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Finding a Faculty Mentor

Students contact faculty to find a research mentor and then apply for funding through Undergraduate Research (UGR). UGR does not match students with faculty mentors.

Online database of faculty research projects

Online database of research projects: contact faculty who have posted projects that are of interest to you. 

Note the following:

  • Faculty may or may not choose to list a project. If a professor does not have a project listed, it does not necessarily mean they aren't willing to work with students on research.
  • Faculty are responsible for maintaining their own entries. It is possible that some projects in the database may no longer be active BUT it is also the case that projects that have been listed in the database for multiple years are still active.
  • Not all projects in the database will be eligible for UGR funding.
    • For those projects that do fit the criteria for UGR funding, it is more likely that they will be eligible for part-time assistantships (Presidential Scholars, URAD) than for leave term research grants.
    • Eligibility for leave term research grants involves a higher degree of independence and involvement in development of a project.
  • Do not rely only on this database to find research opportunities. Check out the other suggestions below.

Finding a research mentor

Other suggestions for finding a faculty mentor for research:

  • Talk to faculty with whom you have taken a class.
  • Talk to other students who have been engaged in research to learn about their experiences.
  • Use the Dartmouth Faculty Directory to learn about professors and their particular areas of interest. Note that the faculty directory includes tenure-line Dartmouth College faculty but does not include all adjunct and visiting faculty, nor does it include Dartmouth Medical School faculty.
  • Read faculty bios on departmental websites. These may include more information than is available on the Dartmouth Faculty Directory, and many departmental websites will also list adjunct and visiting faculty.
  • Graduate programs are another good source of information for potential faculty research mentors.
  • There are some science centers at Dartmouth that provide information about ongoing research, such as Neuroscience Center at Dartmouth, Immunology Program.
  • Use the Dartmouth Medical School Faculty Expertise Database for information on faculty affiliated with the medical school and hospital.
  • Look through the research positions on JobNet - select "research" in the "classification" menu then click "search jobnet".

Before You Meet with A Potential Research Mentor

  • Think about what you want. Are you looking for a part-time research experience while you are taking classes or a full-time leave term research project? Are you looking for a paid position? Is this something you would want to do for one or two terms, or is it something you are interested in continuing for one or two years?
  • Make sure you know something about the faculty member's research. At least read the "research interests" paragraph on the web. Better yet, read an article or something else he or she has written.
  • Keep in mind that opting to engage in research with faculty who have non-regular appointments (emeritus, lecturers, etc.) may limit your options. They may not be at the college for the long term and may not be eligible to mentor some types of research opportunities.
  • Be prepared to provide a list of relevant coursework or a resume. Not all potential mentors will ask for this type of information, but some may. 
  • If the professor you meet with does not need/want to take on a student, ask who else he or she thinks you should talk to. Sometimes an email that begins, "Professor Smith suggested that I talk to you..." will get better results!
  • Be sure you are willing to make the commitment. If a professor agrees to be your research mentor, understand that they will be expending significant time and resources in training and supervising you. It is your responsibility to be reliable and to work hard.
  • If you are hoping to continue the research over multiple terms, be sure to ask specifically about that option. Depending on faculty appointment types, sabbaticals, etc., not all mentors may be able to offer longer term research opportunities.

Faculty Eligible to Mentor Students in Undergraduate Research and Scholars Programs

All tenure-line and research-track faculty who are currently employed at the College (including the professional schools) and eligible to serve as Principal Investigators may supervise undergraduates in research. Research-track faculty include research assistant professors, research associate professors, and research professors (but not Research Scientists). 

  • Faculty with appointment types other than tenure line or research track may be eligible to supervise undergraduates in some undergraduate research programs with approval from the relevant department or program chair.
  • Geisel School of Medicine faculty with the titles of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Full Professor may supervise undergraduates in research. 
  • Faculty whose primary employment is elsewhere but have adjunct or courtesy appointments at Dartmouth are not eligible.
  • Emeritus faculty are eligible if they have a current appointment as research-track faculty.

IMPORTANT NOTES

  • Presidential Scholars program: this program is intended to prepare students for honors thesis research so faculty mentors must be eligible to be primary advisors for student honors theses in their academic department or program. In most cases, this includes only faculty with the following appointment types: tenure-line, research-track or lecturer/senior lecturer.
  • Postdoctoral Fellows: those with multi-year appointments at the College (e.g. Neukom Fellows) should email undergraduate research to determine potential eligibility to mentor undergraduates in research. Other postdoctoral fellows may supervise undergraduate researchers but are not eligible to be the primary mentor. The primary mentor should be the tenure-line faculty member who is mentoring and/or collaborating with the post-doctoral fellow. When applying for undergraduate research programs, the student would choose the faculty member as primary mentor, and that primary mentor is responsible for overseeing the research experience and for completing any endorsements, recommendations and evaluations that are required for the program. 

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ON-CAMPUS RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS

  • Part-time research programs (Dartmouth ERAS, URAD, Presidential Scholars): students must be on campus, and it is expected that faculty mentors also be on campus during the term(s) of the research.
    • If there is a compelling reason to waive the on-campus requirement for faculty, this request must be made in advance and there must be an on-campus supervisor who is involved in the project and agrees to work directly with the student (e.g. graduate student, post-doctoral fellow).
  • Leave term grants: students may engage in the research on or off campus but there must be a rationale for the location of the research. The on-campus requirement for faculty is based on the location of the student's research and the rationale for that location.
    • Student off campus: there is no on-campus requirement for faculty, but there must be a clear plan for regular communication and mentoring.
    • Student on campus: in most cases, the rationale for the student to be on campus during leave term research is to be able to work with their faculty mentor in person. In that case, faculty mentors must be on campus during the term of the research.