NRSC 4999: Advanced Independent Research and Neuroscience Honors
Application:
Form: Advanced Independent Research Application Form
Deadline: For Fall 2025, the deadline is Monday March 31st, at 5pm.
Submission: Advanced Independent Research proposals should be submitted via the link above.
NRSC 4999 provides students an opportunity to engage in continued independent research. Many students spend both semesters during the senior year engaged in research. It is therefore suggested that potential honors thesis candidates try to arrange for research sponsorship no later than the end of their junior year. Only Juniors and Seniors can receive honors research credit. No student shall be allowed to register for more than 2 NRSC research credits (NRSC 3999 and NRSC 4999).
Neuroscience majors wishing to graduate with honors must fulfill the following requirements:
1) Students must be Neuroscience Majors
2) Students are expected to have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or above.
3) Students must have at least two semesters of research in their thesis laboratory: One semester of NRSC 3999 and one semester of NRSC 4999 (both in their thesis lab). Students must submit the "Advanced Independent Research" (NRSC 4999) application form (linked above), including an email letter of support from their faculty sponsor.
4) Students must attend the Honors Seminars offered each Spring semester on Mondays 1:45-3:15.
5) Students must orally present their work at the Neuroscience Student Research Symposium. For Spring 2025, this symposium will be held Friday, April 25th.
6) Students must complete a second NRSC 4000-level seminar course.
7) Students should attend one additional neuroscience lecture on campus and upload a brief summary on Canvas.
Additional Information
In the second semester of research, students are expected to take a leading role in the design and execution of their research project. Further, the project should become more targeted towards the completion of a novel research goal. Students may not exceed 5.5 c.u. during any semester in which they are receiving NRSC research credit. Please note that if students are working in the laboratory for pay, they are not eligible to also receive credit for this work.
Students should devote approximately 10-12 hours per week to the research which should include a weekly meeting of at least 1 hour with a preceptor or mentor in the lab or research group to discuss the background and organization of the work, and the interpretation of results.
Students in NRSC 4999 are required to participate in the weekly honors seminar program**, moderate one lecture, and attend one additional neuroscience lecture on campus. Selected faculty will also present research talks as part of the honors seminar program.
Students should plan the research paper, and work on it throughout the term. At the end of the semester, the student will produce an honor's thesis. This thesis incorporates the first semester's paper with an additional 10-15 pages (written in 11 point Arial type) which describe the evolution of the project and the conclusions reached to make one cohesive document.
Each paper should include a section on "Contributions" to acknowledge contributions to the research accomplished. It is expected that the research paper has not been submitted and will not be submitted for credit in another course.
Students are expected to follow Penn's Code of Academic Integrity. Students caught plagiarizing may face either academic or disciplinary negative consequences.
The Director will retain the prerogative of challenging a grade assignment if the submitted thesis paper is inadequate, the student fails to submit a video for the opportunity to present at the Symposium, and/or for any unexcused absences during the Honors Seminars.
**If you cannot attend the Honors Seminar series, you will receive the NRSC Advanced Independent Study credit, but you will not be eligible to receive honors on your transcript. Students in the Honors Program who do not successfully defend their thesis at the Annual Research Symposium will also not be eligible to receive honors on their transcript.
Neuroscience Honors students are encouraged to submit their work for publication in CUREJ, the College's Undergraduate Research Electronic Journal. Penn's College of Arts and Sciences is proud to be among the first to formally support and encourage undergraduate students to participate in meaningful research with faculty mentors. The College Undergraduate Research Electronic Journal presents a sampling of that research and celebrates the academic achievements of our undergraduates. An example of Neuroscience sponsored research published on CUREJ can be found at http://repository.upenn.edu/curej/18/. Interested students should contact the Neuroscience Program Director for approval.