Students can earn competetive funding and other honors

specifics from Miller's lab

Funding

Writing proposals for funding is a standard part of doing research and is often a part of endeavors of non-profit organizations and local government, for that matter. Students who gain this experience prior to graduation have added another "selling point" to their resumé. Hamilton College is fortunate to have sources of funding to which students can apply for assistance with expenses of independent work such as:

• laboratory supplies (outside funding for expensive items such as immunochemicals, molecular markers or autoradiographic emulsion supplements the departmental budget.)
• stipends for doing research during the summer
• travel to national meetings to present research
• awards to help with expenses of unfunded internships

Awards are competitive and are assigned by committees comprised of diverse disciplines. Competition is local for funds from Hamilton College and competition is with a national pool if application is made to organizations such as Sigma Xi, the scientific research society.

Writing such proposals is not mandatory. Students will have (within reason) what they need to do their work. However there are many benefits to undertaking the effort to write and submit a proposal. Experience is gained. If the effort is fruitful, it is valuable documentation on a resumé. Classroom supply budgets provide reasonably for laboratory supplies, but when students succeed in bringing in outside funds, the department budget benefits.

Other Honors

Each spring the dean of the faulty designates up to seven academically outstanding members of the junior class as Senior Fellows. Students in the junior year may become candidates by submitting a proposal for a senior year of independent study.

Hamilton College has a program that promotes student growth and serves the broader community beyond the Hamilton campus. Levitt Scholars present their research at local secondary schools. To assist this effort, they receive additional preparation (with academic credit) for such presentations.Students are nominated by faculty and selected by a campus committee. The program was extended to students in science in 1997.

The Hamilton College Chapter of Sigma Xi, the scientific research society can nominate to associate membership based on society criteria that include quality of research, presention of research at a professional meeting or through publication, and an expectation that an associate member will eventually qualify for full membership with continued publication of research.

Specifics from SAMiller's Lab

I have been fortunate to have several gifted and ambitious student co-workers in my laboratory. The following lists show those students in my laboratory who wrote successful proposals for funding and travel, and those who were selected as special scholars.

Senior Fellows
in Professor Miller's Lab

Casstevens Research Scholars
in Professor Miller's Lab

Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research
to students in Professor Miller's Lab

Associate Members of Sigma Xi
from Professor Miller's Lab

Additional Support for Presentation
by students in Professor Miller's Lab

Levitt Scholars
from Professor Miller's Lab

Joseph E. Anderson Internship Fund
from Professor Miller's Lab

Caitlin Jacobs, '07 [Enkosini Wildlife Sanctuary, South Africa]

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more on student research in development
publications that include student research

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This page last modified: June 2016.