University at Buffalo (UB)
NRS 498- Neuroscience research allows you to earn credit toward your major for conducting research with a research mentor. You and your mentor decide on the amount of time you will spend in the laboratory, the nature of the work you will perform and the projected goals for your research. You may have opportunities to hone your speaking and writing skills by presenting your research in multiple formats. At the end of the semester, you will prepare a written report summarizing your experience.
It is your responsibility to identify a research opportunity you wish to pursue and provide your resume to the faculty mentor or sponsoring agency. You may also meet your potential mentor for an interview. You may use up to 6 credits of NRS 498 to count as elective credit for the major. After you have reached the 6 credit threshold you may continue to take NRS 498 for credit, but those credits will not count toward your elective requirement.
University requirements obligate students to spend 3 hrs/wk at the research site for every credit for which they are registered. Thus, students registered for 4 credits are expected to spend 12 hours a week “on the job.” Research can be arranged for 1-6 credits.
The best place to start looking for a research opportunity is the Center for Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (CURCA) website. They have a database of active research that is taking place on campus. Also check the Neuroscience faculty page to determine if the lab you are working in qualifies as NRS 498.
The mentor is the person with whom the student intern spends most of his or her time. This is typically a professional (MD, PhD, PA, and the like) who directs the student’s research experience. This is the person who determines what the research experience will involve. The mentor is the individual who indicates what the student will be expected to do, what the limitations of the experience will be, and what the expectations are relative to actual responsibilities on site. The mentor will determine the grade.
The time sheet is a record of participation in the research. It should list the dates and time spent at the internship site. Most students date each journal entry and indicate the number of hours spent on site. A note in the margin might read “9/1/18: 2 pm – 5 pm (3 hours, 15 hours total)”. That note refers to the 3 hours spent on site on 9/1/18 and shows a running total of 15 hours to date. Some mentors provide pre-formatted time sheets.
The final 2-3 page report provides students with an opportunity to reflect on their research. It should summarize how well the objectives that were established at the beginning were met by the actual experience. The final report can include references to specific learning experiences, successes and failures, new insights, positive and negative aspects of the research. It should be typed and double-spaced.
| Credits Earned | Total Time Commitment (hours) | Typical Schedule (Hours/week for 15 weeks) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45 | 3 |
| 2 | 90 | 6 |
| 3 | 135 | 9 |
| 4 | 180 | 12 |
The evaluation is designed to check on a student’s performance and used to help determine the grade.
The grade is based on the recommendation from the site supervisor. You will be given a grade of A-F.