Information About BIOL 491 Undergraduate Research Project

BIOL 491 Undergraduate Research Projects

Important NOTICE: People interested in the Honours Program in Biology  must take BIOL 491  

Course Objectives

  • Engage in exciting biological research
  • Expand your research skills
    • Project design
    • Field / laboratory research skills
    • Communication of results
  • Interact with scientists
  • Study your field of interest
  • “Enhance your resume”

Pre-registration Steps

  • Select area of interest & potential advisor
    • Past project titles are available at this site and also at
    • Talk to faculty members, check out the abstracts and reports from past projects that are interesting to you
      • Printed abstracts from past projects and  final reports of past projects will be available (upon request) for you to read
    • Get the BIOL 491 Student Application Form
      •  Complete the BIOL 491 Student Application Form
      • Submit form by e-mail to BIOL 491 Course coordinator Mercedes.Hernandez@viu.ca  by February 5 2024  
      • Faculty members will meet during the reading break to review the applications
        • You’ll get an e-mail from the BIOL 491 coordinator indicating if your application was accepted & who will be your advisor
      • Proceed to register into the course (school year 2024-2025) by filling the BIOL 491 Registration form 
        • Meet with your future advisor (he/she will have the registration form)
        • Fill the form, and bring it to BIOL 491 coordinator before the due date indicated in the form (TBA)

Format / Procedures (General Timeline)

Fall Semester (year before)  Preliminary Steps: Identify and area of interest, talk to Biology faculty, submit the BIOL 491 application form

Spring Semester (year before) Complete BIOL 491 Student application form (due late January/ early February)    If your application has been successful  you will receive an e-mail from the course coordinator  indicating who will be your advisor (early March).  You should then contact your advisor to proceed with the pre-registration step.

  
Registration Form (after an advisor has been secured and you have been accepted as potential BIOL 491 student). Must be filled, signed, & handed to coordinator in order to  guarantee a seat into the course) Late March early April  (specific date TBA)
FALL SEMESTER (as a registered as BIOL 491 student)
Orientation Friday,  1st week of classes
Committee Meeting No. 1 (Proposal) 3rd week of classes
Project proposal 7th  week of classes
Work on research project/ meet advisor ongoing
SPRING SEMESTER
Progress report (to all committee members) Friday 1st week of classes
Poster Making Workshop Friday 1st week of classes
Committee Meeting No. 2 (Progress) 2nd week of classes
Project report (draft)  7th week of classes
Meet with advisor to discuss abstract, poster and final project title 8th week of classes
Submit Project title  9th week of classes
Submit Poster file (pdf format) to advisor 10th week of classes
Project report (final) 11th week of classes
Biology 491 Symposium Last day of classes
Corrected Project report (public copy)  two days after final exams conclude