Research Participation
Ellen Zocher, a senior Biology major, prepares a petri dish full of the roundworm C. elegans to be examined under a higher power microscope.
Grad student Sarah Peterson, left, and Alejandro Acevedo-Gutierrez heading towards Bird Rocks in Rosario Strait, San Juan Islands, to tag harbor seals in order to record their diving behavior and movements. Photo by Kenady Wilson.
Western Washington University graduate student Rachael Mallon shows off a bright pinkish red sample of watermelon snow after collecting it in July 2017 at Sahale Peak east of Marblemount.
PSRF divers prepare to release juvenile abalone on the rocky reef systems of the San Juan islands
Getting Involved in Research in the Biology Department
Research experience is valuable for a number of reasons: it deepens your learning in a particular field of study; it teaches you how you can apply your biological knowledge to real world questions; it introduces you to cutting edge scientific techniques; it prepares you for success as a professional scientist; and it is highly valued by employers and professional/graduates schools. Participation in research can also lead to presentations of research at scientific meetings or co-authorship on professional research publications.
Undergraduate students can register for research credit or work as a volunteer. For qualifying students, research opportunities may also be possible through the work-study program; make sure to let your prospective research advisor know of your eligibility. You and the faculty member agree upon the number of research credits, the nature of your activities in the lab, and the expectations for your involvement as a professional on the research team.
Students interested in joining a research group should:
- Find a faculty member or graduate student who is doing research that interests you. An easy way to do this is to check out the Biology Department Faculty Directory to get a sense for the kinds of research their groups do.
- Once you’ve decided whose group you are interested in, reach out to the faculty member directly, in person or by email!
- Don’t be discouraged if there isn’t an available opportunity in a particular lab when you first inquire! Opportunities and openings may arise in the future, and there is a broad array of labs both in Biology and in other Departments at Western that are worth checking out. Also consider internship and volunteer opportunities outside Western at other academic institutions (e.g. via the NSF REU program), government agencies, non-governmental organizations, or private companies and industry (Check out Handshake). Research experience outside of WWU may be eligible for internship credit (BIOL 496 Professional Work Experience).
Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)
The Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) is a 10-week program that provides students performing research in the Biology Department an opportunity to grow as scientists and engage in a scientific and social community while partaking in professional development activities and receiving mentorship in scientific communication. The program consists of weekly sessions in which Biology faculty provide hands-on training and facilitation of such discussion topics as: research ethics, working effectively with mentors, and framing and presenting research questions. Previous summers have also included field trips to visit academic and industry labs in Seattle as well as networking events with Western Alumni currently working in the field. Students will also receive guidance producing a scientific poster that communicates their research to be presented at a Biology Research Poster Session held in Fall quarter.
While the curriculum has been designed to support and increase community across summer undergraduate researchers, we invite any undergraduates entering the summer before their final year or quarter of study to apply for financial support to fund their research activities full-time. If you are interested in applying for summer funding, see application information for 2025 below. Students accepted to the paid internship will receive up to ~$6200 ($19/hr) for the summer and will be required to participate fully in the program. A limited amount of support for materials and supplies for awardees’ summer use will also be available upon request.
Program Benefits
- Hands-on experience in doing research
- A cohort-based community to connect and socialize with consisting of faculty and students engaged in research in Biology at WWU
- Networking opportunities with scientists and researchers in Western Washington
- Professional development in doing and communicating science
Student Eligibility for a Paid Internship
- Enrolled as a WWU student in the Fall Quarter immediately following the program
- Affiliated with a Biology lab at time of application
- Preference will be given to students with financial need
Expectations of Internship Awardees
- Conduct research for up to 40 hrs/week in the summer
- Participation in all SURP program activities and events
- Present a research poster during the Fall quarter.
Application Process:
By Sunday, March 10th, 5pm PST, student applicants and their sponsoring faculty should separately submit PDF documents with the following information:
Student applicant:
- Full name, anticipated graduation date, Biology lab in which you will conduct your summer research
- Dates of summer availability for research and in-person participation in weekly, ~2 hr SURP sessions
- Short responses to the following prompts:
- Problem solving: Finding accurate, informative and relevant information when problem solving can be difficult. Describe (in <150 words) how you find accurate and relevant information for science and your research efforts.
- Resilience: Science requires persistence, perseverance, and a lot of troubleshooting as research doesn’t always turn out as one expects. Describe in (<150 words) an example from your own experience that speaks to your ability to persist and persevere in the face of a challenge.
- Research: Describe (in <300 words) what you have accomplished in your lab so far and how it relates to the work you will be doing over the summer. In describing your planned summer work, provide the aims of your research project, what steps you might take to achieve them, and what outcomes you might generate.
- Financial Need (optional): Describe any financial need that underlies your motivation to apply for these awards.
Faculty sponsor:
Briefly provide:
- Specifics about your mentee that make them a strong candidate for this award
- Why having summer support would be especially impactful for your mentee
- A brief description of the research activities that your mentee will be directly engaged in
- A brief description of your mentoring and support plan for your mentee
In addition, please indicate:
- Any alternative sources of funding you might have for your mentee
- Your dates of availability to contribute to implementation of programming in the summer (note that program planning would require your involvement in the Spring as well)
- If you are sponsoring more than one student, please provide the relative rank of preference for each student
Evaluation Process:
Selection of students for funded participation in the program will be performed by the SURP Review Committee and will be based upon student and faculty sponsor applications, maximal distribution of funded students across Biology labs, student financial need, and student and the availability of sponsoring faculty to participate in, and support SURP programming. Note that Review Committee members will recuse themselves from evaluation and discussion of their own mentees. Awards will be announced at the start of Spring quarter.