BISP 197: Biology Research Internship Program

• Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
• Minimum of 90 units completed (including units successfully transferred to UC San Diego, i.e. AP, transfer).
• Minimum one quarter commitment.

Complete Learning Agreement must be submitted by the stated deadline. The Learning Agreement and subsequent enrollment are subject to approval of the Academic Internship Program and the School of Biological Sciences.

Safety Training

The internship site is responsible for ensuring students receive appropriate safety training and that appropriate records are maintained. Student and internship supervisor acknowledge they will discuss and complete the training within the allowable time.

• Earn upper-division credit.
• One quarter of BISP 197 (if taken for 4 units) may apply to biology major requirements as a biology laboratory (select majors). If not used to satisfy a lab requirement, one quarter of BISP 197 may satisfy major elective units.
• Any additional quarters of special studies courses (196, 197, 198, 199) will result in upper-division university credit.
• Academic credit can be earned a maximum of 3 times.
• Variable unit course (2 or 4 units) graded on pass/no pass basis.

• Register with the Academic Internship Program (AIP) via InternLink.
  • Students must meet minimum eligibility criteria to access InternLink. If you are unable to login to InternLink, reach out to AIP at aipinfo@ucsd.edu, or through the VAC
• Upload your resume, cover letter, and other required documents via InternLink.
• Search for approved internships using the keyword "BISP 197" and apply for positions.
• If interested in your application, the internship organization will contact you directly for an interview.
• If selected for an internship position, complete the Learning Agreement via InternLink. Please see Learning Agreement section below for more information.

Throughout the process, an AIP counselor is available to meet with students to assist with finding appropriate internships, resume/cover letter preparation, and the application and interview process.

Once an internship has been secured, the student must complete the Learning Agreement via InternLink.

The Learning Agreement must include:

• Internship dates (start and end dates must align with the dates of the term: Week 1 – Week 10)
• Internship schedule and hours
• Internship supervisor contact information
• Faculty advisor contact information.
  • If you do not have a faculty advisor, the designated UC San Diego BISP 197 Faculty Advisor will be assigned, and you may leave this section blank.
• Detailed description of internship project and responsibilities. Students must address the following:
  
  • What research question(s) will you address in your independent project? Include background information (existing knowledge) that you research question(s) build on.
  • How will you address these questions experimentally? Describe the methodologies, procedures, and tools/techniques you plan to use.
  • How will the experimental data be analyzed? Include any software or other tools to be used for data analysis not described above.
• Means of Evaluation: Based on discussion with your internship supervisor, indicate and describe the nature of the final paper, report, presentation or project you will produce for evaluation at the end of the term.

Once the Learning Agreement is complete:

• Submit the Learning Agreement to AIP via InternLink
• AIP will review your Learning Agreement and, if no revisions are needed, will provisionally approve your application.
• Upon AIP’s approval, your Internship Supervisor will receive an email requesting their electronic approval of the Learning Agreement.

Upon approval by AIP and your Internship Supervisor, you may begin your enrollment request via the Enrollment Authorization System (EASy). You will need:

• Your proposed BISP paper/project topic.
• A PDF of your approved Learning Agreement. (Check approval status in InternLink. Once approved by your Internship Supervisor, your Learning Agreement status should say "Approved," and the Employer Approval Date will be indicated toward the bottom of your Learning Agreement.)

Your request will be electronically routed to your Faculty Advisor, and the Biology department for approval.

1. Final Assignment: A critical aspect of the BISP 197 experience is the requirement that students complete a final assignment. Assignment options include, but are not limited to a:
   • Presentation - examples include presenting at a lab meeting, presenting to an affiliate lab, presenting at a research conference
   • Project - examples include a completed lab notebook, a research poster
   • Academic Research Paper - if completing a paper, the paper must contain substantive academic content with a strong analytical focus. The paper is written independently by the student under the supervision of the internship supervisor.
2. Internship Hours
   • All internships must last the entire duration of the 10-week term.
     • 4 units: 120 hours total (approximately 12 hours per week)
     • 2 units: 60 hours total (approximately 6 hours per week)
   • Student interns should track internship hours on a weekly basis using the “Track Hours” tool via InternLink. The internship supervisor verifies hours worked via the Supervisor Evaluation at the end of the internship.

     All missed hours must be made up before the end of finals week in consultation with the internship supervisor, including hours missed due to a late start date. Students experiencing difficulty fulfilling the required hours should contact their AIP counselor immediately for assistance.

     Note: Internships must take place in a supervised professional setting. Internships hours may not be completed virtually/from home.

3. Reflection Component: Reflection is essential to the experiential learning process. Several reflection assignments are incorporated into this course.
   • Check-In Meeting with AIP Counselor (Week 5 or Week 6)
   • Reflection Assignment AND Informational Interview Assignment via InternLink (Due Friday, Week 7)
   • Self-Evaluation AND Program Evaluation via InternLink (Due Thursday, Week 10)
4. Supervisor Evaluation: The internship supervisor will complete an evaluation of the student’s performance via InternLink. Students are encouraged to ask the supervisor for their feedback during and prior to the end of the internship. The supervisor evaluation:
   • Verifies that the student completed the required internship hours.
   • Provides feedback on the student's internship performance, including but not limited to, engagement, ability to communicate the research project (research question, experimental approach, data and data analysis), and effort.

Below are the deadlines to submit the application via EASy. The Learning Agreement must be approved and attached to the EASy application when submitting.

*Note - The Learning Agreement must be submitted to AIP at least one week in advance of the EASy deadline to allow time for review and approval. Questions regarding the Learning Agreement should be directed to the AIP office.

If the Learning Agreement is approved:

• AIP will forward the approved Learning Agreement with a credit verification letter to the internship site/lab.
  • Internships at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI):
    • TSRI Human Resources Department will contact you to schedule a check-in to complete on-boarding paperwork and issue you a TSRI badge and parking permit.

      *Please note, you may only start your internship in the TSRI Lab after completing the on-boarding process with TSRI's HR Department. International students will be required complete additional paperwork with TSRI's International Office once internship is secured.

• The student will be automatically enrolled in BISP 197 during the first or second week of the quarter in which the research is to be conducted. In Summer terms, enrollment will occur prior to the Summer Session Fee Payment Deadlines. Applicants will be contacted via the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) if there are problems with the application and/or enrollment.

Enrollment Verification

If the student or another individual, organization, or institution requires enrollment verification, the following options are available:

• If a lab requires the student provide proof of application approval, the student may print a copy of his/her approved application by visiting their application portal
• If a lab requires the student to provide proof of enrollment, the following options are available:
  • Official - Request Enrollment Verification from the Registrar's Office.
  • Unofficial - Provide a print-out via TritonLink Courses & Waitlists screen, which lists the course, instructor, section ID, grading option, etc.

Grading

At the conclusion of the term, the UC San DIego Faculty Advisor, in consultation with the internship supervisor, is responsible for assigning a final grade (pass or no pass) via the University eGrades System.