BME Research Scholars Academy
The BME Research Scholars Academy (RSA) is designed for a highly select group of biomedical engineering undergraduates, who, based on their demonstrated academic record and/or research potential, are given the opportunity to immerse themselves in an accelerated research program at Rutgers. It is anticipated that most Research Scholars Academy members will go on to further graduate and/or professional training after graduation.
APPLICATION PROCESS
You must be a rising junior in order to apply. Juniors will be informed on how to apply.
• Applications must be submitted online by August 31 (junior year). A minimum 3.5 grade point average (GPA) must be met. Student must have planned with the prospective mentors prior to completing the application.
• Selected candidates are provisionally admitted to the RSA and are assigned to mentors by the end of September (junior year).
• Students are evaluated by their mentors during the remainder of the fall semester and a final decision for
accepting a student into the RSA is made by the mentor by the end of the semester and is communicated to the faculty responsible for the RSA program. We will establish general guidelines regarding what constitutes an evaluation. The process needs to be clear and transparent, and students need to be aware of what is required of them. Students who fail during the probation period cannot re-apply and /or be assigned to a different faculty member. The final decision is not negotiable. The fall semester of the junior year is a trial period for which students do not receive credit.
• Students admitted to the RSA register for the upcoming three consecutive semesters (490 spring/junior, 493 fall/ senior, 494 spring/senior) and receive 9 credits and policies are the same. A co-op is not allowed unless it is the result of prior coordination between the mentor and the industrial partner, and it involves work related to a student’s HA project.
Grading Policy:
a. active participation of research in mentor's lab
b. presentation on RSA student's research project (RSA project and Senior Design project should be different, if they are the same, significant amount of efforts should be put into the project)
c. a short project report (includes Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussions) to both the mentor and the RSA coordinator.
d. participation of RSA activities (e.g., seminars on poster preparation, preparation for graduate/medical school applications, graduate/medical student lives, etc.)
• The Academy members are nominated for the Rutgers University Research Fellowship (RURF) and other appropriate fellowship opportunities.
• In appropriate cases, the Academy members will be supported by faculty research grants through Research Experiences for Undergraduate Supplements or other federal and industrial grants.
REGISTRATION FOR CREDITS: The Research Scholars Academy members can count to six credits of
Advanced BME Research (125:493 or 494) toward their BME technical electives or BME departmental electives. (In addition, Academy members can count a maximum of three credits of Independent Study in Biomedical Engineering (125:491, 492) electives toward their technical electives.
Note: Students that do not belong to the Research Scholars Academy and perform individual research with a BME faculty can count to six credits of Independent Study in Biomedical Engineering in Research (125:491, 492) toward their technical electives, but they will not be allowed to register for 125:493 or 125:494, nor count any of their research toward departmental elective requirements.