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BSCD Developmental Neurobiology Undergraduate Fellowship - 2019

BSCD Developmental Neurobiology Undergraduate Fellowship

The “Developmental Neurobiology Undergraduate Fellowship Opportunity” (DNUFO) seeks to build an undergraduate summer research program that takes advantage of the breadth and depth of developmental neurobiology research across various departments (Organismal Biology and Anatomy, Human Genetics, Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and others) in order to facilitate rigorous undergraduate involvement in research, foster interactions between students, expose students to research outside their immediate interests, develop professional skills, and build personal networks with colleagues within and outside the University.

Undergraduate students selected for the program will be DNUFO Fellows. The research activities will take place in host laboratories across campus.

Duties and Responsibilities 
Fellows will be required to perform 10 weeks of full-time research in their host labs. The specific lab duties will depend on the project assigned to the Fellow. In addition, every Fellow must attend weekly meetings that include professional development sessions, journal club presentations, and student research presentations. Each Fellow will prepare one journal club session and present at a student research symposia. Also, fellows are strongly encouraged to attend and present a poster at one regional conference/meeting.

Requirements
·    No previous research experience is required but it is preferred.
·    Preference will be given to students who are, or plan to be, Neuroscience majors, however any student who has begun their general education requirement in the biological sciences is eligible to apply.

Class Level Eligibility
Preference will be given to 1st and 2nd year undergraduate students. Exceptions will be made for 3rd year students if space is available.

Required Materials
In order to apply to DNUFO, applicants must first identify a mentor who works within the area of developmental neurobiology (see partial list below*). Once a mentor is identified, the applicant will work with him/her to prepare the application. The research statement must briefly discuss the proposed project and how this research fits into the goals of the lab. A full application will consist of the following:
·    Resume or CV
·    Cover Letter (stating why the applicant applied for the fellowship, why the specific mentor was selected, and how participation in the DNUFO fits into his/her career path).
·    Unofficial Transcript
·    Research statement (half page summary of the proposed project); the candidate should work closely with their proposed mentor to develop this statement.
·   Letter from the mentor (additional letters of recommendation may be included) stating that he/she will commit to the full mentor responsibilities including supervising the Fellow during the 10-week period, attending weekly DNUFO meetings as frequently as summer travel plans allow, working closely with the Fellow to prepare presentations and the conference poster, and providing a written evaluation of the Fellow at the end of the summer. The letter must be submitted directly by the mentor to Stephanie Thomas via email (thomassl@uchicago.edu) by April 10, 2019. In the subject of the email, please include the applicant’s name.

Please Note: If you are applying to multiple BSCD Fellowship Grants, please fill out the following BSCD Preference Form - https://careeradvancement.wufoo.com/forms/bscd-research-2019/

Compensation
Fellows will receive a $4,000 stipend and $350 to cover the Student Life Fee (optional but encouraged). In addition, the host laboratory will receive funds (~$1200) to cover the Fellow’s lab supplies and attendance (travel, room, board) at a conference/meeting.

Expiration Date
Application and recommendation letter must be submitted by April 10, 2019.

Potential Mentors in Developmental Neurobiology (not all-inclusive)*
Robert Carrillo (Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology)
Elizabeth Grove (Neurobiology)
Elizabeth Heckscher (Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology)
Robert Ho (Organismal Biology and Anatomy)
Paschalis Kratsios (Neurobiology)
Victoria Prince (Organismal Biology and Anatomy)
Clifton Ragsdale (Neurobiology and Organismal Biology and Anatomy)
Xiaochang Zhang (Human Genetics)

* Candidates may email Robert Carrillo (robertcarrillo@uchicago.edu) to seek advice on whether a specific alternative faculty mentor may be appropriate for this program.