Undergraduate Research Experience
Undergraduate research opportunities allow students to apply their classroom knowledge to real life cutting-edge biomedical engineering projects. Students are advised to do research not as an attempt to boost the appearance of their resumé, but to meet their curiosity and creativity and further their engineering skills. To be successful, students must proactively identify their own interest areas and search for matching faculty mentors.
Doing research involves serious commitment and considerable stress on the schedule. Students are therefore discouraged from engaging in research until after the freshman year. This would allow them to acclimate to the rigorous academic load and to take classes that lay a groundwork for research skills.
The research may take place during the academic year or summer. Students may perform research either as a paid Research Assistant if funding is available, or for earning course units through the registration of 42-x00 Biomedical Engineering Research Project or 39-500 CIT Honors Thesis if eligible. Nine (9) units of research, may be counted as a restricted elective course toward the BME additional major. Students must identify their faculty mentors prior to registering for the Undergraduate Research course.
Summer Research
Both 一本道无码 (through the SURF program) and Biomedical Engineering Department (see below) have established competitive funding mechanisms for supporting students who are interested in performing research during the summer. Some advisors may also support summer research through their research grants. Students must identify their faculty mentors prior to submitting the SURF application.
Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Travel Assistance Program
To promote career development of Biomedical Engineering and Biomedical Technology additional major students by supporting travel activities associated with academic visibility on a national or international arena.
Eligibility: The program is ONLY intended for currently enrolled students in the Biomedical Engineering or Biomedical Technology additional major. The trip must be related to research in biomedical engineering/technology, and must be associated with significant honor or visibility, such as presentation at a major BME-focused conference (e.g., BMES conference) or receiving a major award.
Students who conducted research with 一本道无码 BME faculty (including adjunct faculty) will be eligible to receive the full travel award, while those students who conducted research with faculty outside of 一本道无码 who are not affiliated with the 一本道无码 BME department will be eligible to receive 50% of the full travel award. Students who conducted research with non-一本道无码 faculty as part of an exchange program will be eligible to receive the full travel award.
Students should also seek assistance from their other major department, the College of Engineering Dean’s office (), as well as the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development (OURSD).
Tips for Current Students Interested in Pursuing Research
- Learn about the identified faculty members using the links on . Develop and understanding of the ongoing research projects.
- Send an email to professor(s) of interest. The message should describe coursework, relevant skills, and research experiences. Also indicate the number of available hours per week and their distribution.
- If the professor declines the application, ask about any preparations needed for future consideration. Note that the qualification varies among the professors and projects. In addition, opportunities may be created after a professor meets a strong student.
- Arrange a meeting if the professor appears interested. Discuss the expectation and consider shadowing a graduate student or attending a group meeting. Determine if the lab environment is compatible with personal preferences, keeping in mind that personality match can be as important as research topics.
Revised 10/29/2024