Academic Framework

• In collaboration with a primary investigator, you will be assigned a research project in your selected field of interest, and guided in the development of a research proposal.
• Your proposal will include a research hypothesis, research goals, and an experimental strategy to test the hypothesis and achieve the goals.
• Prior to your arrival, you will need to complete and submit a Literature Review. Please see details below.
• You will participate as an active member of a research group/team, and you will be assigned a member of the research group to act as your mentor in the day-to-day research process.
• You will spend a minimum of 240 hours on research and research-related activities.
• You will need to master general and specialized scientific techniques and you must show initiative to complete work independently.
• You need to be self-motivated and to approach your research mentor and primary investigator regularly for guidance; weekly meetings are suggested to monitor progress.
• You will participate in all aspects of the research group and present your research plan and data to the group during the program.
• Your research paper needs to be written in a style appropriate for publication in a peer-reviewed journal in the specific field. We will give you a template of that journal style and you will work with your mentor to prepare an academic paper. This will give you an understanding of the process required to create publication-quality manuscripts.
• Finally, you will present your work to academic staff, along with the resident director, and faculty. The research presentation and manuscript will be evaluated and graded as part of the course.

Admission Requirements

GPA Requirements: 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale.

You must be in good academic standing and not on disciplinary probation. You need to submit a complete application including a transcript, letter of recommendation and an advisor's form before your application will be considered. Additionally, you must be academically prepared through particular courses to succeed in this type of lab research. The necessary prerequisites vary by lab, and Arcadia will take care, in partnership with you and your faculty advisors, to ensure that you are placed in labs appropriate to your academic background.

Literature Review

As an intensive, collaborative program, STEM summer research requires some pre-reading. The Literature Review will consist of a series of journal articles/readings suggested or supplied by your research supervisor. You will then read and summarize the readings prior to your departure, citing each article’s publication details in MLA format. These summaries will serve as a springboard for your research project, and an impetus for further reading on your subject area of choice. You are welcome to supply information and a summary for additional articles that pertain to your project. You will then submit this Review to your research supervisor. This exercise comprises a percentage of your final grade.