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Finding a Faculty Mentor

Students contact faculty to find a research mentor and then apply for funding through UGAR. UGAR 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 s/he isn'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 UGAR funding.
    • It is more likely that the projects listed 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.
  • Don't 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.
  • Check out the Research at Dartmouth website for links to campus research centers, faculty research databases, and more.
  • Use the Dartmouth Faculty Directory to learn about professors and their particular areas of interest. Note that the faculty directory includes tenured and tenure-track 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".
  • Check out this video about finding a faculty research mentor. Note that the NSS biomedical research opportunities document no longer exists. Those projects are now incorporated in the UGAR online faculty project database.

Faculty Eligible to Mentor Students in Research

All tenured, tenure-track, and research-track faculty at the college and professional schools may supervise undergraduates in research. Research-track faculty includes research assistant professors, research associate professors, and research professors. Geisel School of Medicine faculty with the titles of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Full Professor may supervise undergraduates in research.

Faculty with other types of appointments may supervise undergraduates with relevant department or program chair, director, or dean approval. Examples of other appointment types include: visiting faculty, emeritus faculty, lecturer, senior lecturer, instructor, and post-doctoral scholar*.

Only those who are currently employed by Dartmouth are eligible to supervise undergraduates in research. Those whose primary employment is elsewhere but have adjunct or courtesy appointments at Dartmouth are not eligible to supervise undergraduates in research.

*If a postdoctoral fellow is working under the supervision/mentorship of a tenured or tenure-track faculty member, that faculty member should be designated as the primary mentor for undergraduate students (the postdoctoral fellow can be the direct supervisor for the student). If the postdoctoral fellow is working primarily independently and does not have a designated faculty member as mentor, then they can be the primary mentor for undergraduate students if permission is granted via this form: 

https://dartmouth.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8r0EhnBhSTLUflz

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NOTE: it is expected that student researchers and faculty mentors both be on campus during the term(s) of the research unless there is a compelling reason to waive this requirement.

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, postdoctoral fellows, etc.) may limit your options. They may not be at the college for the long term and also may not be eligible to mentor senior honors theses and independent studies.
  • Be prepared to provide a list of relevant coursework, resume, and statement of research interest. Not all potential mentors will ask for this 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 he/she 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. Note that post-doctoral fellows and some faculty in other categories may not have long-term appointments at the College.