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How to Get Started in Research
For Independent Study Courses (CHEM x99/H), Directed
Research (CHEM x92), Senior Capstone or Honors Thesis (CHEM 498/H), or as a volunteer:
- First, review the
list of faculty
and their research profiles;
and attend the lab tour program in the
fall if possible.
- Choose 3-5 faculty whose
research areas appeal to you.
- Contact these faculty by an
office visit, phone call, or e-mail to arrange an appointment to discuss
possible research opportunities in his/her group.
- Have the following items
ready when you interview with the faculty:
- Chemistry courses you
have completed.
- Chemistry courses you
are currently taking.
- Amount of time you have
per week to devote to research.
You'll need to complete 45 total hours of work for each unit of credit
you desire. This is roughly 3 hours/week for each unit in the fall and
spring terms.
- Many professors ask
a student be available for 10 hours/week.
- The number of semesters
you are willing to devote to research as an undergraduate.
- Many professors
would like a student to devote 2 continuous semesters to research or
the spring semester and summer.
- Approximately a week after
you have finished your first round of talks, try to reduce your list to 2-3
faculty.
- Make another
appointment to speak to those faculty.
- Indicate which projects
interest you most.
- A couple of days after
you've completed your second round of talks, pick a faculty member and
project.
- Make an appointment
with that faculty member to close the deal.
- Be prepared to give
your research director your schedule.
- Most faculty prefer
that a first-time undergraduate researcher be enrolled in Chem x99
for research credit.
- Fill out the
Independent Study Proposal Form
(volunteers exempt)
and the Safety
Agreement (for all students) and return both to OC 225 to be manually enrolled in the course; not
available via WebReg. Note: You must submit a
new research proposal
form for each term in which you will receive credit.
-
All students must attend
the Risk
Management
General Laboratory Chemical Hygiene Training (i.e., Lab Safety
Training)
course within the first 45 days of starting work.
ONE LAST NOTE:
- You may begin research
as early as the end of your Freshman year.
- Not all professors
require you be enrolled in a class for credit.
- If you enroll in a class
for credit, consider upper division credit (300 or 400 level) to fulfill your
requirement of 42 upper division credit hours for graduation.
To Participate in other Research Programs (REU, Fellowship,
Internship, etc...):
- Once you have identified the program for which you want to apply, obtain
the application. Each program's application process may be different;
some programs only accept online applications.
- Include all required application materials in your packet. Double check that all
materials are included or make arrangements for them to be sent and added to
your packet upon arrival.
- For some programs, you may be eligible for credit in addition to the
stipend paid by the program, so you may wish to check with the Department to
see if this applies to you.
- For internships with industry see
http://quiz2.chem.arizona.edu/ugres/internships.htm.
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INDEPENDENT STUDY vs. DIRECTED RESEARCH |
How do
Independent Study and Directed Research differ?
- The grading scheme and max units per term may
vary (see below).
- Independent study can be taken an unlimited
number of times during the academic career; but students are limited to 12 units max of
Directed Research.
- Independent Study is offered for honors credit;
Directed Research is non-honors only.
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Independent Study Options |
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#units |
grading method |
semesters offered |
max units |
| CHEM 199 |
1-3 |
Alternative |
fall, spring, summer |
unlimited |
| CHEM 199H, 299H,
399H, & 499H |
1-3 |
Regular |
fall, spring, summer |
unlimited |
| CHEM 299, 399, & 499 |
1-5 |
Alternative |
fall, spring, summer |
unlimited |
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Directed
Research Options |
| CHEM 392 & 492 |
1-6 |
Regular |
fall, spring, summer |
12 |
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Titles of Past or Present Student Research Projects:
- Synthesis and Characterization of an Expanded Porphyrin that has
Selectivity for the C-MYC Type of G-Quadruplex Structure
- Semi-volitile Organic Compounds in Seattle Air: Improving
Productivity and Accuracy in Data Analysis for HPLC
- Use of HPLC to study the broadening and tailing of the chromatogram for
lysine at neutral pH
- Investigation of Substituent's Effects on the Delta Ionization in
Molybdenum Benzoates
- Millimeter Wave Spectroscopy of Small 3D Transition Metal Free Radicals
- Philosophy of Science
- Novel Nitric Oxide Donors
- Development of a Novel Chiral Scaffold for New Opioid Mimetics
- Synthesis of Flavolipids
- Relationship between the Preparation of C-18 Stationary Phases and their
Resultant Structural and Functional Differences
- Synthesis and Characterization of HNO Products
- Improving Circuitry for Ion Mobility Spectrometers
- Microwave Studies of Metal Complexes
- Nanometer Sized Sensors for Biological Analyses
- Studies of Multifunctional Peptides for Opiod, CCK, and Melancortin
Receptors
- Synthesis and Methodologies of Linear Disassembling Dendrimers
- Total Synthesis of Sulfur Containing Small Molecules
- Efficient Synthesis of Heterocyclic Compounds
- Self-Assembling Polypeptides for Nanosensor Development
- Inorganic Synthesis of Bromine-substituted Tetraphenylporphyrin for study
as a heme model with aim toward characterization of the compound by
contemporary methods
- Creation of glycosyltransferase enzyme inhibitor known as D-threo-PDMP and
various analogs for medicinal purposes
- Design , synthesis, and biological activity studies of new cyclic alpha-MSH
analogues in the regulation of feeding behavior and obesity
- Enantiomerically Selective Organometallics
- Catalytic and multi-dimensional cluster synthesis
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