I'm just wondering how common it is for undergrads to have their own individual research project. is it considered a big deal when applying, or is it just another item that just gets glanced over?
Is it common to have individual research projects?
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I am actually writing a grant proposal for my own research project right now (I am an undergrad), and based on what I've found out talking to professors and even looking through grant apps is that having your own research project as an undergrad is really rare (I'm talking in the sense of being an undergraduate P.I. and managing a project that is completely yours).
There really isn't much funding that is available for an undergraduate. We just don't have access to many actual "research" grants. Although depending on how much your project will cost you can always just pay for it out of pocket and do an obscene amount of work for free. If it is something you think you'll need funding for, my advise would be first to talk to your university to see if anything is in place for undergraduate funding and if that doesn't work out start combing through non-research specific grants (non-profit/community oriented grants) for something that is close to what you want to research and just budget time/money for publishing in your grant app.
As far as looking good, everyone I have talked too agrees that if you pull it off it would look worlds better than being a secondary or even primary author on someone else's project. Even if you can't land funding, the fact that you had an idea and ran with it far enough to find funding and go through the application process says a whole lot. Going through an application process for a big grant is a pretty big deal and the sooner you have exposure to how the research process really works, the better.
There really isn't much funding that is available for an undergraduate. We just don't have access to many actual "research" grants. Although depending on how much your project will cost you can always just pay for it out of pocket and do an obscene amount of work for free. If it is something you think you'll need funding for, my advise would be first to talk to your university to see if anything is in place for undergraduate funding and if that doesn't work out start combing through non-research specific grants (non-profit/community oriented grants) for something that is close to what you want to research and just budget time/money for publishing in your grant app.
As far as looking good, everyone I have talked too agrees that if you pull it off it would look worlds better than being a secondary or even primary author on someone else's project. Even if you can't land funding, the fact that you had an idea and ran with it far enough to find funding and go through the application process says a whole lot. Going through an application process for a big grant is a pretty big deal and the sooner you have exposure to how the research process really works, the better.
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I think undergraduates having their own research project is extremely rare, to echo the previous poster. For the most part, students either do work under a graduate student or a post-doc. If you happen to be really lucky, you may have a sub-project under a larger umbrella; a small project to substantiate the findings of the larger goal.
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It's pretty rare. That being said it's not completely unknown. I'm in charge of my own project this summer, but that's because it got handed to me from one of my professors who I worked for last summer because he trusts me and has no time to do the project on his own.
I would play it up for sure, especially if it is being published because then you should get first author honors which is baller to have as an undergrad.
I would play it up for sure, especially if it is being published because then you should get first author honors which is baller to have as an undergrad.
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I was lucky enough to join a lab where they trusted me with my own project. Eventually we got some good funding and now I have 2 of my own projects and work there full time (I graduated summer 07). That being said, it all really depends on the type of lab you go into and how much a P.I. is willing to trust you with that sort of responsibility. In my particular situation, I worked as a volunteer and busted my *** for about 2 months when they finally decided to pay me. This probably has something to do with the fact that I was paid through work study for my junior and senior year. Nonetheless, it still really depends on the amount of funding in the lab and the P.I.
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I have my own, and it is nothing like the research of the prof I work with. They are not even in the same field- his area is critical care outcomes and my research is basically a public health/injury prevention project. He is my research associate on my project and I'm his associate on his project, even though he only really works on my project when I get stuck on a statistical analysis.
I do know of other premeds who have a project they can call wholly their own in the sense that they have control of the project and have the grants in their name. However these are normally a small side project in keeping with their professor's main research.
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I have my own project that differs from my advisor's work though he is helping me out a ton with data analysis right now. It's for an honors thesis so I can graduate "with distinction" in my major. I think talking about it in my interviews almost definitely impressed some of my interviewers.
I ask this because the lady I've been helping for the past semester and a half just told me today, "You've been doing tons of tedious work for me, and have been here quite a while now. How would you like to start an individual research project?" It really caught me off guard, and I didn't know what responsibilities I'd have to take on with such a project. so, she told me to think of a topic (she works in the dept. of Psychiatry, interests in addiction medicine) that relates to her field, come back in next time, and she'd help me take off and help me along the way.
now, is it safe to assume that all this 'grant' talk I'm hearing, in here, will already have been handled? How long do these projects usually take? We haven't discussed the specifics yet, and will certainly do so the next time I meet with her, but I just wanted to get a gist of what I was getting myself into.
now, is it safe to assume that all this 'grant' talk I'm hearing, in here, will already have been handled? How long do these projects usually take? We haven't discussed the specifics yet, and will certainly do so the next time I meet with her, but I just wanted to get a gist of what I was getting myself into.
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As for the grants, it really depends on the situation. I'm writing a grant proposal at the moment for not this year but next year, I don't expect to hear a response until late this year. My project I am pretty much responsible for the grant seeking activities for it. This will depend, however, upon the nature of the faculty member overseeing your work.
How long do they last? Once again, it depends on the project. My project could easily be something I continue through graduate (or medical) school. It is simply an ongoing project that will most likely keep growing and sprouting new side projects (and publications) until I finally shelve it or pass it off to someone else at a date far down the road. As it stands now, I expect to be working on the project for at least the next 3-4 years, with publications starting to be produced with regularity late this fall.
This is not likely the case with something as comparatively simplistic as a research project into one tiny aspect of addiction medicine. Your prof would be the best one to ask about these issues.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to PM me.
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I wouldn't worry too much about details of your research project. There should be people in the lab (if not your P.I.) like PhDs and others to help and guide you along the way. I was lucky enough to work with some really helpful post-docs and research scientists who were knoweldgeable and experienced molecular biologists. They were really helpful whenever I had questions and I learned so much. If you're commited to the project and a determined worker, then there's nothing standing in your way and it can be a great learning process. I love my job! Be sure to be enthusiastic about your project to your P.I. too!
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it happens all the time at my school. both in the summer and in the fall/spring. students come up w/ original research and it is backed by a "mentor" or professor. if you do it in the summer its a 10 week commitment and you get a 3500 dollar stipend. if you do it in the academic year you get academic credit.
i will be taking on research with a faculty member this summer and conducting an original research project in the fall. at my school it is kind of the norm.
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