Research for Credit
The 398/399 Independent Research program offers extensive, for-credit, hands-on training and research. Assistance in finding laboratories that may be accepting undergraduates for academic year research positions can be obtained through the Science Research Workshop.
BIOL SCI 398 Tutorial in Biology can be initiated at any time and involves:
- Direct mentoring in laboratory research
- Training in experimental/analytical techniques
- Preparation for an independent research project (BIOL SCI 399)
Students can register for BIOL SCI 398 (P/N only) on Caesar without a permission number. If no section of 398 exists for your faculty supervisor, please contact the BioSci Program Assistant.
Registration for the first quarter of BIOL SCI 399 requires:
- At least one quarter of BIOL SCI 398
- A proposed independent and unique research project in which the student will directly obtain and then analyze data; projects involving research on biology curricula for the particular purpose of increasing inclusion, are also possible, but are subject to review for approval. In all cases, you must be the one directly obtaining, and then analyzing, data; if it is acquired by others (technicians, nurses, graduate students, etc.) then this is not an appropriate BIOL SCI 399 project (but might make an appropriate BIOL SCI 398). Surveys (e.g., of patients, of the literature in a field, etc.) are not sufficient for a 399, but again might be appropriate for a 398. Social science topics, including those with medical relevance, are not appropriate as BIOL SCI 399s.
- Approval of supervising faculty member
- Completed application form, submitted to the Associate Director of Biological Sciences.
Permissions will be issued only after the above requirements are met. Permissions for subsequent quarters of BIOL SCI 399 can be obtained from the BioSci Program Assistant.
For more information on faculty labs and research: Northwestern and Affiliated Research Laboratories
For more information on Honors in Biological Sciences: Honors
For more information on Research Funding Opportunities: Grants and Fellowships
Please note that there can be no remuneration involved when taking BIOL SCI 398 or 399.
Research Library Assistance
- Biological Sciences research guide: contains key resources for searching the Biology literature
- Subject Librarian: Becca Greenstein is your point of contact at the Libraries who can provide research assistance and answer questions about resources. Contact Becca at rgreenst@northwestern.edu or 847-467-6606.
- Course reserves are short term loans of course materials. Course reserves for Biology courses are held at the Mudd Library service desk
- Requests, Interlibrary Loan (ILL), and document delivery: request items from our stacks or other libraries to pick up at the service desk; scans of articles and book chapters will be delivered to your email.