UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Purdue University  is one of the nation's leading research institutions. There is a vibrant culture of undergraduate student research at Purdue with almost 2,000 research projects completed every year. An emphasis on experiential learning and the real-world application of knowledge are two distinguishing characteristics of the Purdue student experience.

As a Plant Science undergraduate student, participating in research is part of your student experience! The two courses we offer for research are BTNY 29800 (available for freshmen and sophomores) and BTNY 49800 (available for juniors and seniors). 

Undergraduate Research Application Process (click to download pdf instructions) - * Please note that the research application process should be completed by the end of the first week of the semester. Plan accordingly to give yourself plenty of time to complete these steps. 

1. Contact a  BTNY faculty research instructor*   that you are interested in working with to discuss the opportunity and plan your research project. During this step, you will identify the following:
   • Project title
   • Hypothesis
   • Description of research methods
   • Number of hours for the semester

   • * Please note: Students are not restricted to BTNY faculty when looking for a lab, but if you go outside of the department, Plant Science majors must still complete a BTNY 29800 or 49800 for it to apply as a focus selective or capstone research

2. Use Scheduling Assistant to request BTNY 29800 (for freshmen and sophomores) or BTNY 49800 (for juniors and seniors) with the Course Reference Number (CRN) assigned to your research instructor** (CRN is available in  myPurdue  > Course Catalog Resources. Search for course and View Sections)
   • You will need to request an override for permission from department.  In the override request, please comment with the following:
     • Number of credits you are planning to complete
     • Faculty member’s name.
   • ** Please note: If the faculty member that you are working with does NOT have a CRN assigned, please contact us at botany@purdue.edu. A CRN will be added with the faculty’s name and you can proceed with the remaining steps.
     
     
3. You will receive a research application via email as a DocuSign form to complete. You should complete all student sections of the application before you submit, so please be sure to go over all aspects of the intended research with your faculty supervisor before signing and sending the application on to be routed for further signatures. You will be asked for the following information about your research project***:
   • Project Title
   • Hypothesis
   • Brief description of research methods

   • *** Please note: If the faculty member or the Undergraduate Program Chair requests additional information or clarification on any of these fields, the DocuSign form will be returned to you with a note in the field itself, specifying what is needed. You may then revise your project title, hypothesis, or research methods as appropriate, initial the changes, and resubmit it for review and approval.

4. Once your application is approved by the department undergraduate chair, your override request to register will be approved and you will need to confirm your registration in Scheduling Assistant.  IF YOU ARE COMPLETING MORE THAN ONE RESEARCH CREDIT , you will need to adjust the number of registered credits in Scheduling Assistant using the "Grade Modes & Credits" button.  Here are instructions on how to adjust your credits:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYvXSCEVXx8 

FOR AN IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION OF THE BOTANY AND PLANT PATHOLOGY FACULTY RESEARCH AREAS, CLICK  HERE .

Please contact Lisa Klein ( klein85@purdue.edu) with any questions about this process.