FORMAL CLASSES
Departmental Honors (499): Offered in all departments and required for students to graduate with honors (6 hours over 2-3 semesters) 499 is a scholarly project in the major, directed by a faculty member in the major department, and reviewed by a faculty committee. The student must summarize the research in a formal paper and defend the project to the faculty committee. The Honors Program oversees the application for departmental honors and coordinates paperwork between student, faculty, chair, dean and registrar (evaluation of hours and GPA). The Honors Scholars Program offers Departmental Honors preparation workshops each semester and the director acts as a general advisor to help direct students toward possible faculty supervisors if requested.
Directed Individual Study (491): Formal class in all departments (491) available for juniors and seniors to take to develop research, scholarship, and inquiry skills. In Chemistry, there is a 291 course so that freshmen and sophomores may also begin research. The deans oversee the application and registration process.
- Biology & Chemistry 291 - Introductory Research: Beginning research opportunities in Biology and Chemistry. See Undergraduate Course Catalog for more information about prerequisites and instructor consent.
-See Recent Honors Project Titles and Abstracts- for ideas!
- Featured Research Opportunities
-Also, see departmental websites and offices for more information
OFF CAMPUS RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
- South East Area Health Education Center ( SEAHEC) an educational non-profit organization has established a Volunteer Research Assistant Program to expose undergraduate/graduate students to healthcare research, and to familiarize them with the opportunities that exist for careers in healthcare. The Internship Program is for students who are currently enrolled in/graduated from an accredited U.S. college or university and can give anywhere between 8 – 40 hours a week, Monday – Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm. The program lasts a minimum of ten weeks. Volunteers should have an interest in Healthcare or any Social Sciences. For more details click here .
DEADLINE: There is no deadline to apply..
- The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), the world’s largest archive of digital social science data, is now accepting applications for its annual summer undergraduate internship program which will take place June 8 through August 14, 2009. Summer Interns will work in a UNIX environment and gain experience using statistical programs to check data for content and accuracy; prepare data for permanent archiving and distribution for secondary analysis; preserve respondent anonymity; and compose descriptions of data collections. These positions require a strong interest in social science research. Applicants should have successfully completed their undergraduate sophomore year in a social science major and possess strong analytical, research, and written and verbal communication skills. Knowledge of statistical software packages (i.e., SPSS, SAS, Stata), demonstrated leadership skills, and the ability to prioritize multiple tasks are also essential. For more information please click here..
-The Department of Commerce (DOC) announces opportunities for both summer and academic year paid internships. Currently, there are 4 internships open for the following majors and locations:
| Desired Major | Year of Study | GPA | Location |
| Economics, Business Admin, Public Policy | Junior/Senior | Min 3.5 out of 4.0 | Washington, DC |
| Communications/Government | Junior/Senior | Min 3.5 out of 4.0 | Washington, DC |
| Economics or Business Admin | Junior/Senior | Min 3.5 out of 4.0 | Atlanta, GA |
-The National Science Foundation (NSF) offers many different Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) in various areas of study. NSF also funds The Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program for undergraduate and graduate students that are interested in pursuing degrees in the sciences, mathematics, engineering, or technology.
- Click here for the IGERT Undergraduate Summer Research Opportunities.
- Click here for the IGERT Graduate Program Opportunities.
IF YOUR RESEARCH INVOLVES HUMAN SUBJECTS: meaning you are collecting information from people, talk with your advisor about how to proceed. Some research involving human subjects must be reviewed and approved by a committee on campus called the Institutional Review Board or IRB. Undergraduate research that will not be published or presented at a conference does not require IRB review unless it is conducted off-campus. This kind of research must still be reviewed by your advisor to make sure your human participants receive adequate protection. If your research is to be conducted off-campus, or if you plan to publish your results or present them at a conference, the IRB must approve the project before you begin contacting subjects. To get started, you will have to identify a UNCW faculty or staff member who is willing to serve as the principal investigator of the project. Please refer to the IRB website for the appropriate forms and online training course you will need to complete. To access the IRB website, go to the Office of Research Services and Sponsored Programs website ( www.uncw.edu/orssp/) then click on the Human Subjects Research (IRB) link (bottom left).
IF YOUR RESEARCH INVOLVES EXPERIMENTATION WITH LIVE VERTEBRATE ANIMALS: a committee called the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee or IACUC must approve the project before any animals can be used. Please refer to the IACUC website for the appropriate forms and online training course you will need to complete. To access the IACUC website, go to the Office of Research Services and Sponsored Programs website (www.uncw.edu/orssp/) then click on the Animal Care and Use (IACUC) link (bottom left).
If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact CSURF (stop by the office or send us an email at CSURF@uncw.edu) for more information and application materials.
