If you are interested in gaining research experience in one of the faculty-led labs in the Psychology Department, read through the information on this site. Then contact the Undergraduate Research Coordinator in Psychology (Dr. Deranda Lester at deranda.lester@memphis.edu) for more details.
Faculty members and graduate students often recruit undergraduate students to assist in their research and labs. Some students volunteer, others are hired, while others register to earn 3 hours of course credit. Through any of these approaches, this is a great way to build your skills, add an impressive line to your resume/vita, build a strong letter of recommendation, and build relationships with your peers. For those considering pursuing a doctoral degree later, this experience can be very impactful for your application.
There are opportunities for those interested in clinical topics, school psychology, and experimental areas such as cognitive psychology and behavioral neuroscience. Explore the different faculty research areas available for you to volunteer and get involved. Keep an eye open for announcements posted around the psychology department, especially on the bulletin boards and screens, for faculty and grad students looking for assistants.
For those interested in course credit, talk with your advisor and a faculty member about registering for PSYC 4503, 4504, 4505, or4506. These courses are considered pass/fail and may be repeated for additional credit. However, only 9 credit hours of this work may count toward your degree. Of these 9 credit hours, you may contract with the same researcher for a maximum of 6 hours of credit. You must work with your advisor and faculty mentor to secure the proper paper work to register for this experience.
Contact the Undergraduate Research Coordinator in Psychology (Dr. Deranda Lester at deranda.lester@memphis.edu) for more details.
The Psychology Department is beginning a new tradition of hosting an Undergraduate Poster Session at the end of both the fall and spring semesters to highlight student accomplishments. Undergraduate students will present posters showcasing their research projects and internship experiences. This session provides an excellent opportunity for students who are not yet involved to learn about potential opportunities, and for those already engaged in research or internships to share their hard work. Family, friends, and members of the campus community are invited to attend.
For more information see the flyer here or sign up to present a poster here.
Undergraduate students have the opportunity to present their research at on-campus events and publish in the UoM undergraduate journal. Explore the UoM Works in Progress symposium, the UoM Student Research Forum, the UoM Lambuth Student Symposium, and UoM undergraduate journal QuaesitUM.
Psychology students also have the opportunity to present work at the Mid-South Psychology Conference each spring as well as at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. As well, some students attend professional conferences alongside the faculty with whom they work.
Undergraduate students involved in research may earn the "Undergraduate Research Scholar" designation on their transcripts and receive an honor cord to wear at graduation. This is accomplished by conducting a piece of research that you then present or publish at any of over a dozen options and submitting an application prior to graduation.
St. Jude invites our best students to apply for our NIH/NCI-funded (5 R25CA023944-40) Pediatric Oncology Education (POE) Program. The program offers a unique opportunity for pre-doctoral students preparing for careers in the biomedical sciences, medicine, and pharmacy to gain biomedical and oncology research experience. Students participate in basic or clinical oncology research, a core lecture series designed specifically for them, as well as research and clinical conferences. All participants make a PowerPoint presentation on their research project and submit a report on their research project written in the style of a journal in which their faculty mentor publishes.
A primary goal of the POE program is to encourage students to pursue a career in cancer research. Thus, we are particularly interested in highly qualified students with a serious career interest in cancer research, either as a clinical scientist or laboratory-based research scientist. Our St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers training in leading-edge scientific fields paired with unique mentoring in the St. Jude clinical experience. Highly motivated POE students will have the opportunity to be considered for admission to the St. Jude Graduate School upon completion of their undergraduate degree.
All POE program applicants must already have research experience and be full time students at the time they apply. Applicants must be United States citizens, non-citizen nationals, or possess a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States (required by the funding agency). All must be in at least their college sophomore year of college at the time they apply. POE medical students spend a minimum of 10 weeks in the program. The minimum tenure requirement for all others is 11 weeks. All POE applicants must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.40 (on a 4.0 scale) in math and science (biology, chemistry, and physics) and at least a 3.40 overall. Program participants will receive a $600/week subsistence allowance. Fully furnished group housing will be provided at no cost for non-local participants.
The POE home page contains links to the program application. Early application and submission of materials is highly recommended.
To encourage student research in psychological science, the APS Student Grant Competition provides small “seed grant” funding to support research in its initial development stages, e.g., the purchase of research materials or other expenses incurred prior to data collection. Up to six awards ($500 each) will be given to APS student affiliates (graduates and undergraduates). Research proposals in all areas of psychological science are welcome. Peers will evaluate each research proposal on the clarity in the presentation of ideas, the ability of the project to explain some psychological phenomenon, and the ability of the project to advance research in a specified area. Applicants will receive copies of the peer reviews once the competition has concluded.
Applicants must be current APS student affiliates and may only enter one APSSC competition each year (i.e., Student Grant Competition, Student Research Award, Emerging Scholar Award, or RISE Research Award) and as such are only eligible for one of these three awards each academic year. (Note: travel assistance for convention volunteers is excluded from this rule.)
If you are an undergraduate student in a STEM or social sciences discipline—especially if you are interested in attending graduate school—consider applying for a summer research opportunity at an undergraduate institution to build research experience, bolster your resume/CV, develop professional and mentorship connections, and facilitate your professional development. These opportunities also offer a chance to explore new research topics that you may not have the occasion to look into at your home institution. Many programs provide students with a stipend and other monetary benefits (e.g., travel, lodging, food, etc.) to defray the costs of participation.
The labs in the Psychology department are working hard during the summer months. Reach out to the faculty that you are interested in working with.
The APA Summer Undergraduate Psychology Experience in Research (SUPER) Fellowships is for the undergraduate student who is looking to gain research experience and is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. SUPER faculty hosts will receive a $1,000 stipend and their undergraduate researchers will receive $4,000. Applications, including a letter of support from the faculty member, are due March 1.
SUPER is just one of the awards and funding opportunities offered by APA’s Science Directorate. View all of them, including those for students and career researchers, at apa.org/science/awards.
UoM SGA provides limited assistance to students for travel to conferences and symposia. SGA travel funds are awarded as a reimbursement after the travel is completed. Priority deadlines to apply for funding are early each semester. For deadlines, how to apply, and further details, please visit the SGA Travel Funding page.
Brainy Travel Awards provide $500 in support to undergraduate students majoring or minoring in Psychology who are presenting research at a national conference. The award is designed to help students share their findings, gain professional experience, and represent the University of Memphis on a national stage. Learn more here.
Students who want to take their research experience a step further may choose to complete an undergraduate thesis, which provides an opportunity to develop and carry out a more independent research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Students do not need to be members of the Psychology Honors Program to complete a thesis. A thesis typically takes 2-3 semesters to complete. Students work closely with a faculty mentor to identify a research question, develop a project, conduct and analyze research, and present their findings. The thesis experience allows students to engage more deeply in the research process and is particularly valuable for students considering graduate school or careers involving research.
The Thesis Process
Students begin by identifying a faculty mentor whose research interests align with their own. Ideally, students interested in completing a thesis should become involved in research by their junior year. Students who are unsure whether they would like to pursue a thesis may first work or volunteer in a faculty member's laboratory to gain research experience and learn more about the research area.
Once a research direction is established, the student develops a thesis proposal paper consisting of an introduction, methods section, and references. The student works through drafts of the proposal with the faculty mentor before submitting the completed proposal to the Psychology Undergraduate Research Coordinator. Completion of the thesis proposal requires approval from both the faculty mentor and the Psychology Undergraduate Research Coordinator.
Following proposal approval, students conduct the proposed research and analyze their data. Thesis projects will typically involve empirical research in which the student participates in data collection. In some cases, a thesis may use an existing dataset when new data collection is not practical or appropriate. In these cases, the student should be substantially involved in the data analysis and have a thorough understanding of the methods used to obtain the data. Regardless of the type of project, students are expected to contribute intellectually and creatively to the research.
Students then prepare a research poster summarizing their project and findings with guidance from their faculty mentor. The thesis is completed by presenting the poster at the Psychology Undergraduate Poster Session, where the project is evaluated by the faculty mentor and the Psychology Undergraduate Research Coordinator. Students and faculty mentors may choose to produce a full written thesis document, but a full written thesis is optional.
The primary purpose of the thesis is to learn the process of conducting psychological research. Through the thesis experience, students develop skills in reading and evaluating scientific literature, developing research questions and hypotheses, using appropriate research methods, collecting and/or organizing data, analyzing and interpreting results, relating findings to the existing literature, and communicating research findings. Successful completion of a thesis does not depend on obtaining statistically significant results or confirming the original hypotheses.
Research Credit and Course Sequence
Students should earn research credit throughout their research experience. Many students follow a sequence that includes:
Independent Study: An initial semester gaining experience in a faculty research lab (PSYC 4503 or 4505).
Directed Research: Development and completion of the thesis proposal (PSYC 4504 or 4506).
Thesis: Completion of the research project, poster, and thesis presentation/defense (PSYC 4994, 4995, 4996, 4997, 4998, or 4999).
Some students may begin directly with Directed Research if their faculty mentor does not require an initial observational or research-training semester. However, an initial semester of laboratory experience can provide a valuable foundation before beginning the thesis proposal.
Directed Research (4505) and Thesis (4996 or equivalents) are pass/fail and depend on the successful completion of the proposal and defense, respectively. These are 3-credit-hour courses, and students are expected to spend approximately 9 hours per week on lab work. Depending on data collection and analysis needs, the time commitment may vary week to week but should average at least 9 hours. For example, one lab may require 20 hours per week during data collection but fewer hours during other phases. Students should discuss expectations with their mentor at the start of the semester.
To register for these courses, students should consult with Psychology Advising, who can help set up the course under the mentor’s name. Students should clearly indicate that the course should count as honors credit, and faculty may be required to sign a form or send an email confirming the approval.
Questions? Email the Psychology Undergraduate Research Coordinator: Dr. Deranda Lester (deranda.lester@memphis.edu)
The University of Memphis houses the Neuroscience Techniques and Research Training (NeuroSTART) Program for Undergraduates (NSF Award #2051105). The program is part of the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences (ASSURE) Program funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).
Qualifications to Participate
Undergraduate students interested in neuroscience from the greater Memphis area who will be rising juniors or seniors at the start of the program (May 15th each year) are eligible to apply.
We are particularly interested in underrepresented racial and ethnic minority and/or first-generation college student applicants.
Description of Experience
Over the course of two-semesters, students accepted into the program will receive a competitive stipend for 10-20 hours/week of participation.
Students will complete all phases of an empirical research project under the mentorship of a behavioral neuroscience faculty member.
Students will also prepare and present a “mock defense” of their project, present their work at a national conference [e.g., Society for Neuroscience (SfN)], and write and submit a manuscript summarizing their project to a peer-reviewed neuroscience journal.
Students will also join other neuroscience researchers in a series of monthly seminars to:
promote career development and training of responsible conduct in research (RCR)
hear neuroscience-related talks from guest speakers as well as current faculty and graduate students (Cajal Club)
partake in important discussions about equity and inclusion in academia and society (Welcoming Diversity seminar)
Students will also participate in a two-day retreat to prepare for the process of applying to graduate schools.
While NeuroSTART is not taking applications at this time, Dr. Helen Sable (hjsable@memphis.edu) and Dr. Deranda Lester (dbrewer@memphis.edu) encourage you to contact them with questions about the program.