Department of Biological Sciences

Students are encouraged to become involved in research during the academic year or during the summer with URI faculty or scientists at other nearby research laboratories (e.g., NOAA, NMFS, RI-DEM, etc.).

On-Campus Research Opportunities:

Students should discuss their interests with their advisor (or Dr. Webb), read about faculty research interests, and then contact individual faculty members with whom they might be interested in working to find out about the availability of suitable positions. Undergraduate research positions may be paid (via research grants, Federal Work-Study program or URI student employment funds), students may work on a voluntary basis, or may earn academic credit (e.g., BIO 491, 492; OCG 493, 494, etc.).

In addition, these three programs provide URI undergraduates with paid research opportunities during the summer:

URI Coastal Fellows Program (summer, and 1-credit seminar in the following fall) - the CELS undergraduate research program, which involves >40 students and as many research labs each summer. Apply early in the Spring semester.

EPSCoR Summer Fellowships (summer). For qualified students currently enrolled in Rhode Island colleges or universities who are interested in participating in a 10-week research project in the life sciences at a participating institution. Applications due in April.

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Oceanography
(SURFO; summer). This program is the National Science Foundation-funded REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program hosted by the Graduate School of Oceanography. Apply early in the Spring semester.

Off-Campus Research Opportunities:

• Internship Opportunities in Ecology, Animal & Plant Biology & Marine Science - a HUGE resource including links to HUNDREDS of internships around the country (updated each year)
• NSF REU Fellowships - listing for all REU programs across the US
  • Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences REU Program
  • MBL - Biological Discovery in Woods Hole REU Program
• Woods Hole Partnership Education Program - in Woods Hole, MA - summer research internships (for students from underrepresented groups)
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Summer Fellowships
• Blinks Research Fellowships - at Friday Harbor Laboratories (U. Washington)
• Gulf of Maine Research Institute - (Portland, ME)
• Bradford E. Brown Student Internship Program - at labs of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NOAA Fisheries)
• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
  • http://www.volunteer.noaa.gov/index.html
  • http://www.careers.noaa.gov/special_programs.html
• School for Field Studies - field internships in several countries
  

Other Off-Campus Internships (may not necessarily be research, per se):

• New England Aquarium
• Mystic Marinelife Aquarium
• Roger Williams Park Zoo
• Save the Bay

Other Resources for Finding Internships:

• Office of Internships and Experiential Education

Note: The Department of Biological Sciences does not give credit toward the major for Internships, however, internship credit may count as free elective credit toward graduation. While you may elect to get credit for a summer internship, you will have to pay for the tuition for such credits. Check with Enrollment Services about tuition charges for credits earned during the summer.