BILD 99/BISP 199: Independent/Individual Research

BILD 99: Independent Research

BISP 199: Individual Research for Undergraduates

• A student must have completed at least 90 units of undergraduate study and must have attained a grade-point average of at least 2.5 to enroll in an upper division special studies course.
• Minimum one quarter commitment. Note: Some faculty sponsors/instructors may require a multiple quarter commitment.

Identification of an eligible faculty sponsor/instructor of record who has an active appointment with UC San Diego in an approved teaching title. The instructor of record is required to adhere to the Faculty Guidelines for Undergraduate Mentoring.

Complete application, including student and faculty sponsor/instructor portions, must be submitted by the stated deadline. Application and subsequent enrollment are subject to approval of the Division of Biological Sciences.

Completion of mandatory safety training and any other training related to the research you are conducting, as determined by your faculty sponsor/instructor of record, is required.

• Applicants should review all criteria (including instructor eligibility) for enrollment in the applicable Special Studies course and ensure that the submitted application represents a complete and accurate submission.
• Applications will be reviewed in relation to the catalog course description for the Special Studies course for which the application was submitted. If the application is denied, the student has the opportunity to re-submit, only if the application for the requested term is still open. Re-submission after the posted deadline will not be permitted, thus early submission is encouraged.
• It is the applicants' responsibility to ensure that the proposed instructor of record submits his/her portion of the application before the posted deadline. Both the student and instructor portion of the application must be submitted by the posted deadline for the application to be considered.
• Extensions or exceptions to the application deadlines will not be granted under any circumstances, including unavailability of the proposed instructor at the time the application is due. Applicants are encouraged to plan accordingly.

• Identify a UC San Diego faculty member with whom you would like to conduct research.  Faculty may post opportunities on the Research Experience & Applied Learning (REAL) portal.  
• Contact the faculty member to inquire about availability and to explain your interest/qualifications. It is recommended that you include information about your eligibility, academic background, research experience (if any), and why you are interested in the work being conducted in that particular lab. You may want to include your resume.
• Once an opportunity for placement is confirmed, work with the faculty member to solidify a proposed research project.  Projects are expected to involve primary, experimental/analytical approaches that augment training in basic biology and that echo the curricular focus of the Division of Biological Sciences. Thus, projects should involve analysis of biological processes or systems at a molecular, biochemical, cellular, organismal, or ecosystem level. For example, clinical projects focusing on patient interviews or assessment of patient symptoms (or analysis of data obtained from prior such interviews/assessments), human behavior, health management, or evaluation of medical devices or procedures will not be approved for BISP credit, though they may be suitable for independent study courses in other departments (e.g. MED 199, PSYC 199, etc.).
• Complete the student portion of the required web-based application via EASy Request.
  • Request Type is "Special Studies"
  • Submission of the student portion of the on-line application will generate an email to the applicant and the proposed instructor of record.
  • Proposed instructor of record will complete his/her portion of the application and submit it for Divisional review.
  • Students may track the status of their application by logging on to EASy.
  • In general, the application is open the first day of the quarter preceding the quarter in which the credit will be completed.
• Both the student and instructor portion of the application must be submitted by the posted deadline.  Late applications will not be accepted; early submission is encouraged. 
• Be sure to fill out the application completely, including all required fields.  This will help ensure a smooth application process. 

The applicant will be notified of the outcome of the application review via their @ucsd.edu email address. Notification time varies and is dependent upon the instructor's response time and Divisional review period.

If the application is approved, the student will be automatically enrolled starting with the students 2nd pass enrollment block.

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 logging on to EASy.
• 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 instructor of record is responsible for assigning a final grade (pass or no pass) via the University eGrades System.