Research Information

How to register for research for academic credit

1. Secure a research position in a lab.

• Not sure how to get started? Visit the CNS Diversity and Student Programs Getting Started page for ideas and resources for contacting faculty members.
• Check out the UT Eureka database for research projects on campus.
• Reference the college's research guide for Biology majors.
• Reference the college's research guide for Biochemistry majors.
• Reference the college's research guide for Neuroscience majors.

2. Fill out this online registration form and submit by 4:00pm on the 4th class day of the semester. Retroactive enrollment in a research course is not allowed.

3. If registering for the research experience will place you in over 17 credit hours, submit a maximum hours petition to your assigned advisor.

Guidelines for obtaining credit for research in faculty labs

Research Registration Form Deadline

• Registration forms with attached documentation and required signatures may be turned in during the early registration period but must be turned in by 4:00 pm on the fourth class day of the term the course is taken.
• Retroactive enrollment in a research course is not allowed.

Letter Grades are Given to Students Who:

Discuss specific responsibilities with their PI, which may include any of the following:

• Attend lab meetings when possible
• Be supervised closely by a specific mentor (either the PI or another lab member)
• Maintain a lab notebook documenting all lab work
• Submit a 1-page long document, minimum, to the PI that includes the following:
  • Project goals, methods, results, and conclusions
  • Revisions aided by the mentor
  • Please note that the mentor set length requirements; BCH 369K documents require a 6-page document

Number of Hours Per Week Required in a Lab

• To receive 3 hours of credit for a research course a student should, at a minimum, be engaged in research 10 hours per week.
• To receive 2 hours of credit for a research course a student should, at a minimum, be engaged in research 5 hours per week.
• To receive 1 hour of credit for a research course a student should, at a minimum, be engaged in research 3 hours per week.

Maximum Hours of Graded Research

• Regardless of what department the research course is listed with, students may take a maximum of six hours of research for a letter grade.
• All research courses taken beyond six hours will be taken on a pass/fail basis.

Petitioning Research Credit

Research credit automatically counts as an elective towards a student's degree. Students interested in petitioning research credit toward a major requirement in a Biosciences degree (typically a required upper-division lab) should begin the process by speaking with their assigned academic advisor. Not all Bioscience degrees permit the option to petition research credit toward a major requirement. Students and advisors should also be aware of the following general guidelines:

• Only 3-hour research courses taken for a letter grade will be considered
• Before a final grade is assigned, students must provide the following to their academic advisor:
  • A 1-page long document that includes the following:
    • Project goals, methods, results, and conclusions
    • Revisions aided by the mentor
    • Please note that the mentor sets length requirements
  • An oral presentation and documented verification of the 1-page summary given either in a lab meeting and/or another public forum
    • Presentations at the Spring Undergraduate Research Forum, Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium, or a venue outside of UT such as a regional or national meeting will all be considered
    • Students should be guided by their mentor in the preparation and practices of the presentation
• Final approval for substitution for a required lab in a degree plan is at the discretion of the faculty advisor

**Students are responsible for completing all requirements and documentation**

Please see additional guidelines for some Bioscience degrees below. For more information on how research can be petitioned in other Bioscience degrees, please contact your assigned advisor.