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Internship Program Website |
The Jackson Laboratory is a world famous research institute which houses staff scientists interested in genetics, immunology, development, cell biology, and molecular biology. Juniors or Seniors may apply to spend a semester at The Jackson Laboratory, in Bar Harbor, and receive four course credits in Biology, two of which can count as electives toward a biology major. Interns work on a research project at the institution where they attend seminars and courses and contribute to the ongoing research of staff members. Students are expected to make their own housing arrangements; information is available through The Jackson Laboratory. Students are granted four course credits in Biology upon successful completion of the internship. Students do not receive formal grades, nor do they enroll in specifically numbered courses. Jackson has indicated a willingness to take up to two Bates students per semester if current staff scientists have room in their laboratories that semester. Applicants must have substantial background; approval is very selective.
Application Procedure: Students interested in the program should first speak with Pam Baker (phone x6108). Students who then wish to apply should submit to the Biology Department an essay explaining background, interests, and reasons for applying, a copy of their transcript, and a description of any independent research experiences they have had (at Bates or elsewhere). Students nominated by the Department must then submit their application, plus two letters of recommendation, to the Committee on Off-Campus Study through Dean Sawyer in the Dean of Students Office for the usual due date of March 1 for applications for off-campus study the next year. If recommended by the Committee, students will be asked to fill out an additional application from The Jackson Laboratory and their nomination will be sent on for consideration.
Policies include:
(1) The Biology Department recruits and nominates up to two students per semester for the program. Ordinarily, the students are in their junior year or the first semester of their senior year at Bates. (This is based on the assumption that students would not have the basic courses needed to maximize the opportunity until junior year and that it is best to spend the final semester on campus as requirements are completed, post-Bates plans are sorted out, and perhaps the thesis based on the internship is written.)
(2) The Off-Campus Study Committee officially approves the participants for the program based on the Biology Departments recommendation. Participation is for one semester only.
(3) Students are treated as Junior Semester Abroad participants in terms of minimum GPA requirements, fees, tuition charges, access to financial aid, and course credit. This means that participants have at least a 2.500 GPA at the time of application. Bates charges the Off-campus Study fee with all expenses for living in Bar Harbor handled directly by the student. Bates grants and other financial aid are available to qualifying students. A semesters worth of credit is awarded upon satisfactory completion of the internship (four college courses, two of which may be applied as advanced Biology courses). The student must make a presentation of their research in some public forum such as Parent's Weekend Poster Session or the Mt. David Summit. The Off-Campus Study Committee awards credit based upon a written assessment provided by Jackson Laboratory and the recommendation of the Biology Department. The Committee has the option of awarding fewer than four courses if the student has not adequately fulfilled the responsibilities of the internship. No letter grades are entered on the transcript nor counted toward the students cumulative average.
Jackson Laboratory Website | Jackson Lab Summer Internship Program
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Memorial Sloan-Kettering is a world-famous cancer research center and graduate school in New York City. This setting provides exceptional research internship and related educational opportunities for selected Bates students. Accepted participants develop a research program with MSK staff in the winter semester while attending Bates, initiate the research while working as a paid employee at MSK in the summer, and then continue as an intern for the fall semester. The internship is overseen by a mentor at MSK and includes participation in a research project, work with others at MSK, and participation in the educational program provided at MSK. It is important that students recognize that this program is not just serving as a lab technician or job shadowing for the semester. Students receive four course credits upon the satisfactory completion of the internship.
Application Procedure: Students interested in the program should speak with Professor Pamela Baker, who oversees the research internship program, during the fall or early in the winter semester of their sophomore or junior year. Students who then wish to apply should submit a letter to Professor Baker describing their interest in the program, a copy of their transcript, and a description of any research projects with which they have been involved. The Biology Department makes nominations, and will forward the applications of nominated students to the Committee on Off-Campus Study through Dean Sawyer. If approved by the Committee, the students work with the Colleges contact at MSK to determine whether their academic background and interests are appropriate for projects underway or within the scope of MSK. Students will need to travel to New York to introduce themselves and obtain a better understanding of MSK.
Additional Information: The Biology Department is responsible for publicizing, recruiting, and nominating up to two students per year for the program. In most cases, students need to work at MSK during the summer preceding the fall program as paid employees because of the time required to conduct most research projects. There is no pay provided during the fall semester; however, MSK may provide a stipend to cover living expenses. Students are responsible for their own housing in New York City. Students are encouraged to apply for the Ladd Summer Internship program to help finance their summer in New York.
Students are treated as Junior Semester Abroad participants in terms of minimum GPA requirements, fees, tuition charges, access to financial aid, and course credit. This means that participants must have at least a 2.500 GPA at the time of application. Bates charges only its off-campus student fee with all other expenses handled directly by the student. Bates grants and other financial aid are available to qualifying students. A semesters worth of credit (four college credits, two of which may be applied as advanced Biology courses) is awarded upon satisfactory completion of the internship and a presentation of their work in some public forum such as the Mt. David Summit. The Off-Campus Study Committee awards credit based upon a written assessment provided by the students mentor at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and the recommendation of the Biology Department. The Committee may award fewer than four courses if the student does not adequately fulfill the responsibilities of the internship. No letter grades are entered on the transcript or counted toward the students cumulative average.Additional information on Memorial Sloan Kettering is available on their website:
MMSK Summer Undergraduate Research Program
SEMINAR AND RESEARCH COURSES (Biology 470-478)
These courses are designed to give seniors, and juniors with advanced training, a chance to participate in the ongoing research of the faculty. The format of each course varies, but the work will usually include reading and discussing current research literature and experimental work related to the faculty member's interest. Enrollment in these courses is limited to about six students, and most of these courses have advanced prerequisites. A faculty member's permission is required for enrollment into a 470 level course. Therefore, if you are interested in doing research with a particular faculty member, be sure to discuss the possibility during your sophomore or junior year. We hope that much of the on-campus student research will be done within the context of these courses, for they provide the closest faculty supervision of research work. Some students who take a seminar and research course may choose to continue their research an additional semester by registering for a thesis (457-458) or for independent study (360).
SUMMER RESEARCH AT BATES AND OFF-CAMPUS
A summer research experience is invaluable for helping you decide if research is a good career choice for you. Is also commonplace for undergraduates applying to medical school to have extensive research experience.
At Bates, there are several ways to go about landing a summer research job in biology. First and foremost, talk to faculty members! Let them know you are interested and find out what their summer research plans are. Often faculty members have grants from outside agencies, such as NSF or NIH, which support student research assistants. Several faculty each year receive research grants from the College through which they can hire students (e.g., Summer Research Apprenticeships). Occasionally Work-Study funds may be available at the end of the year, but it is difficult to plan on this money until well into Short Term. Students interested in doing biology research off-campus should surf the Web for job listings and summer internships, and check the bulletin board outside room 429, and the Office of Career Services. Hoffman-Mellon Grants can be used to support off-campus research. When applying for any College grants, watch for information on deadlines in the Student Research Update, sent to all students several times during the academic year.
Off-Campus Summer Internships: The number of stipended research internships (usually REU's) at colleges and universities for undergraduates has increased over the years. Notices for these programs are posted on the bulletin boards in hall near rooms 429 and 425 Carnegie. In addition, the faculty frequently receive such notices by email and generally forward them to our major's "bio" listserv as they come in. You can also search for REU opportuinites on the National Science Foundation website (NSF-REUs) or by simply "Googling" REU in general. REU internships generally have a stipend that covers travel and living expenses for 8-12 weeks.
Maine INBRE-Internships: The Maine Idea-Network-Biomedical-Research-Excellence program, administered through the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL), offers summer research internships for college students each year working in the labs of designated INBRE Mentors either at MDIBL or at the member institution of the research mentor (including Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby Colleges). The INBRE Summer Research Fellowship includes room and board, a weekly stipend, and research supply funds for the mentor. INBRE also reimburses travel expenses to and from the fellowship site. For more information and an application, visit the ME-INBRE Undergraduate Research site. Bates College students have been very successful in obtaining these positions, so do apply if you are interested in having a great research experience.
STUDENT RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
Students receiving credit for research must present their research to the Department during the academic year, usually at Mount David Student Research Symposium in March. Research may be presented as a poster or a talk.
An additional poster presentation opportunity for summer research is afforded by the Parent's Weekend Student Research Poster Session.
Oral presentations are accompanied by visual aids (overheads, slides, or blackboard). The research question, methods and results (or preliminary results in the case of a two semester thesis project) should be presented. Usually each talk is 15-20 minutes with 5 minutes for questions. The presenter is expected to attend the entire session of presentations.
Poster presentations also include the research question, methods and results presented as a glossy, large format poster 36 x 48 inches (landscape orientation) in size, prepared using MS Powerpoint or ADOBE InDesign software. Faculty mentors will give you advice on how to make the most effective presentations.
See the Mount David website for links to poster and talk preparation guidelines and advice.
CREDIT POLICIES FOR OFF-CAMPUS RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
The Department strongly encourages majors to take advantage of off-campus research opportunities. Such research need not be followed by any research at Bates, nor does it necessarily lead to academic credit. However, if a student wishes to receive credit for work begun as off-campus research, it may be possible (e.g. Biology 360 or 457). The student must apply to the Department IN ADVANCE OF THE EXPERIENCE, and should consult with a Biology faculty member. The Department will consider the degree of student participation in the planning and design of the research, the intensity of the research experience, and the degree of extension of the work to a substantial on-campus project under the guidance of Biology faculty. Pre-approval and Faculty sponsorship is required in any case; and completion of the off-campus portion of the work does not guarantee that the effort can be extended for credit.
Additional Guidelines for Receiving Independent Study Credit
1. Before doing the work, the student consults with a Biology Department faculty member for approval.
2. The student submits a substantial research paper to the Biology Department advisor for evaluation at the end of the Fall semester.
3. Any financial remuneration during the summer is in the form of a research stipend, but not an hourly wage or salary.
SOURCES OF RESEARCH SUPPORT
The College has several programs to assist students in their research, both during the academic year and the summer. Brief explanations can be found below; more detailed information can be obtained from a member of the Department. Information on research grant programs is also available from Kerry O'Brien, Assistant Dean of the Faculty. We strongly urge you to consider doing research as an integral part of your Bates education!
Support for Research During the Academic Year
The Bates Student Research Fund supports student research associated with theses, independent studies, and regular courses and units. Grants of up to $300 are awarded four times a year. (For more costly projects, students may also apply for Sigma Xi grants (usually $400-600), as described above. Sigma Xi grants cover supplies, equipment, and travel.)
Summer Research Grant Programs Administered Through Bates College
There are many opportunities for students to conduct research during the summer, as assistants to faculty, on independent projects under the direction of a faculty member, or off-campus at a research lab or field site. Bates College has numerous sources of funds to help support these opportunities, including:
- Five Summer Research Apprenticeships are offered each summer, in various departments, often in the sciences.
- The Hoffman Fellowship two students conducting research with taxable $3500 stipends every summer.
- The related Hoffman Research Support Grants provide $1000 to help support student research. Approximately 18-22 are available each year.
- Ladd Internships, managed by the Office of Career Services, offer several opportunities for biology students to conduct summer research off campus, including the Massachusetts General Hospital, Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For a complete listing, see Summer Research Support.
POMEROY SCHOLARSHIP FOR BIOMEDICAL GRADUTE STUDY
The Pomeroy Scholarship is awarded each year to one or two Bates graduates who are in or entering a graduate program, with an emphasis on those in medical, dental or veterinary programs. Usually, each student chosen receives $5,000 toward tuition.
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Morse Mountain |
The Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area is located in Phippsburg, Maine. Approximately 600 acres in size, the area contains sand beaches with rare back dunes, salt marshes, and wooded areas. Many students have done field work at this site. The College has a modest budget for the support of research at Morse Mountain during the academic year as well as the summer. Contact Laura Sewall, Director (lsewall@bates.edu) in writing for more information.
© 2009 Bates College. All Rights Reserved. Modified on 7-9-09 gja