Direct questions about HHMI-funded programs to: Dr. Ann Findley, Program Director: 318-342-1817 or mailto:afindley@ulm.edu
or
Ms. Sami Recoulley Owens, Coordinator for the Hughes Program at ULM: 318-342-1885 or mailto:recoulley@ulm.edu
Undergraduate Research Awards
Awards
In order to stimulate and support undergraduate research in biology, The ULM Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Program is offering 15 awards for the fall and spring semesters. Sophomores, juniors and seniors in Biology, Chemistry, Geosciences, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Physics are eligible to apply. Awards are $1,000 per semester, and recipients are expected to continue the research through the fall and spring semesters of the academic year.
To apply:
- Download and print a copy of the basic online application form. This form will serve as the cover sheet to the entire application package. This is a PDF, so users must have Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Students must submit a brief description of the potential project including an outline of budget needs and the role and duties of the student.
- A supervising professor must submit a separate letter of recommendation indicating interest in overseeing the research and commenting on the capabilities of the student.
- If the project is to be funded through the award, this must be clearly stated.
- The application must include a statement granting the Hughes Advisory Committee permission to examine the student's academic record as part of the selection process.
- The application/project description must be signed by both the student and the professor supervising the research.
- Students must be enrolled in Biology 497/498, Chemistry 499, Geosciences 491, or other appropriate research courses while holding an award.
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At the end of the fall and spring semesters, students must submit a written research report to the Program Director and the Hughes Advisory Committee. Fall reports
will be required for renewal of scholarships for the spring
semester; renewal is not automatic. Students will also be expected to
participate in a research poster symposium to be held in the late spring.
Also, students are encouraged to present their results at state or
regional meetings.
Examples of Research Opportunities Available in Biology include:
- Molecular systematics and natural history of fishes, mollusks, and plants.
- Multivariate and geometric morphometric analysis of vertebrates.
- Comparative endocrine and neurophysiology of energy balance.
- Developmental genetics of Caenorhabditis elegans.
- Reproductive ecology of turtles.
- Nutrient transport in Microsporidia.
- Detection and identification of bacterial food-borne pathogens.
- Ozone resistance and tolerance in plants.
- Physiological ecology of mammals.
Further Research Opportunities
Students who participate in the undergraduate research program during the academic year (or have engaged in supervised research at another institution) may apply for summer research awards for the summer following their junior year. These are $3000 stipends to be used for off-campus research. Two summer scholarships will be offered Spring 2006.
A partnership between ULM and Louisiana State University will accommodate most awardees of the Summer Research Program. LSU's existing summer program offers a stimulating yet non-threatening environment in which students can develop individual research projects in a mentor's laboratory.
Back to Undergraduate Research
