University of Washington Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Undergraduate Biological Sciences Education Programs

News and Deadlines

Upcoming Events

Application Deadlines

News/Awards

UW-HHMI opportunities for undergraduates include the Biology Fellows Program for beginning students interested in biology, the Integrative Research Internship Program and the Friday Harbor Labs Research Apprenticeship Program for undergraduate researchers, and the UW-HHMI Biology Undergraduate Research Symposium for all students.

Undergraduates are also eligible for HHMI-funded opportunities at other universities who are partners in our Northwest HHMI Network. For more information on our student exchange program, please see the NW HHMI page.

Jessi Hadwin, a 2007 Biology Fellow, is doing research with Prof. Kyra Becker. As an HHMI EXROP awardee, Jessi will work this summer with Dr. Thomas Sudhof at Stanford University.

Biology Undergraduate Research Symposium

At the UW-HHMI Undergraduate Research Symposium, undergraduates present their research, interact with scientists from across the UW campus, and learn about research and educational opportunities.

The symposium occurs in early Autumn Quarter. It is a great opportunity to learn about the biosciences at UW and the exciting research being done by undergraduate researchers, including UW-HHMI Integrative Research Interns. Watch the News section of our website for the date and times for this year's symposium.

Biology Fellows Program

The Biology Fellows are a diverse community of beginning students learning skills essential for success in the sciences and careers related to biology.

Learning Biology Together

Discussing the BFP Common Book

Shadowing an Integrative Research Intern

Are you a freshman or sophomore interested in scientific research, teaching, health sciences, environmental issues, or other related fields? Are you interested in:

• Succeeding in the introductory biology series (BIOL 180, 200, 220) and other bioscience courses?
• Learning to think like a scientist and exploring science culture?
• Learning about research, scholarship, and training opportunities?
• Receiving helpful input for planning your academic and professional pathways?
• Joining a diverse community of UW biology students and mentors?
• Receiving a free copy of Biological Science, the textbook used for the introductory biology series?

The UW-HHMI Biology Fellows Program provides freshmen and sophomores with opportunities to develop skills for success in the rigorous bioscience curriculum and biology-related career paths. Hallmarks of our program include its support for a diverse cohort of students and its strong emphasis on community. The program introduces Biology Fellows to exciting opportunities in science to help them make the most of their undergraduate experiences at the UW.

Students must be enrolled at the UW, must be planning to take but not have already enrolled in BIOL 180 (the first introductory biology course), and must have a strong enthusiasm for science. We especially encourage applications from freshmen and sophomores interested in scientific research, teaching, health sciences, environmental issues, or other related fields. We give priority to students who demonstrate a commitment to working with others toward a common goal.

Biology Fellows participate in BIOL 106 before taking BIOL 180. This course helps Biology Fellows define and develop skills for success as science students and introduces issues relevant for pursuing bioscience degrees and career paths.

What participants say:

Now I know that I have resources to help me plan my studies, find extracurricular opportunities, and succeed in Biology 180 and beyond. I am more comfortable asking for help because I feel like we're all here because we all have something in common: we are excited about biology.

The panel discussion with undergraduate researchers really put my mind at ease. I saw that students just like us were able to gain valuable research experiences and obtain funding and scholarships.

One of the biggest gains I have from expanding my community of biologists is that it opened my eyes to how many opportunities and how much help are available at this big school.

For more information:

UW-HHMI Biology Fellows Program Brochure

To apply:

UW-HHMI Biology Fellows Program Application - Applications will be accepted until spaces are filled, and spaces are limited.

Please note that this is *not* the application for the UW-HHMI Integrative Research Internship Program. If you are looking for that application, please see the section below.

Integrative Research Internship Program

UW-HHMI supports undergraduate researchers pursuing a wide range of projects in the biosciences.

Are you interested in:

• Making the most of your undergraduate research experience?
• Demystifying research culture and developing your research skills?
• Joining a diverse community of undergraduate researchers and mentors in the biosciences?
• Increasing your competitiveness for undergraduate research scholarships and graduate & professional programs?

The UW-HHMI provides undergraduates with opportunities for research training and discovery, seminar courses, and outreach experiences to better prepare them for careers in the biosciences. A hallmark of our program is its support for a diverse community of students and mentors who represent a broad range of perspectives and experiences in the biosciences.

Spring Quarter: BIOL 490 - Biosciences Undergraduate Research Seminar

Are you interested in:

• Making the most of your undergraduate research experience?
• Demystifying research culture and developing your research skills?
• Joining a diverse community of undergraduate researchers and mentors in the biosciences?
• Increasing your competitiveness for undergraduate research scholarships and graduate and professional programs?

We encourage both beginning and experienced undergraduate researchers in the biosciences to enroll. Students must have completed BIOL 200 and confirmed a faculty research mentor prior to the start of the course. If you have not yet connected with a faculty mentor, you may contact us for guidance about identifying potential faculty mentors during Winter Quarter.

To request an add code:

BIOL 490 "Biosciences Undergraduate Research Seminar" Application

Summer Quarter: UW-HHMI Integrative Research Internship

For our funded UW-HHMI Integrative Research Internship, we intend to draw participants largely from the Spring Quarter BIOL 490 course described above. Students selected for this summer experience must be currently enrolled at the UW and have a strong desire to participate in research in a biology-related discipline or interdisciplinary field. They will receive a $4000 stipend to dedicate full-time effort to research (40 hours/week for 10 weeks).

What participants say:

I completely understand why people say that you need to DO science in order to fully understand it, and in my case, to teach it.

Being part of the research internship program is an honor for me. Meeting with people with different intellectual and cultural backgrounds, yet sharing the same interest, research, is a very valuable experience.

I am now involved in an exciting project where what I do matters to the whole group. I love the independence and I love the responsibility

For more information:

Please contact Brian Buchwitz, the UW-HHMI Undergraduate Programs Organizer, at bjb@uw.edu.

Friday Harbor Labs Research Apprenticeship Program

The UW-HHMI grant provides support that allows 10 undergraduates to participate in the Friday Harbor Labs Research Apprenticeship Program each year. This program provides students the opportunity to work full-time for one quarter on exploratory research projects with other students, faculty instructors, and graduate student teaching assistants, while living at the Friday Harbor Laboratories on San Juan Island, Washington.

Students interested in the apprenticeships should apply directly to FHL. Information and application forms for upcoming research apprenticeships can be found at:

http://depts.washington.edu/fhl/stu_index.html

If funded by the UW-HHMI Program, FHL apprentices will be expected to participate in other HHMI-sponsored activities, including the research symposium.

For Additional Information:

Please contact Brian Buchwitz, the UW-HHMI Undergraduate Programs Organizer.

Faculty

Brian Buchwitz is the UW-HHMI Undergraduate Programs Organizer. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center for work on chromosomes and mitosis in the roundworm C. elegans. He teaches several courses for the UW-HHMI Undergraduate Programs, including Biology 106 for the Biology Fellows and Biology 490 for the Integrative Research Interns, as well as Biology 113 supplementary instruction courses.

Student Research and Outreach Resources

These links are to other sites, both within and outside the UW, that offer research opportunities for undergraduates. There are also links to organizations for students at the UW that you may find useful.

UW-Affiliated Research Programs

• Undergraduate Research Program
• Mary Gates Endowment Research Training Grants
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Summer Intern Program
• Washington NASA Space Grant Undergraduate Research Awards
• Physiology & Biophysics Summer Undergraduate Research Program
• UW Engineered Biomaterials (UWEB) Undergraduate Program
• Ronald E. McNair Program
• Multidisciplinary International Research Training (MIRT) Program

Non-UW Research Opportunities

• Vanderbilt-Northwestern-U of Texas-Harvard/MIT (VANTH) Research Experience for Undergraduates
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Student Programs
• National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates
• United Negro College Fund (UNCF)/Merck Science Initiative
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)/Merck Undergraduate Science Research Programs
• A list of links to undergraduate programs from the Yale website

UW Student Resources

• Pipeline Project
• Office of Minority Affairs Instructional Center
• Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP)
• Washington Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA)
• UW Minority Science and Engineering Program (MSEP)
• Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)
• Genomics Outreach for Minorities (GenOM) Program
• Biomedical Research Identification of Graduate Education Successful Student Support Services (BRIDGES4)
• Graduate Opportunities & Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP)