Undergraduate Research

Students are strongly encouraged to undertake a research project during their junior and/or senior years. The Applied Sciences are heavily research-based. Through the challenge of a research project, students come face-to-face with the leading edge of an area, gain expertise with state-of-the-art techniques and instrumentation, and experience a professional scientific career firsthand.

To find a research internship in a UNC-based research lab:

A number of faculty members on campus (particularly those in the Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, and the Dental Research Center and throughout the Medical School) conduct research projects related to the applied sciences.  To get involved in a research project, you should find a faculty member who is doing research that interests you and contact him or her directly.  Good resources for locating faculty are the relevant departmental webpages, and the UNC Office of Undergraduate Research.

To find a summer internship at a research lab off campus:

There are many NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates programs.  These are summer long programs and open to engineering students from around the country.  Here is a complete listing:

http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm

Another good list of opportunities in BME is at: http://people.rit.edu/gtfsbi/Symp/bme.htm

The Director of Undergraduate Studies will also email notices of research opportunities to students throughout the year. 

Academic Credit

Academic credit for research can be achieved through registration in APPL 395.  Please note that you can either get academic credit for your research project, or get paid, but not both.  There is no limit to the number of times that APPL 395 may be taken. It repeatedly counts as an elective toward graduation requirements.  Permission to register is a two-part procedure. The student must visit individual faculty who are potential supervisors. On finding a suitable project and reaching agreement as to type and style of research effort expected by the faculty member, the student then brings a letter of agreement from the faculty member and submits a 1 page (single spaced) research proposal to the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  A short paper is required at the end of the semester. 

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