Research Apprenticeship in Biological Sciences (RABS)
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| Research Apprenticeship in Biological Sciences (RABS) | |
| Dates: | June 25-August 6, 2011 (6 weeks) |
| Credits: | 6 (see courses) |
| Eligibility: | Juniors, Seniors (see eligibility requirements) |
| Apply by: | May 13, 2011 |
Overview
If you're a serious, research-oriented student with a passion for science, this innovative, highly selective program will give you the rare opportunity to join a top-notch laboratory at one of the world's leading research institutions.
You'll interact with Cornell professors, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates, be responsible for an investigative project, prepare a research report suitable for publication, and give an oral presentation. In addition, you'll earn six college credits for a minimum of forty laboratory hours per week. The RABS students meet weekly with their program mentor, Dr. Karen Gellman, for seminars in ancillary topics that will enhance success in their labs: ethics, fraud in science, study design, visual presentation of data, etc.
Research apprentices do not take another course, but are encouraged to audit ALS 1140 Explorations in Biological Research and Health Professions, as their schedule permits.
Placements are available in molecular biology, cancer research, animal physiology, epidemiology, and other subject areas tailored to your interests and experience. (For a list of links describing the research interests of faculty whose labs have mentored students in the past, visit Faculty Mentor Links. Please do not contact faculty directly.)
You should expect to prepare for your apprenticeship before arriving at Summer College by reading background material provided by your lab mentor, who will contact you once you've been accepted into the program.
If applying, please keep in mind:
- Enrollment in RABS is highly competitive and extremely limited—there are a limited number of apprenticeships available.
- Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible for best lab placements. Acceptance decisions will be made within two weeks of us receiving and reviewing your complete application. You must commit to the program within two weeks of being accepted to RABS. Unfortunately, no refunds are available once you have committed to the program and been placed in a lab.
- Strong candidates must have demonstrated their interest in research through previous research activities. Please submit any papers written relating to your research with your application, and a letter of recommendation from your mentor (or instructor if you have taken a didactic research skills course). In addition, you must have taken at least one AP biology class, and scored four or five on the AP exam, if tested. You need a thorough grounding in cell biology in order to understand the science of the work.
- RABS applicants should submit a recommendation from their AP biology teacher as well as from another teacher and/or guidance counselor. If you have participated in research projects with any university or medical faculty, please submit a letter of recommendation from that faculty.
- If AP biology is not available in your school, you should include in your application a teacher's letter of recommendation addressing your knowledge in cell biology and your relevant research experience.
- There are no guarantees that your RABS project can be submitted in science competitions—this will vary case by case, and may be dependent upon proprietary interests in intellectual property.
"(This program) was a great experience where I got the exposure in lab work that I needed to advance in meeting my goals." — Shahirah Gillespie
"(In this program) I had the privilege of working on a publishable study that will benefit the scientific community. I learned, used, and designed techniques only mentioned in high school, and I gained great insight into how research is done on a professional level." — Miles Black
"After Summer College, I was able to use the research that I conducted at Cornell to win a rather sizable scholarship in a science competition that led to me presenting my research in London. I'm currently a senior at Cornell University, soon to graduate with 'honors and distinction in research,' and I don't think I would have been able to distinguish myself in the ways that I have if not for the RABS program."
"When I first applied to work in a laboratory on campus, the prior research experience from RABS helped me to secure a position. Now that I am in the process of applying for further graduate studies, I know the experience I have from the RABS program, both with respect to specific experimental techniques and scientific research in general, will continue to help me in my future career."