SURF (Summer Research Positions)--APPLY NOW!
We are currently accepting applications to participate in laboratory biomedical research with members of the faculty in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences during the summer of 2009. Our Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program provides students with the opportunity to gain direct experience conducting research in the laboratory of a departmental faculty member. In addition, fellows will be exposed to a variety of elements important in the conduct of such research. Enclosed you will find a description of the program and directions for applying.
The stipend for this Summer Research Fellowship is $4500; the 2009 SURF application is attached, as is a more detailed description of the 2009 SURF Program.
We hope you will consider submitting an application to our Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows Program. The deadline for receipt of application materials is Friday, March 20, 2009.
Randall L. Commissaris, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
2009 SURF Program Coordinator
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) Program
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Applebaum College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Wayne State University
Summer – 2009
Objective:
The objective of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program within the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences is to provide undergraduate students with an introduction to research in the pharmaceutical sciences. This will be accomplished primarily via direct research experiences in faculty research laboratories. This primary research experience will be augmented by a variety of additional experiences, including laboratory meetings and a series of Friday activities that include Special Topics seminars, ‘Meet the Mentors’ lunch outings and mini-rotation laboratory experiences in additional laboratories.
The SURF program runs for 12 weeks and will pay a stipend of approximately $4,500. The SURF program will start on Monday, May 18, 2009 and will end on Friday, August 7, 2009. If the mentor can provide support for the student and the project, the SURF student and mentor are welcome to continue the project beyond the official end date.
Detailed Schedule for the SURF 2009 Program:
March/April: Selection of Fellows and Assignment of Mentors:
The deadline for receiving SURF 2009 application is Friday March 20, 2009. Students will be selected and notified by email on or before Friday, March 27, 2009. Mentor selection will be based in part upon the research interests described by the SURF applicant, with available space and resources in the laboratory used as additional factors in the assignment decision.
May 18, 2009 - SURF 2009 Day 1:
SURF students will initiate paperwork for ID cards, payment and will register for all necessary training and certification programs.
Week 1 – Orientation, Training and Certification:
In the first few days of the program, SURF students will receive training and certification in all areas pertinent to their research projects. All SURF students will attend University-sponsored classes on Laboratory Safety and Hazardous Waste Management. Depending upon the nature of their individual research project, additional SURF Students training may include Bloodborne Pathogens, Use and Handling of Small Animals, and Radiation Safety. In addition all SURF students will attend a Special Topics Seminar on Record Keeping in Biomedical Research. Note that SURF students will complete all pertinent training prior to beginning work in a laboratory.
Weeks 2-12 – Typical Schedule Monday thru Thursday – Laboratory Work:
Monday thru Thursday the SURF Students will work on an original research project within the laboratory of their Research Mentor. SURF student projects typically are independent projects within the larger scope of the Mentor’s laboratory goals. SURF students work with the close supervision and guidance of the SURF Mentor and/or senior personnel within the Mentor’s laboratory. SURF students also participate in laboratory meetings and journal clubs with personnel from the Mentor’s laboratory. The Research Mentor will determine the format, content and schedule for laboratory work, laboratory meetings and/or journal clubs.
Weeks 2-12 – Friday Programs:
Friday Morning - Special Topics Seminars: Throughout the program, SURF students will attend a weekly Special Topics Seminar presented by a pharmaceutical sciences faculty member. The topics of these seminars (some topics will require more than one week) include Training for a Research Career, Hypothesis Formulation and Testing, Funding of Biomedical Research, Publication of Research Results, Bibliographic Searching Techniques, Scientific Integrity and Intellectual Property, Literature Evaluation and Careers in the Pharmaceutical Industry.
Friday Midday - “Meet the Mentors” Lunches: All SURF students will meet weekly as a group for a series of lunch outings called the “Meet the Mentors” program. These lunch meetings typically are outings at local restaurants where all of the SURF students spend time with an individual faculty member. Over the course of the summer, all program Mentors (as well as departmental faculty members who are not serving as mentors in the summer) will host one of these “Meet the Mentors” lunches. At these informal lunch outings, the Mentors will provide a brief (10-15 minute) autobiography, followed by a question and answer period. This is a ‘get to know your Mentors’ session, not an intensive research seminar.
Friday Afternoon - “Mini-Rotations”: On Fridays after lunch, SURF students will visit other SURF laboratories for a brief introduction to the overall research interests of the laboratory, an overview of the individual SURF student’s project and a demonstration of some of the research techniques used within that particular laboratory. SURF students will lead these mini-rotations, with assistance from the Mentor and/or other laboratory personnel.
Week 12 – SURF Program Ends:
The SURF program officially ends on Friday, August 7, 2009. If the mentor can provide continuing support for the student and the project, the SURF student and mentor are welcome to continue the project beyond the official end date.
Special Events – SURF Summer 2009
Ø Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup Parade/Reception: On those occasions when the Detroit Red Wings have been Stanley Cup Champions (most recently 2008!), several SURF students attended the Parade and Reception at Hart Plaza downtown. Will this happen in 2009? If the Pistons start playing better... who knows?
Ø International Freedom Festival Fireworks: Although not coordinated by the Department, many SURF students attend the International Freedom Festival Fireworks on the Detroit River; this year the fireworks are scheduled for Monday, June 22, 2009.
Ø Detroit Tigers Baseball: The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences hosts a department-wide outing to Comerica Park to see the Tigers, typically on a Thursday afternoon. The ballpark is about a 20-minute walk from the labs. This year’s tentative date is July 23, 2009, when the Tigers host the Seattle Mariners. SURF students receive complimentary admission.
Ø College-wide Research Symposium: On Wednesday, September 16, 2009, there will be a college-wide Research Symposium. All SURF students receive complimentary registration for this meeting and are encouraged to present their research findings in a poster discussion session with other College faculty and staff.
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