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Summer Undergraduate Research Programs

The University of Virginia hosts several opportunities for undergraduate students from across the nation to participate in mentored research experiences to enrich their  disciplinary areas of students. Click below to view summer research opportunities available by discipline:

• The Leadership Alliance's Early Identification Program
• Open Doors Summer Research Program at the University of Virginia, School of Education and Human Development 
• University of Virginia School of Medicine’s Summer Research Internship Program (SRIP)   
• Summer Diabetes Research Internship 
• University of Virginia Summer Medical Leadership Program
• UVA Leadership Alliance Mellon Initiative
• UVA and Mellon Foundation's Summer Curatorial Research Project
• University of Virginia Data Justice Academy  
• VA-NC Alliance for Minority Participation Summer Research Program  
• Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Advanced Materials Synthesis  
• Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Multi-Scale Systems Bioengineering and Biomedical Data Sciences  
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program: Number Theory, Representation Theory, and Topology 
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site Program: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at University of Virginia’s Blandy Experimental Farm
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site Program: Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Field Research at Mountain Lake Biological Station  
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site Program: Virginia Coast Reserve LTER 
• Collaborative Undergraduate Biostatistics Experience (CUBE)
• UVA Summer Language Institute

For more information about additional research opportunities at the University of Virginia, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Research at https://undergraduateresearch.virginia.edu/ .

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Undergraduate Research Opportunities at UVA

Because Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary major, the research opportunities for our majors span multiple schools and departments. Students participating in research labs or projects, report that it enriches and enhances their academic experience at UVA. You can get started by exploring some of the UVA Offices listed below.

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Topics Explored Include:

• Intangible benefits of research
• Preparing for research
• Finding research opportunities
• Emailing potential faculty mentors

USOAR Porgram

The UVA Undergraduate Student Opportunities in Academic Research (USOAR) program targets rising first-year, second-year, and transfer undergraduate students who qualify for Federal Work Study and do not have previous significant experience in research*. USOAR introduces students to the enriching experiences surrounding research and provides them with the chance to build strong relationships with faculty through a paid research position. Students apply for a research position with a particular faculty member who will oversee their progress throughout the course of the year. Students will spend 5-10 hours per week working with their faculty supervisor in research-related tasks or projects during the fall and spring semesters. USOAR offers research opportunities from faculty representing all of the schools and colleges at UVA.

UVA Summer Programs

This webpage is intended for students interested or participating in summer research programs hosted by the University of Virginia. Each program is unique, and students are encouraged to learn more about the programs by following the links on the page to their respective websites.  Applications to these programs are competitive, and many have early spring deadlines. We encourage interested students to explore these pages sooner, rather than later.

One Summer Program that several COGS majors have participated in is SRIP (Summer Research Internship Program) in UVA School of Medicine. Information about this particular program can be found here .

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Summer Research Internship Program Shapes Future Scientists

August 27, 2024 by [email protected]

2024 Summer Research Internship Program participants

The Summer Research Internship Program (SRIP) hosted 46 undergraduate students for a summer research experience in biomedical sciences that concluded on August 2.

Selected students from colleges and universities from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico arrived in May to spend 10 weeks immersed in hands-on research projects investigating current problems in biomedical research guided by faculty mentors.

In addition to the lab work, students engaged in weekly professional development and scientific communicating workshops and expanded their research knowledge through a speaker series featuring presentations from scientists.

The summer research experience culminates with students making a power-point presentation on their research during the closing symposium attended by faculty mentors and research lab colleagues.

SRIP is sponsored by the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program Office at the UVA School of Medicine. Learn more about this long-running program that nurtures undergraduate interest in biomedical research.

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Guidelines for Undergraduate Neuroscience Research: 

UVA is a Research University, meaning that faculty both teach and conduct research. These activities are synergistic both for faculty and students. For students, participation in research provides real world applications for knowledge gained in courses, making courses more relevant and interesting. Reciprocally, meaningful involvement in research is only possible having attained basic knowledge from courses.

Research is an integral part of the Neuroscience Program. Students thinking of applying to the DMP should get involved with research as early in their UVA careers as feasible, either by participating in NESC 3995 prior to joining the Neuroscience Program, or NESC 3960 after declaring the major. However, research can also contribute significantly even to NESC BA students who aren’t planning to apply to the DMP.

An appropriate research lab will allow a student to test a hypothesis, as well as to develop investigative and critical thinking skills in a supportive environment. Laboratories that are associated with the Neuroscience Program are listed here . But Neuroscience-related research projects can also be found in other laboratories across campus. A student planning to perform a neuroscience research project in one of these laboratories should consult the Neuroscience Program Director as to the appropriateness of the project. Projects that involve observation of clinical procedures and collation of data from clinical trials are generally not appropriate for undergraduate neuroscience research.

With these guidelines in mind, the student should look for faculty who conduct basic research in interesting areas of neuroscience. Once a student has identified a list of possible research mentors, he/she should send an email to each one inquiring about research opportunities.  This email should contain information about the student, including: the student's year at UVA, current accomplishments in UVA science courses, reasons for the student's interest in performing research, what it is about this faculty member's research that is of interest, and whether the student has relevant course and/or research experience. A copy of the student's transcript may also be attached.  Space in neuroscience research labs is competitive, so students should ensure that they contact multiple faculty members to increase the potential for securing a spot.

Issues for Research Involving Animals or Human Subjects

Regulatory approvals can take considerable time to process; therefore, students must ensure that the lab initiates the approval process early enough to avoid delays.

Work with live animals requires Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC) approval prior to initiating research. ‘Animals’ in this context includes all animals with a spine. For additional information, contact your research mentor and this link:  https://sites.research.virginia.edu/compliance/compliance-programs/animal-care-use-committee

Human subject research requires specific Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals prior to initiating research.  Human subject research includes research with living subjects and work with human-derived data that can potentially be identifiable. For more specifics, contact your research mentor and this link: https://research.virginia.edu/irb-hsr

Human Subject Research often requires a significant amount of preliminary work, including routine patient processing tasks essential for the execution of multi-patient studies. These tasks, while fundamental, can overshadow the more intellectually engaging aspects of research. As such, Research in Neuroscience, NESC 3995, 3960, 4960 or 4970, should devote at least 50% of time and effort devoted to data collection and analysis rather than just enrolling and processing of patients.

Neuroscience Undergraduate Research Courses:

NESC 3995: Research in Neuroscience. For Non-Neuroscience Majors.

NESC 3960 (3rd Year), 4960 (4th Year):  Research in Neuroscience. For Neuroscience Majors.

NESC 4970, 4980: Distinguished Majors Thesis. For Neuroscience Distinguished Majors.

Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities

Please visit the Center for Undergraduate Excellence's page for opportunities for Scholarships and Fellowships  or their Undergraduate Research page for grants and research opportunities.

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Changing the way we administer research

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ResearchUVA is a software platform that was developed in-house with the goal of changing the way we pursue, manage and think about sponsored programs

The business of research at UVA includes more than $1.5B in proposal activity and $500M in awards annually. ResearchUVA is at the heart of UVA’s continued success and growth in research. Through it, we transact business and analyze data related to our sponsored programs to ensure we:

ResearchUVA was built for and with the people who use the system.

ResearchUVA users come from across the University: faculty, research and financial administrators, and senior administrative leaders (institutionally and within schools), representing a broad set of individuals within the research enterprise. The project was funded by the Strategic Investment Fund and is now in maintenance mode.

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How to Find Undergraduate Research at UVA

There are three major steps  to take to find a volunteer/part-time research position at UVA. Most students begin research positions as part-time volunteer research assistants working under faculty mentors. Once you have your application materials together and have selected the area in which you hope to conduct research, you can proceed with sending out cold emails to faculty stating your interest in their research and requesting a meeting. Keep reading to learn more about each of these steps in-depth!

1. Prep your application materials

While you may not be applying to a formal job posting for research, it's important to treat your "application" process as seriously as you would a job. You need a resume or CV specific to the research position(s) you want. On your resume, be sure to include: all relevant courses you have taken, scientific lab methods you know, and any faculty you have previously worked with on research or a project. 

• For those conducting research with humans, you may need to complete the HRPP CITI Training found here . Research opportunities should provide you with clear instructions and training before beginning your experience. If you already completed CITI training or other research certifications, be sure to note those on your resume!
• Need help with your resume? Check out VMock and Make an appointment with the UVA Career Center (we're still here over summer)!

2. Choose a faculty mentor

It's important to carefully select who you plan to reach out to. Faculty will know if you are just randomly reaching out without having done any research on your end . That being said, not all faculty can or will respond, so it's a good idea to reach out to a few at a time that you have a genuine interest in working with. Below are links to some of the science/tech major department faculty here at UVA to get you started. This is NOT an exhaustive list, so be sure to explore any other area of research interest to you beyond this list. 

• Biology: https://bio.as.virginia.edu/faculty
• Chemistry: https://chemistry.as.virginia.edu/faculty
• Statistics: https://statistics.as.virginia.edu/faculty
• Math: https://math.virginia.edu/faculty/
• School of Medicine Research: https://med.virginia.edu/faculty/
• Kinesiology: https://education.virginia.edu/offices-departments/kinesiology
• Environmental Science: https://evsc.as.virginia.edu/people
• Physics: https://www.phys.virginia.edu/People/people-list.asp?CATEGORY=Faculty
• Psychology: https://psychology.as.virginia.edu/people
• Data Science: https://datascience.virginia.edu/faculty-research
• Computer Science: https://engineering.virginia.edu/department/computer-science/faculty

There are also some departments/organizations at UVA with more formal programs. Some are linked below and you can always search [department name + undergraduate research] to learn more about opportunities!

• Environmental Science Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program
• Virginia iGEM
• UVA Summer Research Programs (by discipline)

3. Email your potential mentor

The email you send should be as professional as your resume, i.e. no grammatical errors, clear and concise standard writing. This email is almost a very brief professional summary and cover letter. 

• Before reaching out, review the faculty member's UVA profile, google scholar, personal website, and any other portfolio of their work. This will give you a quick snapshot of their interests, progression of work over time, and recent projects. Be sure to explore 1-2 of their published works in more depth to understand what they really do in the lab! Make it clear in your email that you have done your homework on their research focus, this alone will make a world of difference. 
• Make sure to tailor each email to that individual faculty member. Generic mass emails to faculty are likely to go unread and unanswered. 

Here's a sample email you can use as a foundation - tailor the content and language to your individual situation:

Dear Dr. X , My name is  X  and I'm a (year, major) at UVA. In my introductory and upper-level coursework, I've developed a passion for science and am extremely interested in pursuing independent research as an undergraduate to begin (time period) . I hope to use research to support my future career goal of (insert goal) .

I am greatly interested in (relevant topic of interest) . Recently I read your (year) paper on (paper topic) and became fascinated by your work. In particular, I found (insert specific interesting finding) . If possible, I would love to contribute to and learn from the research being done in your lab. Would you be available to meet for 30 minutes sometime this week or next to discuss your research? I would also be happy to volunteer in your lab for a few weeks before we commit to anything to see if this is a good match. My transcript and resume are attached in case you are interested. I look forward to hearing from you! Thank you, X

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UVA Engineering Graduate Program Applications Open

UVA School of Engineering and Applied Science graduate program applications are open as of August 1, 2024

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Applications for graduate programs at UVA School of Engineering and Applied Science are open as of August 1, 2024!

UVA Engineering graduate students work alongside award-winning faculty at a top-ranked, comprehensive university that offers rich opportunities for interdisciplinary research, collaboration and student life. Highly ranked master's and Ph.D. programs provide students from around the world opportunities to become leaders in their fields.

Graduate degrees are offered in nine programs , including some with online and executive-format master's programs.

The UVA Engineering application is FREE for 2025, and we are waiving the GRE for admission to all our  graduate programs.

Application deadlines vary depending on the program to which the student is applying and their request for departmental funding aid.

For more information on our programs and the admissions process, see our Future Grad Students content on the UVA Engineering website. 

Ready to start your application? Apply here . 

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How to Apply to the Graduate Program

Prospective applicants are invited to attend our webinar, on "how to apply to grad school," on sept 11, 2024, from 3:00-4:30 pm eastern standard time. click here for more information:  https://bio.as.virginia.edu/webinar-how-apply-grad-school-0  ., application requirements.

Students are admitted to the graduate progra m for the fall term of each year only. The application materials listed below must be submitted through the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences' online  application system , between October 1st and December 1st. NOTE: Applicants interested in the masters program must secure the sponsorship of a faculty member before submitting an application; applications to the masters program that are submitted without such sponsorship will not be considered. 

• Statement of purpose : please address the following questions in a statement of 500 to 1000 words: What research or life experiences do you bring that you think will make you successful in our PhD program?  What fields are you interested in pursuing and why? What approaches would you like to use in your PhD research? What faculty in our program do you think would be well-suited to guide you in this work? What are your personal and professional goals, and how do you think our program will help you achieve those goals?
• Transcripts : you may submit unofficial transcripts with your application; if you accept an offer of admission, you must arrange for your previous school to submit your official transcripts directly to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
• Two letters of recommendation: Include contact information for 2 references in your application, and they will receive emailed instructions for submitting recommendation letters on your behalf; letters must be received prior to the December 1st application deadline for an application to receive consideration.  Seek recommendations from faculty in your proposed field of study who are sufficiently familiar with your work to make a comprehensive evaluation of your abilities. If you have already undertaken a graduate program, at least one of the letters should be from a faculty member who is familiar with your academic performance at the graduate level.
• TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for international applicants whose native language is not English and who did not earn a 4-year undergraduate degree at an institution where English was the primary language of instruction. Applicants submit self-reported scores in their application (from tests taken within 2 years of the application deadline). If they accept an admission offer, they must then arrange for the testing agency to submit official scores directly to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences). The minimum score requirement for the internet-based (iBT) TOEFL and paper-based TOEFL is 90 (with sectional minimums of 22 in speaking, 22 in writing, 23 in reading and 23 in listening). The minimum IELTS score requirement is 7.0 in each section. The Admissions committee will consider applications with scores below the minimum requirements.
• ​​ An application fee of $85

The Admissions Committee begins reviewing applications in early December and offers are generally made by late February.   For more information, please visit  The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences ’ website, including the page of  Frequently Asked Questions  about admission. 

Who Can I Contact for Technical Assistance with the Application Portal?

Applicants who need technical assistance with the application system should contact the Graduate Admissions Coordinator directly  ( [email protected] ,   434-243-0209).

How Can I Apply for an Application Fee Waiver?

Due to the substantial volume of requests and the limited availability of departmental fee waivers, the Biology Department has implemented a two-step fee waiver policy:

Step 1:  Applicants should first apply for a fee waiver from UVA's Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GSAS).

•  US citizens and permanent residents  may qualify for GSAS fee waivers based on participation in specified organizations, training programs, and the United States Armed Forces; graduation from a Minority Serving Institution (MSI); and financial hardship. Click on the following link for eligibility requirements and directions for submitting a fee waiver application,  https://graddiversity.virginia.edu/application-fee-waiver  .

•  International students  may qualify for an automatic GSAS fee waiver based on their citizenship. Click on the following link for the GSAS Admission Requirements page,  https://graduate.as.virginia.edu/requirements , then click on the “Fees” section for details and directions.

Step 2:  Applicants who were denied a GSAS fee waiver may request a fee waiver from the Department of Biology by sending a CV ( and only a CV ) containing the information below to the Admissions Director,   Barry Condron ( [email protected] ).  

• Current address
• Citizenship
• Current position
• Educational background (previous institutions, degrees, and GPAs)
• Research experiences
• Research interests
• Publications, awards, honors, and presentations
• UVA faculty members of greatest interest

Applicants will be notified by email when their application fee waiver requests have been evaluated. Allow a minimum of two weeks for the review process.

Are There Additional Requirements for International Students?

English proficiency requirements.

International applicants whose native language is not English and who have not completed a 4-year bachelor’s degree at an institution where English is the language of instruction must submit scores from a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam or an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam taken within 2 years of the DEC 1st application deadline. The minimum acceptable TOEFL scores are: 600 (paper-based test), 250 (computer-based test), 90 (internet-based test.) An IELTS score of 7.0 would also demonstrate English proficiency.

English Proficiency Courses at UVA

Strong English language skills are vital to the success of our graduate students in the program, as teaching assistants, on the job market, and in their careers. Consequently, the  Center for American English Language and Culture (CAELC)  assesses the written and oral English proficiency of all new international students whose native language is not English the spring before they matriculate. Students must pass the oral section of the exam with a score of 55 or higher to serve as TA’s without first completing oral language training. Students who fail the exam must take and pass one or more non-credit English courses taught by CAELC staff . CAELC English courses are free and designed not to overburden students with a heavy academic workload.  Click here for more information regarding CAELC testing .

F-1 Visa Financial Documentation 

International applicants who accept an offer of admission to the University must submit the Graduate/Professional Student Form I-20/Form DS-2019 Request Packet to the International Studies Office (ISO) , as soon as possible after accepting their admission offers, to support their application for F-1 or J-1 visa status.

Please note that the ISO only issues I-20 Forms after confirming the following:

1.   The student is proficient in the English language;

2.   The student has sufficient funding to cover the cost of attending UVA;

3.   All elements of the student's application for admission are present and authentic.

The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)

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Accelerated (4+1 or 3+1) MA in Psychology Research Methods

The MA in Psychology with a Research Methods Concentration (RMC) is a suitable career track for students who may want to gain a strong background in research methods before they apply to other advanced degree programs in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, or Data Sciences.    This MA program is focused on quantitative methods in Psychology.  Students considering application to this program should view it as training to prepare themselves professionally for quantitative research positions or educationally for future research-oriented PhD programs where advanced quantitative training will be a necessary entry requirement.   In addition, by providing a rigorous education in research methods, the MA in Psychology with RMC empowers students with the tools to be competitive as applicants for jobs requiring expertise in methods and analysis and expertise in a subject area of psychology. For example, knowledge of research methods in social psychology is attractive to employers in advertising, knowledge of research methods in psychobiology is attractive to employers in the pharmaceutical industry, and so on. 

What is an Accelerated MA? The +1 MA program in Psychology offers current UVA students a streamlined admission to the graduate school for the purpose of obtaining a Master’s degree after one additional year at UVA.

Who can apply and when are the deadlines? Only the UVA students who are majoring in any program (BA or BS) are eligible to apply beginning April 1st through April 15 of the student's last semester of your undergraduate program.  The applications will be reviewed by the Committee directly after the April 15th deadline.  Applications received after April 15th will be denied.

What are my first steps if I am interested in this program? Students who are interested in the program should follow these steps in this order: 

First fill out the  MA Interest Form  approximately one year before you in intend to graduate. 

Next,   send an email to the MA Director of Admission,  Prof. Karen Schmidt , to receive guidance and to verify that their schedule and professional interests will accommodate the program.  

• How do I apply? Follow the steps listed in the order below:
• At the time of the application, students are expected to have taken, or registered in, two courses from the prerequisite courses below (PREREQUISITE COUSES)
• Your unofficial transcript, and 
• A letter addressed to Prof. Karen Schmidt , outlining their background, the career goals, the two prerequisite courses that you have verified are not being used as part of your undergraduate program (above and beyond the 120 credits hours, and any requirements, including major requirements, for your undergraduate program), and the name of the faculty member in the Department of Psychology who has agreed to serve as your advisor during the Master's program if you are accepted.

The application materials will be reviewed by the Graduate Program Committee in the Department of Psychology. The Graduate Committee will separately seek an endorsement from one or more of the professors of the qualifying courses. A decision will be provided shortly after the review cycle.  Selected applicants will need to submit the Graduate Application by May 1 . There is no application fee or GRE test requirement.

How is it possible to complete a Master of Arts Degree in 1 year?  Students who previously enrolled in courses offered through GSAS (5000 and above) while completing an undergraduate or graduate degree program at the University of Virginia may count up to six credits of such coursework towards a master’s degree. This makes completing the requirements of the MA degree in only 2 additional semesters feasible, while saving the student 6 credits of graduate tuition.

Is it possible to continue for PhD in UVA Department of Psychology after completion of MA? Accelerated Psychology MA in Research Methods is a terminal program, meaning that students who wish to continue on a PhD program should go through the usual admissions process. Depending on the PhD program, some of the courses they take in the MA program may count toward their advanced graduate degree.

Do students receive a stipend while they are in the MA program? No. Students are expected to pay all tuition and fees for the Master of Arts Program. To confirm that potential applicants have the most up-to-date information, they should use UVA Finance's website that is updated after the Board of Visitors approves any changes each year.  Please see the Approved Tuition and Mandatory (Comprehensive) Fees here . MA students may be invited to work as graduate teaching assistants or graders in undergraduate Psychology Research Methods courses, and may be compensated if funding is available.  

Degree Requirements for +1 MA in Psychology

Two semesters of full-time study in residence.

30 credit hours of graduate-level courses at the 5000 level or above. A course grade of B- and above is required for all courses that will satisfy this requirement.

No transfer credits are accepted.

At least 15 credits should come from quantitative methods  courses, listed below. Two of those courses (6 credits) should be taken prior to the admission in the program (prerequisite courses), 

The remainder of credits may come from elective psychology courses, listed below. 

Please note: Any courses that are used for undergraduate degree requirements cannot be used towards completion of the 30 credit hours required for this master’s program.

Passing a Master’s Proficiency Exam:  Students in the terminal MA Program will take their master's proficiency exam during their second semester (spring term).  The exam will be comprised of questions from specific quantitative psychology courses, listed below: 

PSYC 5323 RM: R in Psychology

PSYC 5500 RM: Advanced Multiple Regression Models and Data Visualization

PSYC 5720 Fundamentals of Item Response Theory

PSYC 5725 RM: Practical Longitudinal Sustainability Studies

PSYC 5705 Introduction to Bayesian Methods

PSYC 5710 Machine Learning and Data Mining

PSYC 7710 Quantitative Methods I: Probability and Statistical Inference

PSYC 7720 Quantitative Methods II: Experimental Design

PSYC 7670 Longitudinal Data Analysis 

PSYC 7760 Intro to Applied Multivariate Methods

PSYC 8730 Dynamical Systems Analysis

PSYC 8735 Intro to Structural Equation Modeling

• Optional Thesis: With the permission of the program director and the thesis advisor(s), up to 6 credit hours (in excess of 15 required quant credits) may be satisfied through PSYC 9502 Topical Research. In this case, a Master’s Thesis demonstrating mastery in research methods should be completed for course grades. A thesis does not replace the Master's Exam requirement.

Prerequisite Course Selections

6 credits (2 courses) from this list is expected for applying to the program.  Please note: Prerequisites and any courses that are used for undergraduate degree requirements cannot be used towards completion of the 30 credit hours required for this master’s program.​ Equivalent courses taken from other UVA programs can be petitioned as substitutes for prerequisite courses prior to applying to the MA+1 program.  7000+ level courses can be taken as an undergrad only by the instructor’s permission. 

PSYC 5270 Computational Neuroscience 

PSYC 5332 Quantified Cognition

PSYC 5559 Computer Science for Neuroscientists

PLAD 8320 Generalized Linear Models

STAT 5120 Applied Linear Models

EDLF 5310 Data Management for Social Science Research

PLAD 8320 Generalized Linear Models

PSYC 7215 RM: Computational Methods in Psychology and Neuroscience

STAT 5120 Applied Linear Models

Quantitative Methods Courses

At least 15 credits (5 courses) from this list are required for the degree. Students may choose to take all 30 credits from quantitative courses based on availability. PSYC 7651 Professional Issues in Masters Studies (1 - 3) is required.

PSYC 7651 Professional Issues in Masters Studies (1 - 3) (required)

PSYC 5620 RM: Social Psychophysiology

PSYC 9502 Topical Research

Elective Psychology Courses

Up to 15 credits (5 courses) from 5000-7000 level PSYC courses are needed to fulfill 30 credits required for the degree.

Iris Jenkins appointed director of the research integrity and consultation program

In collaboration with faculty, staff, and leadership, Jenkins will shape the education and outreach program to promote ethical excellence and facilitate ethical decision-making that impacts university scholarship.

Lindsey Haugh

28 Aug 2024

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Iris Jenkins. Photo by Kristina Rose for Virginia Tech

Iris Jenkins has been appointed director of the research integrity and consultation program in the Division of Scholarly Integrity and Research Compliance , effective Aug. 1. 

In her role, Jenkins will oversee the research ethics consultation service, serve as the university’s research integrity officer, and lead the campus research ethics and compliance training program. She will also coordinate a universitywide, comprehensive program of responsible and ethical research learning opportunities for Virginia Tech students, scholars, and researchers.

“We are delighted to welcome Iris Jenkins to the team,” said Lisa M. Lee, associate vice president for research and innovation . “She brings nearly two decades of combined research and compliance experience, which will enrich our efforts to infuse ethical decision-making into the innovative research conducted across Virginia Tech.”

In collaboration with faculty, staff, and leadership, Jenkins will shape the education and outreach program to promote ethical excellence and facilitate ethical decision-making that impacts university scholarship. She will coordinate Virginia Tech’s research ethics consultation service, which offers investigators a resource to work through options for handling ethics challenges that present in the conduct of research. Finally, she will handle reports of research misconduct.

“I believe the best research is research that is conducted responsibly and ethically,” Jenkins said. “I am enthusiastic about providing educational opportunities and resources that will assist Virginia Tech faculty, staff, and students in doing their best research.” 

Previously, Jenkins served in the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Research Compliance Office, working with the Human Research Protection Program and on the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. She is an active member of Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research, a nonprofit organization that advances ethical research through services and programs for the research oversight community. Jenkins served as its national speaker and advisor on their annual conference advisory group. 

She earned a master’s degree in plant pathology from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. in neuroscience and behavior from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

For questions about research misconduct, research ethics training, or to schedule a consultation, contact Jenkins at [email protected].

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Related Content

UVA Doctoral Students Showcase Potential of Advanced Data Science Research

Doctoral students from the University of Virginia’s School of Data Science kicked off the new academic year with a research showcase, highlighting the broad range of areas that advanced studies in data science can help illuminate. 

The event also served as a celebration of the doctoral program and what it means to the mission of the School of Data Science. 

"The Ph.D. program is kind of the perfect mixing of our research endeavors and our educational endeavors," said Thomas Stewart , an associate professor of data science and Ph.D. program director, in opening remarks.

Don Brown , senior associate dean for research and the Quantitative Foundation Distinguished Professor in Data Science, noted that the event was "arguably the best part of the summer," as faculty, staff, and students are given the opportunity to see first-hand the high-level research that Ph.D. students at the School of Data Science had been pursuing in recent months.

Brown also urged audience members as they listened to the oral presentations from second-year students and viewed the research posters from third-year students to ask challenging questions, saying that was "the biggest gift you can give the person" who was presenting.

Oral presentations were delivered by 13 second-year Ph.D. students, whose research covered everything from health care chatbots to deep dives into a wide range of methodological techniques, as well as issues pertaining to large language models. 

Later, 13 third-year students presented research posters that addressed critical issues such as health care, K-12 education, the environment, and many others. 

Following the presentations, an awards ceremony was held, one that both recognized the research that had just been discussed and that celebrated the achievements of the School of Data Science doctoral program — its students, faculty, and staff — over the previous year. Stewart also highlighted a sampling of recent research publications from the School's doctoral students. 

As the day wound down, Jeffrey Blume , Quantitative Foundation Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs in Data Science, urged the newest group of School of Data Science Ph.D. students in attendance to take inspiration from what they had just seen.

"For those students who are new and who are here, you get a sense of what people are doing their first couple of years, so it's something to look forward to. We look forward to seeing your names up here on publications and listening to your work," he said. 

The 2024-25 academic year will mark the third full year of UVA’s data science doctoral program , which launched in fall 2022. And, for the first time, students in all academic programs will be able to take classes and collaborate with faculty and classmates at the new home of the School of Data Science, which held its grand opening in April .  

Awards 

Best Oral Presentations

• Ethan Nelson , who discussed his work that examined whether signal neural networks can evolve to capture how signals travel between neurons over time
• Ahson Saiyed , who presented his enhanced benchmark, called TAXI 2.0, for evaluating the capacity of knowledge editing methods to leverage batched property edits to make consistent categorical knowledge edits in large language models

Best Research Poster

• Karolina Naranjo-Velasco , who presented her work on facilitating data-drive approaches to legal text analysis of documents from the Colombian Constitutional Court
• Jason Wang , who presented his work assessing computer vision-based worker poster analysis methods

Leadership and Service Award

• Beau LeBlond , a third-year Ph.D. student 

Outstanding Teaching Award

• Jonathan Kropko , a Quantitative Foundation Associate Professor of Data Science

Outstanding Mentoring Award

• Stephen Baek , a Quantitative Foundation Associate Professor of Data Science

Outstanding Student Support Award

• Kylen Baskerville , program manager for the School of Data Science

Full list of second-year oral presentations

• Supervising faculty: Stephen Baek
• Supervising faculty: Don Brown
• Supervising faculty: Heman Shakeri
• Supervising faculty: Jeffrey Blume
• Supervising faculty: John Darrell Van Horn
• Supervising faculty: Sheng Li
• Supervising faculty: Teague Henry
• Supervising faculty: Tom Hartvigsen
• Supervising faculty: Sheng Li and Tom Hartvigsen
• Supervising faculty: Alex Gates

Full list of third-year poster presentations

• Zhanwen Chen : Video Understanding through Video-to-Text Representation Learning
• Supervising faculty: Thomas Stewart
• Supervising faculty: Jonathan Kropko
• Supervising faculty: William Basener
• Supervising faculty: Jess Reia and Jeffrey Blume
• Supervising faculty: William Basener  

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School of Data Science Ph.D. Students and Faculty Member Named To Raven Society

Ph.D., Data Science: Jiahao Tian Successfully Defends Dissertation

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