800 per month for undergraduate students.

Natural History Research Experiences (NHRE)
Deadline: January 24, 2018; http://www.mnh.si.edu/NHRE/index.htm
This is a 10-week summer internship program at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. NHRE interns work closely with scientific mentors to complete independent research projects in Earth science, Biology, and Anthropology. Interns will receive a stipend of $6,000 and be provided dorm housing at George Washington University.

Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) – Columbia University
Deadline: January 31, 2018; http://ps.columbia.edu/education/student-life/office-diversity/programs/college-and-post-baccalaureate-students/summer-publ
The Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) is designed for undergraduate students who are interested in public health and biomedical science careers. Applicants must have completed at least two years of college. Students from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Approximately 40 students will be selected to participate. Students will receive a stipend, housing, and round trip travel.

 

Attending Scientific Conferences – Sometimes You Can Be Overdressed

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By: Kavita Sinha, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

A month ago, I traveled to the New England Immunology Conference in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Despite the rain and the fact that my hair, which I had spent over an hour straightening, had returned to its natural curly and frizzy state, I was excited. This conference would be a time for me to meet other scientists in the field and to make important connections. Further, it was the first time that I could showcase some of my research in front of people who did similar work, which would only help to improve my presentation skills. I had planned the perfect outfit, both stylish (in my opinion) and professional. And that’s what I want to focus this blog post on. The outfit.

Continue reading →

Learning to Not Be Afraid to Work Independently

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By: Emily Saccuzzo, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

Getting involved in research can be pretty scary. I remember my first day I was so overwhelmed with all of the different pieces of expensive equipment I didn’t know how to use. It took me a few months of shadowing to even feel confident enough to do anything by myself. So the question is, how do you know when you’re ready?

One common occurrence in our lab is pouring and loading a PAGE gel for analysis. It was something I’d seen done and done with the help of my grad student so many times by the time it came for me to do this by myself. It was a few weeks into my first semester of doing research and I was tasked with both pouring the gel and loading it completely on my own. It seems silly now how nervous I was seeing as how I’ve done it probably a hundred times since then without fail, but I remember being on the verge of shaking I was so scared to do it alone. But guess what, I did it!

Continue reading →

Navigating a Collaborative Group Project

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By: Priscilla Grillakis, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

Getting involved in research was something I had always wanted to do, but was unsure of how to do. In December of my sophomore year, one of my friends from Neag School of Education was approached by two of her Neag classmates to join their research project and apply for an IDEA grant. She mentioned to them that she thought I would be an asset to the project because she thought my Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences major and Spanish minor provided me with a skill set that would complement their educational skill set. I gladly agreed to join their team, and we applied for an IDEA grant that following spring.

While being on an interdisciplinary research team can seem intimidating at first, I would highly recommend it. Being on a team can bring about some challenges, so consider these tips!

Continue reading →

Don’t Be Intimidated – Apply to Fund Your Research Projects

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By: Ariane Garrett, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

“Ariane Garrett is a STEM Scholar double majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Spanish. In her freshman year, she was named a Holster Scholar and awarded an IDEA grant for her independent research project, “An Optical System for Analysis of Implantable Medical Devices”. Ariane is continuing her research into this school year focusing on remote monitoring of implantable medical devices using radio frequency powering.”

If you’re interested in getting involved in research or competing for any sort of funding programs (such as IDEA) you’ve probably read some blurbs very similar to this. This short paragraph about my accomplishments thus far sounds pretty fancy. It paints a picture of someone who has everything together, and leaves out all of the ups and downs along the path to the funding and completion of my research project. Every stage of my project (deciding to apply, the application process, and the period after funding) came with it’s own unique set of challenges and worries. The purpose of this blog post is to address overcoming personal doubts at each stage. Continue reading →

So You Want to Change Labs?

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By: Divya Ganugapati, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

“Every project is a race between your enthusiasm and your ability to get it done. Go fast. Don’t slow down. A year from now, new things will interest you” – Jill Soloway

One of the first things anyone told me on my first day at the Language and Brain (LAB) Laboratory was to make sure to not constrict the breadth of my research experience and involvement by staying in the same lab for four years. My immediate thought was “Why would anyone want to change?” After being a research assistant in the LAB Lab for close to three years, it has become more and more apparent as to how individuals change during the course of their research experience; at least I know I certainly have.

Being able to properly address when and why a change in research is needed is the most important step in catering to your individualistic curiosities, career plans, and interests. Once those questions are answered, being able to switch labs in a professional manner while maintaining your relationship with faculty mentors and researchers is vital.

Here are some “Do’s” and “Don’ts” when thinking about switching labs. Continue reading →

Staying Motivated and Working Independently

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By: Emily Regan, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

Staying motivated and working independently is not so difficult when every day brings the excitement of a reading a new story or studying the work of a master. However, I’ve learned that when your work evolves into steady, independent tasks, staying focused becomes more challenging, and even more important.

The exhilaration that came with being awarded a UConn IDEA Grant to write and illustrate a graphic novel was all-encompassing, and fueled the first stage of my independent project. I planned my research trip to Newport, RI, studied what supplies I would need to complete the illustrations, and read endless graphic novels for inspiration. This research was hard work, but also work that allowed me to imagine what my project would be like at its conclusion.

As I got further into my project and the work became increasingly independent and detail oriented, I realized I needed tools to help me stay on task. Here are three strategies that helped me stay focused and motivated.

Continue reading →