Department of Biology
There are many avenues available for conducting research at the undergraduate level. Some of these are detailed below are available at Georgetown. Summer opportunities are available both on-campus as well as off campus. Please discuss options with your advisor or your research mentor to determine which option is best for your situation.
The Georgetown-Hughes Undergraduate Research Scholars Program is in its second decade of support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The program provides a research-intensive curriculum for Biology majors with strong academic backgrounds and interests in careers in biomedical research and/or teaching. Scholars participate in monthly dinners and extensive research opportunities in summers and academic years in advanced laboratories the Biology Department and in Georgetown Medical Center. Each summer students participate in fully funded research and advanced program coursework. For more information and an application form see our Howard Hughes Research Program pages.
The Georgetown Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (GUROP) offers motivated students the opportunity to learn the discipline and experience the rewards of scholarly research by working with faculty on their research projects. Students spend a minimum of 70 hours per semester/summer working with a faculty mentor on that faculty member's research. Students receive a monetary research award for their work, and the transcript notation "Georgetown Undergraduate Research Assistant." Participating students are also eligible to compete for a Summer Research Fellowship.
The scholarships are open to Biology majors who are currently in their sophomore, junior and senior years and will provide a research award and a living allowance. This suupport will enable the student to work at Georgetown during the summer on a laboratory research project. These scholarships have been made possible through a generous gift from Dr. Mark M. Zukowski, a 1971 graduate of the Biology Department, in recognition of the importance of a full-time research experience in the development of a student's research knowledge, skills and interest. Applications are made during the spring semester for the upcoming summer.
Students may be able to obtain funding to support summer research through several funding agencies such as the National Instituties of Health, the National Science Foundation and many research societies. See your research mentor to discuss specific programs.
Students who are interested in starting their Senior Thesis project before the senior year can enroll in the Research Tutorial (BIOL-300) for a maximum of 4 credits which can be applied to the Biology major as one of the electives. Further research credit can be taken and applied as a college elective by enrolling in BIOL-304. You must discuss any research proposal with the research mentor prior to enrolling. See your advisor or the research mentor for additional information.