Research

Berkeley offers undergraduates the unique opportunity to engage in world-class research with internationally recognized scientific faculty. Students participate in research spanning a wide spectrum of disciplines including biomedical science, agriculture, chemistry, engineering and more.

 

BSP offers assistance with finding research positions, summer research opportunities, finding funding for research, workshops and information about research careers. BSP also provides individualized advising and professional preparation for students who intend to pursue graduate studies in the sciences.

 

Why do research?

 

People do research for all sorts of reasons. Often they are driven by a desire to make new discoveries, tools or knowledge that will benefit society and also have a passion for learning. As a student, you may want to do research because you know it is the path you want to take, or are wondering what research is and if it is right for you, or you may want to gain practical experience beyond the classroom. At BSP we encourage you to make the most informed decisions about your academic and professional paths. We work with you to find opportunities for you to explore these paths and to maximize the benefit of those experiences.

 

Who does research in BSP and what do they do?

 

About a third of all of BSPers participate in some form of research. Some student projects include studies of degenerative diseases of vision (clinical research), understanding cellular signals that control differentiation (stem cell biology/biomedical research), behavioral studies of social rodents (evolution and ecology), hormonal control of reproductive behavior (behavioral endocrinology) and improving food quality of third world crops (plant biology). 

 

Want to get started in research?

 

If you are interested in getting started in research we recommend that you come in and speak to an advisor.  In addition to individualized advising, we offer workshops during the academic year on a variety of topics including how to find research opportunities and how to write a personal statement. For students who are new to research we offer a summer pre-research course called, "IB 87-Introduction to Research for Biology Scholars", the IMSD Summer Research Program, and the CNR-BSP Alliance Summer Research program (CNR-BSP is only open to BSP students). For students interested in clinical research, the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute offers summer and potential year-round research opportunities to BSPers.

 

Planning for graduate school and research careers?

 

For students entering into their junior year who intend to pursue a Ph.D., we suggest that you apply to the Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Scholars Program and/or the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) Scholars Program.

 

BSP also offers individualized advising for BSP students who intend to pursue a Master's degree or Ph.D. in the sciences through the Pre-Graduate Pathway. We also offer workshops on research careers, preparing resumes/cover letters and your job search.

 

For more information about research opportunities, graduate school and research in general contact Rachel Henderson, PhD. via email or phone at (510) 643-4746 or visit us in 2018 VLSB. 

 

Other Research Information

 

Click the following link for general information about research at Berkeley including the Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP) and other research scholarships/fellowships.