The REU program will involve a yearlong internship in one of
the following research laboratories--Bioinformatics, Virtual Reality,
Perception, Cognition, Social Psychology, and Neuroscience. Under
the supervision of a faculty mentor, the REU students will engage in
lab-based activities as a member of a research team. It is
expected that the students will learn by participating in every aspect
of the scientific process.
Although we will require each of the REU students to have a
prerequisite course in research methodology, the internship will be the
student’s first opportunity to gain experience in a research laboratory
and to put into practice what they have learned through their
coursework. Under the supervision of a faculty mentor,
participants initially will concentrate on becoming familiar with the
research literature and observing the operation of the research
laboratory. As their research skills develop, the REU students would be
expected to assume increasing responsibility for data collection and
data analysis activities related to their research project.
By the second half of the semester and for the subsequent semester,
students will be expected to work on their own project as full
participating members of a research team. At the end of each
semester, the student will be required to present an oral and written
report of their laboratory work.
The students
will be paid a stipend of $2000 a semester to work about 10- hours a
week on activities related to their assigned project. Travel
funds
will be also be available to defray the extra expense of travel to the
laboratory for those students who are participating from off-campus
institutions.
During the first
semester, the students are expected
• To become familiarized with the research literature
• Work with the other team members to develop skill
with the research tools used in the lab
• Attend meetings of the research team
• Work with the faculty mentor to develop a research
proposal and an application for IRB approval
• Make an oral presentation of their research
proposal to the research team
During the second semester, the students are expected
• Execute their research project
• Analyze the data
• Work with the faculty mentor to write-up a research
report
• Make a conference presentation
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In addition to the lab-based activities, the internship will also
include participation in a seminar. The REU students will
participate as a group for academic credit. Tuition for
off-campus students will be paid by the grant. The seminar will
meet at UNC Charlotte in 3-hour sessions once every two weeks.
The seminar experience will allow the REU participants to share
experiences with their cohorts and will provide a means for
distributing information.
Each seminar class will include three components
• A research talk presented by one of the faculty mentors
• An opportunity for students to discuss and process their lab activities with each other,
• An instructor presentation on research ethics, a technical aspect of research (such as Writing Research Reports in APA style, Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis with SPSS, Giving Effective Presentations with PowerPoint), or practical advice about preparing for graduate study and careers in cognitive science,
Seminar participation will be designed to develop the participants’ self-confidence in discussing research ideas with other students and with the REU mentors, and to develop the students’ ability at public presentation of research ideas. The seminar will run for the entire academic year and the presentation of the topics will be coordinated with the REU students’ lab activities. During the first semester, the seminar discussions will provide the technical knowledge needed to get started in research. Lecture topics will cover the mechanics of doing a literature search and how to write a research proposal. In the second semester, the seminar will focus on more complex issues about data analysis, interpretation and presentation of results. Ethical issues will be discussed in both semesters and a plan for the ethics component is available in the Appendix.
Group activities designed to support the students’ career
interests will also be arranged. Students will be
encouraged to participate with mentors in regional or national
conference presentations. Travel costs will be paid by the grant
so that each student will be able to attend at least one research
conference each semester. The North Carolina Cognition Group
meets annually at one of the 16 campuses of the UNC System, and the
Southeastern Psychological Association generally meets within driving
distance of Charlotte.
Social activities that promote informal interactions between the
students and their mentors will also be incorporated into the REU
experience. Each semester get togethers will be held during the first
and last weeks of the semester for the students and members of the
research teams to get to know each other and to celebrate the
semester’s accomplishments. During the second and third year of
the grant, REU participants who have completed the program will be
invited back to network with the current group of students. The
social events will provide additional ways for the faculty mentors to
continue to develop relationships with their students after they leave
the REU program.