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How Students Get Involved

How do I get involved in Undergraduate Research in the College of Health Sciences?

  • Search the CHS Undergraduate Research website Current Opportunities to identify a research experience that interests you. Our hope is that the opportunity you select will contribute to your future education as well as your professional future.
    • ​Opportunities that are labeled as (OPEN) are available and currently interviewing students for help.
    • Opportunities that are labeled as (FULL) are not looking for students at this time.
    • Opportunities that are labeled as (CLOSED) are slated for removal from the list
  • Once you have found a research experience of interest, you should contact the Director of Undergraduate Research (DUR), Dr. Richard Andreatta, via email (richard.andreatta@uky.edu).
    • ​If you don't find anything that is to your liking, try looking at the list again in a couple weeks.  New research opportunities are always coming online.
  • Once you have found a research opportunity that interests you, send an email to Dr. Andreatta and let him know the following information:
    • The title of the research experience for which you would like to be considered.
    • What semester are you planning to participate in?
    • Whether you are interested in receiving HHS 455 course credit for the experience or not. If you want course credit, consider the information in the table below regarding work hour expectations associated with each credit hour
Fall or Spring Semester 12 Week Summer Session
For a one credit hour experience:
  • 3-4 hours per week in research.
 For a one credit hour experience:
  • < 6 hours per week, for 12 weeks, in research.
For a 2 credit hour experience:
  • 4-6 hours per week in research.
 For a 2 credit hour experience:
  • 6-10 hours per week, for 12 weeks, in research.
For a 3 credit hour experience:
  • 8+ hours per week in research.
 For a 3 credit hour experience:
  • > 10 hours per week, for 12 weeks, in research.
  • After receiving your email, Dr. Andreatta will confirm with the faculty mentor if space is available in the lab during the time you want to be involved (i.e. the semester).
  • If there is space for an additional student, Dr. Andreatta will contact you with a copied email to the faculty mentor, asking you to contact them regarding a time to meet and interview.
  • After your interview has been completed, the faculty mentor will let Dr. Andreatta know if they believe you are a good fit for the project; LIKEWISE, after you meet with the faculty mentor, if the work is not appealing to you, contact Dr. Andreatta and let him know your decision. He will then inform the faculty mentor and work with you to find another option.

What happens once I am accepted into a research lab?

  • After you are accepted into a faculty mentor's lab, you must let Dr. Andreatta know immediately so that he can send you information on next steps in the process.
  • Please also indicate to Dr. Andreatta the number of credit hours you want to be enrolled in for HHS 455.
    • To register for HHS 455, YOU MUST HAVE APPROVAL FIRST from the CHS Director of Undergraduate Research. 
    • Dr. Andreatta can get you registered in an HHS course if the registration window is closed; however, he has no ability to register you for non-CHS experiential credit (i.e. BIO 395).
  • Lastly, prior to beginning in a research lab, you must complete several mandatory trainings as directed by your faculty mentor.

Are there mandatory requirements BEFORE my lab work and research experience can begin?

ALL undergraduates participating in CHS research labs MUST complete the following BEFORE BEGINNING ANY WORK IN A LAB. Verification of completion for each requirement must be sent to Dr. Andreatta to confirm that these requirements were completed correctly. PLEASE FOLLOW ALL DIRECTIONS BELOW, CAREFULLY.

  • 1 - Register with the UK Office of Undergraduate Research*  (If you are not a UK student, enter “none” for “UKID” when registering)
  • 2 - All students MUST complete the Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) training course through CITI.
  • 3 - Students working with human subjects or human specimens MUST complete the Human Subjects Protection (HSP) training course offered by the UK Office of Research Integrity.
    • Using the CITI account made above for your RCR training, follow the instructions on the following site to find the Human Subjects Protection course needed to begin working in your mentor's lab: https://www.research.uky.edu/office-research-integrity/initial-citi-hsp-training-irb-approval-faqs
      • To complete HSP training required for IRB* approval, select "IRB" and NOT "RCR" from the CITI curriculum page.
        • The RCR (Responsible Conduct in Research) training by itself does NOT meet the training requirement for IRB approval specifically.
          • *IRB stands for "institutional review board".  The IRB represents a governing board comprised of faculty, staff, and outside participants who review the ethical compliance for all scientific work involving human participants at UK. No experimental work can be performed at UK without IRB approval.
      • Once in CITI, select Add a Course from the bottom menu, then select the IRB Training Courses option if this option appears. Select Human Subjects Protection Training, followed by selecting Initial Human Subjects Protection Training.
        • Please ensure that you are taking ONE of the following to satisfy your Human Subject Protection training:
          • Human Research - Group 1 - Biomedical investigators and key personnel - Basic Course    OR​
          • Human Research - Group 2 - Social/behavioral investigators and key personnel - Basic Course
  • 3a - Students working with animals in a research lab or with animal tissues, do not need to complete Human Subjects Protection training, but RCR training will still be required. 
    • It is strongly suggested that students successfully complete an IACUC training module on animal care and welfare in research.
      • The faculty mentor will provide guidance on how to enroll and complete the necessary training before beginning your work.
      • Animal training needs are left up to the discretion of the faculty mentor. 
  • 4 - If the faculty mentor chooses, they may require you to take one or more web-based based safety training (WBT) modules.  
  • ​If the WBT links above do not operate, you can also access these WBTs at the following site: https://ehs.uky.edu/classes/ 

What happens after I complete all of my requirements, as listed above?

  • Send documentation of completion of each requirement to your mentor and to Dr. Andreatta.
    • ​Documentation can be in the form of a forwarded email, a screenshot of your certificate of completion, an attachment of a file, etc.
  • Meet with your mentor to develop a formal HHS 455 contract that will outline your duties and work. The HHS 455 contract operates as you syllabus for the research experience.
    • Both the mentor and student must sign the HHS 455 contract, then SUBMIT THE FORM ELECTRONICALLY to Dr. Andreatta.
    • Submission of the contract form indicates that all requirements have been successfully performed and completed.
  • Dr. Andreatta executes (checks and signs) the contract and then sends a copy of it back to the student and the faculty mentor.
    • The student can begin working as instructed by the faculty mentor ONLY after receiving an executed contract from Dr. Andreatta.
  • The student is expected to complete an online evaluation of the HHS 455 research experience at the end of the semester.

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