Undergraduate Opportunities
LSI undergraduate opportunities enable students to contribute to projects with real life applications, which will enhance their understanding of science, expose them to a range of scientific careers, help them develop the practical skills they need to pursue high-level research, make them competitive for graduate and career opportunities in science, and contribute to the enhancement of scientific knowledge and the BC research sector. Undergraduate opportunities in the LSI exist through the following programs:
Department Directed Studies
Undergraduate students have unique opportunities to participate in life sciences research, under the direct supervision of faculty members, when they enroll in these courses (BIOL448, BIOC448, MICB448A, B and C). These 3 or 6 credit courses are designed to help students develop skills essential to carrying out independent research and lab work. A directed studies project provides students with valuable experience in writing up and analyzing experimental results. It also gives undergraduates the chance to interact with faculty members, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and research staff members in a laboratory setting.
Honours Thesis
Courses
(e.g. BIOL449, MICB449, BIOC449, PHYL449) give undergraduate students a special research experience taking a project from inception, through data gathering, data analysis and interpretation, all the way to the writing of an honours thesis and oral defense of the project. These 6 credit courses are coupled with additional informational courses that are part of the honours program in the selected discipline. As with Directed Studies experiences, students have special opportunities to interact directly with faculty, staff, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in a research laboratory setting.
Summer
Studentships
Special opportunities are available for undergraduate students to work on short-term research projects in laboratories within the LSI and receive a stipend to support their time working on the project. Please contact Principal Investigators directly to enquire about opportunities in their laboratories.
Featured Undergraduate Opportunity
CBR/LSI Summer Studentship Program 2024
The LSI is joining up with the CBR Summer Studentship program to provide students with an opportunity to get hands-on research experience this summer and to present their research at CBR Research Day. This program enhances summer students’ learning with research skills workshops, career development events, and complementary social events. Summer students receive a combined award total of $9,500 + benefits for 16 weeks, running May-August 2024. These awards are designated for undergraduate students or medical students, who are interested in working under the supervision of a CBR or LSI Principal Investigator (PI), Research Associate (RA), or Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) over the summer period.
How to Apply:
- Students must connect with a CBR Principal Investigator, LSI Principal Investigator, Postdoctoral Fellow, or Research Associate they are interested in working with.
- Complete the application package:
- Once a student and their supervisor have agreed to apply for the Program, they will work together to complete and submit an application. Download the 2024 CBR/LSI Summer Studentship Application form here.
- Submit your application package to Kaitlyn Chuong (kaitlyn.chuong@ubc.ca) by March 10, 2024. Please email the application package as a single PDF file.