Student Research Opportunities
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Graduate Research Opportunities
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
By any measure, the University of Michigan is one of the largest research universities in the country. Within U-M's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, physics generates some one-fourth of the federal funding for research. One of the special benefits offered to physics concentrators at Michigan is the opportunity to participate in active research efforts in many sub fields of physics. This research can take three distinct forms:
- a job working with one of the department's research groups,
- registration in Physics 415 (Special Problems in Physics), or
- research work on an independent senior thesis.
There are two different thesis courses. Any physics concentrator, with a supervising faculty member, can register for Physics 496/497, Senior Thesis. Students with a GPA of at least 3.0 may elect an honors concentration and will register for Physics 498/499, Honors Senior Thesis. The content of the thesis courses is identical. Honors concentrators must take six additional physics credits from courses numbered 401 and above that are not otherwise required.
To gain more information on student research from a student's perspective, please see How to Kick Off Your Undergraduate Research Career, written by a former UM Society of Physics Students president.
Undergraduate Research Awards
Each summer, the Physics Department awards at least four summer research grants. The purpose of these awards is to allow undergraduate physics majors to spend the summer laying a strong foundation for senior thesis research. The awards provide a $3,850 salary grant to fund three months of research over the summer.
Students wishing to apply for one of these awards must have made arrangements for a senior thesis research project with a faculty member. The application form consists of a brief description of the research to be conducted and a statement of support from the sponsoring faculty member. The application form is signed by both the student and the sponsoring faculty member. The forms are available from Matt Blank, REU Coordinator, in 2464 Randall Lab or can be downloaded. The deadline for application is March 7, 2003.
Part-time Research Positions for Undergraduates
One of the opportunities available within the Physics Department is the part-time research position. Typically 10-15 part-time jobs associated with research projects in the department are available to undergraduate students at any one time. Given that the department strongly recommends that physics concentrators get research experience on their way to a degree, part-time research positions are attractive funding alternatives.
In addition to being a valuable part of professional development, this kind of experience can also provide personal contacts that will be useful when you apply to graduate school or look for permanent employment after graduation. These jobs are also good opportunities to obtain letters of recommendation. To look for a paid research position, use the same procedure you would follow when looking for a Physics 415 project or a thesis project.
The University of Michigan is one of the nation's largest research institutions, with over $653 million in research awards received in fiscal year 2000. In that same period, the Physics Department received $11.6 million in external funding. Federal support comes from DOE, NSF, DOD, NIH, and NASA. Major support also comes from a variety of foundation and industrial sponsors. Michigan physicists enjoy access to an unsurpassed array of resources throughout the University and tremendous opportunities for interdisciplinary study. Physics students and faculty work on numerous projects in conjunction with affiliated programs and departments. Michigan physicists also conduct research at laboratories throughout the country and abroad, giving students rich experience with international scientific communities. Facilities include the U.S. National Laboratories, and such overseas institutions as the European Laboratory for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva; the FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics in Amsterdam; the DESY Laboratory in Hamburg; and IHEP in Protvino, Russia to name a few.
Work ranges from theoretical and experimental research into the most fundamental questions of physics, to systematic investigations of the applications of physics
principles and discoveries in a variety of fields. Theoretical and experimental faculty maintain close ties. The Department encourages early, extensive participation in
research, in both the graduate and undergraduate programs, and opportunities for such interaction abound. Graduate students typically assume much responsibility,
helping to plan, propose, and execute experimental and theoretical work; design, fabricate, install, and test equipment; analyze and interpret data; write conference and
journal papers, and present data at meetings. Such hands-on experience has applications in all areas of scientific research and study.
To find more information on obtaining a Graduate Student Research Appointment click here.
To find more information on research groups looking for Research Assistants click here.
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