Dear Student,
If you are picking this up, it is because you are pondering if you would like to do undergraduate
research at CU. The goals of this booklet are to help you find various research opportunities,
determine what might be the best research experience for you and to figure out how to get a foot
in the door of a research lab. This booklet was written and compiled by previous CU MCDB
students who worked in a research lab and wanted to offer assistance to other students who
hope to gain research experience. The goal of this booklet is to cover the why, when, where and
how of starting an undergraduate research project. We hope this information helps to start you
on your way.
Best of luck in your endeavors
MCDB Mentors Class of ‘07
Why do research as an undergraduate?
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Learn problem-solving skills. Although the Nobel Prize-winning experiments you hear about
in class are always very elegant, they don't represent how science is really done. Experiments
will probably not work at first, but you are going to figure out how to make them work.
Work collaboratively. Teamwork is a skill valued by many employers.
Figure out if you like it or not. Who doesn't want to have a career they're passionate about?
The first step to finding your dream career is to start trying out different jobs.
Understand what you're learning in the classroom better. Performing and then analyzing the
results of an experimental assay really helps you to understand the scientific process.
Improve your knowledge of science (and your grad school application). Wherever your
science background takes you after graduation, you'll know more about science after actually
“doing science” in a research lab.
Graduate with Honors. If you wish to graduate Summa cum laude, Magna cum laude, or Cum
laude you MUST do undergrad research and write and defend a thesis. This process is best
spread over 2 years and it is recommended that you find a research lab and begin your work at
the latest by the beginning of your junior year. More information on graduating with Honors
can be found on the Honors website: http://www.colorado.edu/honors/ Also, check with your
advisor to make sure you are completing all of the requirements for Honors.
When can I do research?
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During the school year. Most students choose to do their research during the academic year. If
you get paid, working in the lab is just like having a job while in school.
Over the summer. This leaves your school year free to study or pursue other activities. If you
get paid, your lab work can serve as your summer job.
After graduation. You can look for a full time research assistantship after graduation. Some
research programs, especially established international ones, seek recent graduates. This won't
enhance your classroom learning as much, but you'll still come out knowing how science really
works.
Where can I do research?
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On campus. Your lab can become your home-away-from-home. You'll meet and work with
fellow students (often potential study buddies). The professor you work with will also know
who you are and may work on your project with you (sometimes). On campus research
positions are also more convenient and allow you more time to be in the lab because they are in
close proximity to classes.
At local biotech companies. Biotech research has different goals and funding than academic
research. There are many biotech internships offered especially during the summer months.
They often pay far better than academic jobs. Many will have opportunities for publication.
Check with your advisors for more information on local biotech opportunities.
Where your connections are. Does your roommate's dad work for the NIH? Is your mom's
coworker's husband a university researcher? You could never be aware of all possible lab
positions in the world, so it pays to ask scientists you know if their lab employs students, and if
so, how they select the students who apply.
Out of state (or abroad). Working and living somewhere new can be exciting! You could
work at a government agency like the CDC, USDA or NIH. Working somewhere else requires a
little more planning, like arranging flights and finding housing, but it can be done!
How do I find a research job?
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Once you have decided where you want to do research you need to determine how to get into
those labs.
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On campus. On campus jobs are great because you can maximize the time you are available to
be in the lab and can easily mesh lab and classes. The MCDB labs are (for the most part) in the
middle of campus, so you can even run in to lab between classes when necessary. There are two
different ways to working in a campus lab: one is as an independent study student and the other
is as a work-study student.
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“Independent study”. Students who are doing independent study are working on an
independent research project. They are usually collaborating with other members of a lab,
including post docs, grad students and other undergraduate researchers. Their work can be
for academic credit, volunteer, as part of a work-study job or a grant.
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Work-study. Many labs will be looking for undergrads to help out around the lab, doing
things like making reagents, washing dishes, taking care of animals, etc. Some of these
positions may be posted in the work-study office. If you pick this route you may start doing
these kinds of tasks and eventually will be able to begin a more research-orientated project.
If you start as a work-study, be sure to discuss your intentions early on with the Principal
Investigator (PI) who is the faculty member in charge of the lab. .
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Getting started. In order to determine the best place for you to do research, you need to
familiarize yourself with the research interests of the faculty. You can find this information
on the science department’s web page. Here are links for Molecular Cellular and
Developmental Biology, MCDB, Chemistry and Biochemistry CHEM/Biochem, Integrative
Physiology, IPHY, and Environmental and Evolutionary Biology EBIO.
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MCDB: http://mcdb.colorado.edu/faculty/faculty.htm
CHEM/Biochem: http://www.colorado.edu/chemistry/faculty.html
IPHY: http://www.colorado.edu/intphys/research/index.html
EBIO: http://www.colorado.edu/eeb/
PSYC: http://psych.colorado.edu/research-faclabs.html
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It is often a good idea to pick 10 labs you are interested in and email the Principal
Investigators
 Picking a lab. The PIs may or may not respond to your emails. If you do not hear from
them after you have sent an email, visit the PI’s office, introduce yourself and ask them
if they have time to talk to you about research opportunities in their lab. If they don’t
have time, make an appointment to talk to them later.
 If possible, try to talk to several members of the lab including other undergrads, grad
students and post-docs you with whom you might be working. Ask questions about
the both the project and the lab. Use this information to determine if you would be a
good fit for the lab and if you are the type of person who would be successful in that
situation. Often the environment is just as important as the research.
 Ask about the kind of hours the PI expects the undergrads to devote to research. This
can vary from 10 – 30 hours per week and will often change over the course of a
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project.
If you have work-study as part of a financial aid package make sure to mention this
to the PI.
You can start looking for a research position anytime; however there may be more
openings at the end of the school year when the seniors are leaving.
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Funding. Most PIs will not be able to pay you. If money is an issue you should plan on
applying for a grant. The Undergraduate Research Program (UROP) offers funding to
undergrads doing independent research. Information about these grants is available at the
following website: http://www.colorado.edu/Research/UROP/ The MCDB Mentors/MCDB
Club also funds a small grant for MCDB majors who want to do research. For more
information about this grant contact Dr. Nancy Guild (nancy.guild@colorado.edu). If you
qualify for a work-study award you can also ask if the PI will hire you as a work-study.
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Remember:
 You aren't limited to the MCDB department.
 Be persistent.
 If you start in a lab that that doesn’t fit, do not be afraid to look for a different lab.
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Off campus, locally.
 Companies often are seeking students for the summer. Information about openings is
usually available around February or March.
 Career Services keeps a list of internships and companies often send information to the
departmental advisors.
 Check with the advisors. Look for research postings on bulletin boards around Porter and
MCDB.
 Put together your resume and cover letter and if possible have someone who has been
involved in biotech look over it. Sue Brehm, one of our MCDB advisors who worked in
biotech, is a great resource.
 Be aware of the biotech companies in the area and their internship programs. If you do not
see any that interest you, send your resume and cover letter to the human resources manager
at local companies to see if they might have an opening. A great site for Colorado biotech
info is http://www.cobioscience.com/
 Also there are often positions available at the CU Health Science Center. You should follow
a similar process as you would for a CU-Boulder position, (see “Getting Started” part of the
previous On Campus Section)
 The CU Health Science Center also has a summer program for students interested in
cancer biology. Applications for this Summer Cancer Fellowship are due in January.
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Out of state.
 You'll probably need to start looking for research positions and potentially applying for
them as early as January.
 Don't forget to use your connections to find out about internship opportunities. If you know
someone who works in a lab, find out if and how they hire students.
 Since the applicant pool potentially includes any student in the nation, expect to be turned
down at least a few times.
 There are so many opportunities on the national level, that you shouldn't waste your time
applying to ones you don't qualify for (especially if the application is very complicated). If
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minimum requirements are stated, make sure you meet them before filling out what can be
lengthy, detailed applications.
Getting housing for your new location is often less of a hassle than you think. Formalized
university programs often house students in dorms. If you're at a company, perhaps you can
live with one of your new coworkers.
Abroad.
 One of the best ways to work in a lab abroad is to get into a lab in the U.S. first. Once you're
proven yourself, then you can ask the lab supervisor if they have connections with any labs
abroad, and if they'd be willing to help you seek employment there.
 There are international programs intended for recent science graduates. For example: the
U.S collaborates with potential host countries to give the Fulbright Science and Technology
Award, and Germany has the DAAD Research Internships in Science and Engineering
(RISE) program. You can search the Internet, but also ask for ideas at the Office of
International Education, in the basement of the Environmental Design building on campus.