Science Research Workshop

  • Overview
  • Program Structure
  • Participant Testimonials
  • Contact

The Science Research Workshop Program (SRW) is a joint initiative of the Departments of Biology and Chemistry and the Searle Center for Teaching Excellence. The program gives students an insider's view of science research happening at Northwestern and enables them to play an active role in that research.

Winter 2010 will mark the third year that the Science Research Workshop program has been funded by the National Science Foundation.

Students who participate benefit by:

  • Becoming more familiar with cutting-edge scientific research
  • Receiving scientific- and proposal-writing training and experience
  • Developing relationships with faculty
  • Enhancing research portfolios for a future career

Advertising for the third year of the SRW program will take place in three information sessions to be held this October, 2009. The next workshop class begins in early January 2010.

The SRW program comprises of two broad activities: "science cafés" and peer-led workshops.

Science
Cafés
  • Weekly faculty-led discussions: Faculty members share stories of how they got interested in science research and address a theme for the week, such as "How to approach research labs" or "How to navigate the proposal process."

Workshops
  • Facilitator-led sessions: Peer facilitators (juniors and seniors who have won grants and currently work in labs) guide students through the interview process for securing a summer research laboratory placement. Facilitators also help students construct a research proposal to submit to the Northwestern Undergraduate Research Grants Committee for summer lab funding, or to another external science funder.
  • Goals include training early undergraduates how to
    • Appropriately contact and interview with Northwestern science laboratories
    • Develop a valid research project
    • Discover strategies to fund research ideas
    • Identify and apply key techniques in scientific writing
    • Receive feedback from experts and workshop participants

"I got better at emailing professors and introducing myself to them. The program helps you figure out what you actually want. I ended up in the right lab in terms of my future interests but I couldn't have known that before…. I always knew I wanted to go into research and the summer lab will confirm that for me…but the workshop led me to the lab."  --Biology participant

"[The program] got us to talk about having lab experiences and gave us more confidence in the research process, that you learn and make mistakes. The facilitator prompted me to ask more questions and not wait for help but to go out and do it."  --Chemistry participant

"[The program taught me] how to clearly state my research question, cite references, how to use Endnote, go through example CVs."  --Chemistry participant

"We learned how to think through a proposal, which is necessary for any scientist. To do a lit review, to apply for big-time funded research, and to understand how these skills are applied to move into the world of science."  --Biology participant

"This program gave me lots of direction. I was better prepared for opportunities. I might have felt before that research is inaccessible to me, big-time labs were out of my league, but that's underestimating your potential. You can learn to focus your knowledge and do something with that and do successful research. You can start early even if as a freshman you don't know everything in the field yet."  --Biology participant

During winter 2008, previous participants provided an overall satisfaction rating of 4 on a 1-to-5 scale.

For more information, please email Dr. Bernhard Streitwieser at b-streitwieser@northwestern.edu or call 847-467-2142.

To view the NSF poster from the 2008–2009 STEP meeting please click 2009 NSF STEP Grant Poster