Initial Publication Date: August 29, 2023

Optional Research Experiences

VSEER participants had the option of participating in a research experience in addition to the core program. These experiences were either in-person or conducted virtually and constituted an addition commitment of 10 hours per week. They also came with additional stipend support.

In-Person Research

Students are paired with research mentors in their area of interest at Iowa State University or their home institution. They are expected to commute to the campus and be there from 9am-5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the program. The components of this experiences include:

  • Mentored research in an active research lab
  • Morning check-ins with program facilitators
  • Preparation of a research proposal
  • Attendance in Community Building in person
  • Development of the research portion of the VSEER PosterUndergraduate Research
    as Teaching Practice »

Virtual Embedded Research

Students address an individual research question of interest to them from within the context of a larger topic that is shared by the group. Facilitators guide the entire group of students through the research process within the context of this shared topic. The experience will include:

  • Zoom-based Research Team Meetings with the facilitator on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
  • Maintenance of an Electronic Laboratory Notebook
  • Weekly tasks completed as individual work and then shared so that all can benefit.
  • Preparation of a research proposal that is peer and mentor reviewed
  • Guided analysis of data from Open Databases to answer their individual question
  • Development of the research portion of the VSEER Poster