Research
Why participate in undergraduate research?
- Develop and improve your scientific skill set through state-of-the-art research opportunities.
- Gain personalized mentored research experience, with opportunities for multi-year participation in a laboratory.
- Gain training and experience to help you go on to competitive professional/graduate schools and career positions in research laboratories.
- Become a full member of an active research laboratory, and be matched with a day-to-day research mentor to guide your development as a young scientist.
- Participate in the larger scientific community, with the possibility of major scientific discovery.
Mentored Research Opportunities
Finding the right laboratory can be facilitated through participation in Northwestern University’s Science Research Workshop or by emailing Faculty Research Mentors to determine if there are openings, and to request in-person interviews.
- Students seeking help finding a research laboratory are also encouraged to download Professor Lawrence Pinto’s helpful guide: How to Find a Lab for Independent Study in Life Sciences
- Students can also contact Professor Christian Petersen, director of the Undergraduate Major in Biological Sciences, for assistance in finding a mentored research opportunity.
- Once they have secured a faculty mentor, students interested in pursuing for-credit research should enroll in BIOL_SCI 398 or 399.
Research Grant Opportunities
Several sources for research grants are available to Northwestern undergraduates for both the academic year and for summer research projects. These include:
- Northwestern University Undergraduate Research Grants
- Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences Research Grants
- Biological Sciences Research Grants
For more information about funding opportunities, please see our Grants and Fellowships page.
Award-winning Undergraduate Research
Research prizes are awarded to Biological Sciences majors who have achieved excellence in their research projects and have written a Senior Thesis based on their results. Eligibility is not dependent on participation in the Honors Program. These prizes include:
- The David Shemin Research Prize
- The Constance Campbell Research Prize
- The Emanuel Margoliash Research Prize
- The Irving Klotz Research Prize