Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate Research
Overview
For many students, research is one of the most intellectually rewarding experiences during their time at Barnard. Below, we have summarized the best way to receive credit for your research during the academic year, and provided resources for funding (including Barnard Biology Mini Grants), identifying research locations, and about the Summer Research Institute (SRI).
To assist you in identifying a research project, we encourage you to:
- Attend program planning meetings and departmental coffee hours. We will discuss the process of selecting a mentor and thesis topic, and you'll have the chance to meet fellow biology researchers, including current majors.
- Meet with the Chair of the Biology Department or your advisor (assuming s/he is a Biology faculty), and discuss your interests, goals, or ideas.
You can become involved in biology research during any (or all) of your semesters at Barnard. Once you have planned your project with your mentor, and discussed it with your internal advisor (if your lab is off campus), you should complete and submit a Project Approval Form if you intend on receiving credit for your work.
For the 2021–2022 Academic Year, Project Approval Forms are due Sep 21st for the fall semester, and Jan 25th for the spring semester.
The faculty are listed below alongside their research interests. Students are expected to identify and directly contact a faculty research mentor to determine whether they are able to work in his/her lab.
Faculty Research Interests
|
Faculty Member |
|
Research Interests |
|---|---|---|
|
Neural mechanisms underlying emotional memory |
||
|
Ecological genetics |
||
|
Chemical senses, ingestive behavior, food likes and dislikes |
||
|
Developmental genetics & vertebrate development |
||
|
Genome organization of human viruses associated with cancer |
||
|
Evolution of plastid DNA |
||
|
Evolutionary genetics & animal behavior |
||
| Resetarits, Emlyn | eresetar@barnard.edu |
Aquatic ecology, parasitology, invertebrate zoology |
|
Cellular stress responses of the honey bee |
Credit for Research
There are three courses that provide credit for lab research during the academic year. You should enroll in one of the following courses, depending on your class year, whether you want degree or major credit, and the time & scope of your independent project. See item #6 on the checklist that follows to determine which course you should enroll in.
Note: you cannot get credit for doing research during the summer - therefore, securing funding for summer research is an excellent alternative!
Use the checklist below to determine whether you have met the requirements for enrollment in either Guided Research (BIOL BC3597) or either of the year-long courses: Guided Research & Seminar (BIOL BC3591-3592) or Senior Thesis Research & Seminar (BIOL BC3593-3594).
Once you have ensured that your project is appropriate for enrollment in any of these courses, fill out a Project Approval Form. Approval for either year-long course must be submitted by the April deadline preceding the year you intend to enroll, or before the end of program planning for the semester during which you are enrolling in Guided Research (BIOL BC3597).
For the 2020–2021 academic year, the Project Approval Form is due Sept. 21st for the fall semester and Jan. 25th for the spring semester.
Guided Research (BIOL BC3597): This is a variable-credit one-semester course open to students beginning in their first year, which can be taken during any Fall or Spring semester. Enrollment in this course is recommended for students who wish to receive degree credit for unpaid research. This course does not fulfill any Biology major requirements.
Guided Research & Seminar (BIOL BC3591-BC3592): This is a year-long 8-credit course (4 credits/semester) open to students beginning in their sophomore year. Enrollment can fulfill up to two upper-level lab courses for the Biology major, which requires three upper-level labs. This course is only available as a Fall to Spring sequence; as a requirement for this course, you must work on the same project 9–10 hours/week for both semesters. By the end of the year, you will write a scientific paper and give a poster presentation of your work at the Barnard Biology Symposium. Research conducted while enrolled in this course may not be paid.
Seniors enrolled in this course will need to take BIOL BC3590 Senior Seminar in order to fulfill their capstone requirement.
Senior Thesis Research & Seminar (BIOL BC3593-BC3594): This is a year-long 8-credit course (4 credits/semester), which can only be taken during a student's senior year to fulfill the senior capstone requirement. Seniors enrolled in Senior Thesis Research & Seminar may not concurrently enroll in Guided Research & Seminar (though they may have taken it in their sophomore or junior years to fulfill two upper-level labs). As a requirement for this course, you must work on the same project 9–10 hours/week for both semesters. By the end of the year, you will write a scientific paper and orally present your work at the Barnard Biology Symposium. Research conducted while enrolled in this course may not be paid.
Student Checklist for Research Project Approval
You may work in a faculty lab here at Barnard or in a lab at another institution. Once you have found a mentor, you should meet to discuss potential projects. Your mentor will likely suggest projects to you, but may also seek your input in making a final choice.
If your lab is outside the Barnard Biology Department, you will need a faculty member within the department to serve as your internal advisor. Your internal advisor will ideally work in an area of research that is similar to your lab. For a list of faculty research areas, see: Faculty in Biology
Your project may have specific scheduling demands, which you should discuss along with your availability with your research mentor. You may need to be in lab for many consecutive hours to complete a particular experiment, or you may occasionally need to check in on experiments at odd hours such as early mornings, nights, or weekends. Be certain that you are able to fit in the specific scheduling requirements for your project or make arrangements with your mentor that you both agree on.
If your lab is not on campus, do you have a reliable form of transportation? Have you budgeted transportation time into your schedule? Transit time does not count toward research time.
Also consider transportation when discussing scheduling requirements (see #3, above). Be sure to discuss your mentor’s expectations and your availability, and make arrangements that you both agree on.
If you will be working with human subjects, live vertebrate animals, or dangerous materials including radioactive or biohazardous materials, you will need to complete training sessions before beginning work in any lab. At Barnard/Columbia trainings and approvals are offered through the Barnard or Columbia University Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) office, respectively. Check with your research mentor to determine what approvals you will need, and for instruction on how to sign up for training sessions. Please note that approval for work with human subjects can take up to 6 months, so plan accordingly.
Though you may already be working in your lab as a summer intern, you can only receive credit for unpaid research during the academic year.
- If you would like to receive degree credit for research without it counting for the major, enrollment in Guided Research (BIOL BC3597) may begin as early as the fall semester of your first year. Because there is no seminar component to this course, there is no requirement that it be taken in a Fall to Spring sequence nor that it be taken for a full year.
Students who wish to receive credit for their research and have it count toward the major should enroll either in Guided Research & Seminar (BIOL BC3591-3592) or Senior Thesis Research & Seminar (BIOL BC3593-3594) depending on their class year and the major requirement they are looking to fulfill. Both of these year-long courses may only be taken in a Fall to Spring sequence, and therefore, enrollment cannot begin in the Spring semester.
- You may enroll in BIOL BC3591-3592 as early as your sophomore year and as late as your senior year. Enrollment in this course will substitute up to two lab courses.
Seniors who enroll in this course must additionally take BIOL BC3590 Senior Seminar in order to fulfill their capstone requirement.
- Seniors enrolling in BIOL BC3593-3594 cannot also be enrolled in BIOL BC3591-3592 at the same time. However, it is fine to continue research begun in the same lab where you conducted research for BIOL BC3591-3592 if you took this course in your sophomore or junior year.
This year-long course will satisfy the capstone requirement for majors.
a) Does your project meet the requirements for BIOL BC3591-3592 or BIOL BC3593-3594?
Your Barnard research mentor (if your lab is at Barnard) or internal advisor (if your lab is elsewhere) must approve your planned research before you enroll in either year-long course. Your project must be appropriate in terms of (i) scope and (ii) time requirement for a 4-credit course both semesters.
(i) Is the scope of the project appropriate?
Your project can be in any area of biological research, including clinical research, but it must aim toward generating original data. In addition, you should be contributing substantially to your project. This does not mean that you should take the lead on it; you will likely be working with another lab member who leads the project (a PI, grad student, postdoc, or research technician), but it is important that you spend the majority of your lab time doing experiments for this project.
By the end of the year, students enrolled in BIOL BC3591-3592 will write a scientific paper and give a poster presentation of their work at the Barnard Biology Symposium. Students enrolled in BIOL BC3593-3594 will write a scientific paper and orally present their work at the Barnard Biology Symposium.
(ii) Is the time requirement met for the project?
In addition to time spent preparing for the seminar, you should plan to spend 9-10 hours/week in your lab conducting research both semesters. Transit time to your lab does not count toward these 9-10 hours/week of research time.
b) Does your project meet the requirements for BIOL BC3597?
Your Barnard research mentor (if your lab is at Barnard) or internal advisor (if your lab is elsewhere) must approve your planned research before you enroll in either year-long course. Your project must be appropriate in terms of (i) scope and (ii) time requirement for the number of credits in which you are enrolled.
(i) Is the scope of the project appropriate?
Your project can be in any area of biological research, including clinical research, but it must aim toward generating original data. In addition, you should be contributing substantially to your project. This does not mean that you should take the lead on it; you will likely be working with another lab member who leads the project (a PI, grad student, postdoc, or research technician), but it is important that you spend the majority of your lab time doing experiments for this project.
(ii) Is the time requirement met for the project?
You may enroll in BIOL BC3597 for between 1-4 credits per semester. As a rule of thumb, you should be spending approximately 3 hours per week per credit on your research project. Transit time to your lab does not count toward research time.
Once you have planned your project with your mentor, and discussed it with your internal advisor (if your lab is off campus), you should complete and submit a Project Approval Form. Your digital signature will confirm that your project fulfills the above requirements and a copy will be made available to your internal advisor. Project Approval Forms are due before the end of registration at the start of each semester (for BIOL BC3597) or before the end of registration in the spring prior to enrollment (for BIOL BC3591-3592 or BC3593-3594).
Be sure to add the appropriate course to your program in myBarnard. A digital copy of this form will also be made available to your major advisor so they can approve your program.
- For BIOL BC3597 only: Each Barnard faculty member has their own section of Guided Research. Be sure to add the appropriate course & section to your program in myBarnard. You should sign up for the section assigned to your Barnard Research Mentor. If your lab is outside of Barnard, you must have an Internal Advisor and will sign up in that advisor’s section.
Once your advisor has approved your program in myBarnard, BIOL BC3597 will appear on your program for 1 credit. If you are taking BIOL BC3597 for more than one credit, use the dropdown menu to adjust the number of credits in your program before the end of the program planning period.
For the 2021–2022 academic year, Project Approval Forms are due Sept. 20th in the fall semester and Jan. 31st in the spring semester.
Certification & Training
To work in Barnard and Columbia Labs, you must obtain the following certification and training.
Laboratory Safety
All students, staff and faculty are required to attend a laboratory safety training session prior to conducting research in a faculty laboratory. The training is offered three times a year—i.e., at the beginning of each semester and the summer. Ask your mentor for the time and location.
There is also an online version available for those who are unable to attend the review course. To become certified, students must pass the test associated with the online course.
Fire Safety Certification & Training
When a laboratory is open and running, New York City requires at least one of the occupants to be C-14 certified.
To obtain certification, Barnard students must take a test in Brooklyn. To qualify you must have completed the following:
- 21 credits in a science course
- 60 credits
To prepare for the test, we recommend that you either attend the review class or review the material online.
When planning to take the test:
- Confirm that they are open and bring necessary materials by visiting the NYC Business site with information on the C-14 certification.
- Double check the requirements as the requirements change.
- Review the study guide and online materials.
- Fill out the A-20 form
- Bring two forms of identification and a letter of recommendation from your PI
Please note: the testing fee is $25. You may be reimbursed by Beyond Barnard. To this end, make sure you keep your receipt.
Traveling to the test site from Barnard:
NYC Fire Department (FDNY)
Public Certification Unit
9 MetroTech Center, 1st Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 999-1988
pubcert@fdny.nyc.gov
- Take the 1 train to 59th (Columbus Circle) and transfer to the A train to Metro Tech/Jay Street
- Use the Myrtle Promenade/Jay St. Metro Tech exit from the station
- Walk east to the Flatbush Ave. entrance
Certification and Training for the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
Instructions for Barnard students to complete RCR.
Frequently Asked Questions about RCR
Research on Vertebrate Animals
If you are planning to conduct research on vertebrate animals (e.g., mice), then please speak with your mentor about obtaining approval from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at Columbia.
Before you can begin research on vertebrate animals, you must be trained and appropriately qualified. To this end, you will need to attend training courses, obtain occupational health approval, and be added to your mentor’s research protocol. For a summary of this process, see the Training Flowchart.
The training and certification process is conducted by the Institute of Comparative Medicine (ICM) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at Columbia. Given that the training process varies depending on the vertebrate species you intend to study (e.g. mouse, rat, or pigeon), you will need to speak with your mentor about the specific training requirements.
For occupational health approval, you will need to:
- Fill out the occupational health clearance form with your mentor.
- Obtain clearance from a health care provider (note: during the academic year, go to BC health services; during the summer, go to CU health services in John Jay).
Note: this training and certification process often takes 3–4 weeks to complete, so begin early.
Research on Humans
Any member of the Barnard College faculty, staff, postdoctoral, and student bodies who plans to initiate research involving human subjects must submit a protocol for Institutional Review Board (IRB) review prior to beginning the project.
The Barnard IRB meets on the second Monday of every month while classes are in session, and as needed during the summer recess. In order to assure a timely review, please submit your application to the IRB at least two weeks before a scheduled meeting.
IRB Chair:
Lisa Son
Department of Psychology
Milbank Hall, Room 415C
3009 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
212.854.4247
lson@barnard.edu
Funding Sources: Grants & Summer Stipends
All Barnard students have access to subsidized summer housing in a Barnard dormitory, assuming you are working full-time in a scientific laboratory. Below are some programs that offer stipends for summer research.
Amgen Scholars Summer Research Program
Eligibility: Students at Barnard, CU, or elsewhere must work full-time with established Amgen mentor
Process: Applications are accepted until 5pm on February 1st, 2022.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships
Eligibility: Students from Barnard or CU or must work with established SURF mentor
Process: Applications will be accepted from January 3rd until 5pm on February 1st, 2022. All recommendations must be emailed through the application website by February 1st, 2022, at 5pm.
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Summer Intern Program
Eligibility: Students at Barnard, CU, or elsewhere should have an interest in conducting research in the Earth or ocean sciences. Two previous Earth- or ocean-science courses are desirable if they are available to the student.
The Lamont-Doherty Summer Intern Program offers the chance to experience scientific research as an undergraduate. The program is open to US citizens or permanent residents who have completed their junior or sophomore year in college or community college with majors in earth science, environmental science, chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, or engineering. Neither graduating seniors nor international students are eligible for this internship. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.
If possible, the internship will be held in-person at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University’s Earth and Environmental Science campus in Palisades New York, with students being housed in a nearby college dormitory. However, should the Covid-19 Pandemic prevent an in-person program, it will be held remotely, following the model of the very successful 2020 remote program.
Applicants should have an interest in conducting research in the Earth, Ocean, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences. Two previous college-level courses in one or more of these areas are desirable if they are available to the student. All students are preferred to have at least one year of calculus (high school or college) and/or good grades in college level mathematics. Students choosing research in geochemistry and chemical oceanography should have at least two semesters of college-level chemistry; in marine biology at least two semesters of college-level biology; and in geophysics should have at least two semesters of college-level physics. However, exceptions may be made in cases where the applicant’s college does not offer appropriate courses.
Process: Applications are due February 23rd, 2022.
Funding for Student Conference Travel
Beyond Barnard financially supports students who are selected to attend or present at professional conferences. For more information, click here. Applications for funding are due March 8th, 2024.
Beyond Barnard Funding & External Fellowships
Beyond Barnard provides information on internship funding resources and select, competitive research fellowships.
Con Edison Grants
This grant funds three students per summer. Fellows must be from under-represented communities. For details, contact Jemima Gedeon in the Dean of Studies Office (jgedeon@barnard.edu).
Individual Faculty Grants
Some Biology faculty have research grants (such as NIH grants) that provide summer stipends for Barnard students.
Barnard Biology Small Summer Grants
Several funds (the Donald and Nancy Ritchie, Edna Henry Bennett, Maura Shannon Barrett, and Herbert Maule Richards grants) support stipends for students to conduct biological research over the summer.
Eligibility
All prospective and declared biology majors are eligible and encouraged to apply. The biology department small summer grants are intended to support research experiences not typically funded through the Summer Research Institute (SRI). Specifically, laboratory research internships in the NYC area will not be considered. Successful proposals will include those supporting fieldwork-based research and laboratory-based research outside of the NYC area.
How to Apply
If you have a project in mind for the upcoming summer, please submit a 1-2 page proposal and your student grant budget worksheet to the department administrator, Sylvia Niemann (sniemann@barnard.edu) by early to mid-April. This proposal should include:
- A brief description of your plans and their importance to your studies (1-2 paged proposal narrative). Click here to view a Grant Proposal Narrative Template.
- A detailed budget which indicates the minimum amount of money that you will need (Student Grant Budget Worksheet). Click here to download the Student Grant Budget Worksheet that you are expected to include with your proposal.
The narrative template should be used as a guideline for students writing grant proposals for the first time. It should by no means limit your creativity when writing your proposal.
A brief description of the funds/grants:
- Edna Henry Bennett Memorial Grants (1927) - For summer study at a biological research station.
- Herbert Maule Richards Grants (1933) - For botanical or general biological research.
- Donald and Nancy Ritchie Grants (1979) - For biological study or research.
- Maura Shannon Barrett Internship Funds - For Barnard students interested in medically-related research over the summer.
Summer Research Institute (SRI)
The 2024 SRI application opens February 1 and is due March 6, 2024.
The Summer Research Institute (SRI) is a 10-week program for Barnard students who want to conduct scientific research during the summer. Students work directly either with a faculty mentor on campus, across the street at Columbia, or at other institutions such as the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. If your research mentor is not a Barnard faculty member, you will also need to identify an internal mentor.
SRI provides a common experience for undergraduates, providing additional training and opportunities to build empirical and analytical skills along with faculty lectures, alumnae panel discussions, social events, and more. All students selected to participate in SRI have access to subsidized on-campus housing. The summer concludes with a capstone poster session, where students present the progress of their research.
Eligibility: Full-time Barnard students working full-time with Barnard faculty in good financial, conduct, and academic standing; a GPA of 2.00
See a list of former biology SRI research mentors here. See the research interests of potential Barnard Biology faculty mentors here. Note: The department does not pair students with mentors.
Relevant SRI Links
-
List of former Biology SRI research mentors/principal investigators
-
Links to previous Poster Session materials (with information on previous faculty mentors from all participating institutions)
Questions? Email the departmental faculty representative, Professor Jon Snow (jsnow@barnard.edu), or sri@barnard.edu.
Scholarships & Programs
Learn more about scholarships & opportunity programs that provide funding to qualified Barnard STEM students during the academic year by clicking the link below.
Research Corner
Our Research Corner is a space dedicated to highlighting the research produced by Barnard Biologists. Here, you'll find interviews and news stories on the students, faculty, and staff in Altschul floors 9 through 13 ranging from the study of cellular pathways in bees to taste and olfaction to antibiotic resistance. Visit today!
FAQ
Though many of our majors pursue research opportunities with faculty in our department, below you will find other Barnard Departments and NYC institutions where Barnard Biology Majors have conducted research:
Barnard College
Columbia University
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology (E3B)
- Biological Sciences
- College of Physicians and Surgeons
- New York State Psychiatric Institute
- The Lamont-Doherty Observatory
- The Earth Institute
Nearby Universities or Institutions
The Department of Biological Sciences hosted a workshop in Spring 2021 led by Professor Jonathan Snow on this very topic. During this session, we discussed approaches and tips on how to contact Primary Investigators (PIs) whose labs are conducting research in an area that you are interested in. Email the Department Administrator, Sylvia Niemann (sniemann@barnard.edu) for a copy of the recording today!