Student Research Opportunities

Directed Research/Directed Study Registration
Melendy Summer Research Scholarship
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)  (Pharmacy students who do not have a baccalaureate degree are eligible)
Twin Cities Faculty Research Interests
Duluth Faculty Research Interests


Directed Research/Directed Study Registration
Under the direction of a faculty member, students may earn Directed Research or Directed Study credits for special projects. Occasionally special topics classes are also offered under Directed Study course numbers.

University guidelines indicate the following expectations for one credit of Directed Research or Directed Study:

• 15 hours/semester of meeting time with faculty director,
• 2 hours/week outside of that meeting time,
• Thus 1 credit = 3 hours/week = 45 hours/semester.

Generally it would be difficult for a student to take more than 1 credit of Directed Research or Directed Study per semester, given the above time requirements.

Directed Research and Directed Study may be taken on the A/F or S/N grading basis. The student and faculty director should discuss which grading basis to use before the student registers.

Students may count Directed Research and Directed Study credits toward the required 10 credits of electives (even if taken on the S/N grading basis).

To register for Directed Research and Directed Study, students need faculty permission. After discussion with a faculty member who agrees to direct the research or study, the faculty member should email his or her permission to Ruth Leathers (Duluth campus) at rleather@umn.edu or Robin Stouder (Twin Cities campus) at stoud001@umn.edu, who will register the student for the Directed Research or Study. The email should also specify the number of credits and the grading basis.

These are the course numbers:

PHAR 6293 Directed Research I 
(prereq instr consent ) 1-5 credits

PHAR 6294 Directed Study I 
(max 5 credits; 5 repeats allowed; prereq instr consent) 1-5 credits

PHAR 6393 Directed Research II 
(prereq instr consent ) 1-5 credits

PHAR 6394 Directed Study II 
(max 5 credits; 5 repeats allowed; prereq instr consent ) 1-5 credits

PHAR 6493 Directed Research III 
(max 5 credits; 5 repeats allowed; prereq instr consent) 1-5 credits

PHAR 6494 Directed Study III 
(prereq instr consent ) 1-5 credits


Samuel W. Melendy Undergraduate Research Scholarships

Application forms for summer 2006 will be available in February 2006.

Four Melendy research scholarships are available to students interested in conducting pharmaceutical research. Each award includes a summer stipend of $4000 and an additional stipend of $1000 ($1000 for the 2006-2007 school year).

• The prime purpose of these awards is to stimulate students to continue with graduate school upon completion of the professional curriculum. Selection of the recipients is based upon scholastic performance and promise of the applicant. Applicants may be first year, second year, or third year professional students in the College.
  
•  First and second year student recipients begin their research during summer 2006 and are expected to devote a minimum of ten consecutive weeks, on a full-time basis, to their projects. They are expected to complete their projects during the 2006-2007 school year. Students entering the PharmD IV year must perform this research project outside the time spent in rotations in the College’s curriculum. 

• Interested students consult with the specific faculty member with whom they wish to work on the research project. After a plan of study has been agreed upon between the student and faculty member, the student writes an application containing an organized project proposal and files it with the Office of Student Services. 

• The Student Affairs Committee will review applicants’ qualifications and select award recipients. 

• Student recipients must file a research report with their faculty advisors within thirty days after completing the project. It is understood that recipients will be engaged in research on a full-time basis during the three summer months. Upon the faculty advisor’s recommendation, the student may attend a regional or national meeting to present a paper on the research. 

• Students must present their research findings (oral or visual presentation) on Research Day.