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Neuroscience Program

Neuroscience 3851 Independent Reading Guidelines

IMPORTANT: In order to register for research credit, you must begin your contract by the end of the 2nd day of classes. Because the contract and registration process takes time, the link to initiate a research contract will close at the end of the 2nd day of classes and registrations won’t be accepted after that time. Please plan ahead. We encourage students to meet with potential mentors and obtain an agreement on doing research for credit before classes begin.

Objective

The purpose of the Independent Reading Course is to provide the student with an opportunity to do in-depth reading of the literature on a specific topic in Neuroscience with the guidance of an expert in the area. The student works with a member of the Neuroscience faculty at Vanderbilt and, through reading and discussion with the faculty sponsor, will gain knowledge and understanding of the research that has been published on a particular area or problem in Neuroscience. This is an ideal and recommended course as preparation for, or taken in conjunction with, NSC 3861 Undergraduate Research to provide the student with the necessary background in the research area. The course may be repeated once for a total of 2 hour credit toward the Neuroscience major.

Selecting a Research Mentor

In order to register for NSC 3851, a student must obtain an appropriate faculty sponsor and under his/her guidance develop a plan of study for the semester. The plan need not be exceptionally detailed, but should identify the primary goals that the sponsor and student hope to achieve during the semester.

To find a faculty sponsor, look first at the research opportunities available. You will find a short research description of the faculty that are currently approved to sponsor students for NSC 3861 and NSC 3862. If you are interested in working with a faculty member that is not already approved to mentor students but conducts Neuroscience research, you must first get permission from the Director of Independent Studies. The faculty member must then agree that they are willing to direct a student’s research for these courses. It is left to your initiative to determine what area of research you wish to pursue.

Application and Registration

This course is intended for Juniors and Seniors. Exceptional students may be admitted as sophomores as long as they have had NSC 2201.

  • Read the “course structure and requirements” (below)
  • Select a research mentor and decide on a project by agreement with a potential research mentor. A specific research proposal will be required.
  • Research Contract: The contract is now closed and will reopen for Summer/Fall 2024 registration windows. For more information on the deadline, please see the note in red at the top of this page.
    • Complete the above REDCap survey in its entirety. This will serve as your research contract. Once submitted, the information will require two approvals: first by your mentor and second by our Director of Independent Studies (DIS). If approved by both parties, the information will be routed to the Program Office for registration. You will be notified after each step is completed and will also be notified once enrolled.
    • Inform your mentor that a REDCap link will be sent to their email and will require action.
  • A new contract is required for each semester you register and you will not be able to register yourself. If after following all guidelines you still have questions, contact the Program Office.

IMPORTANT: In order to register for research credit, you must begin your contract by the end of the 2nd day of classes.  Because the contract and registration process takes time, the link to initiate a research contract will close at the end of the 2nd day of classes and registrations won’t be accepted after that time. Please plan ahead. We encourage students to meet with potential mentors and obtain an agreement on doing research for credit before classes begin.

Course Structure and Requirements

Once a student has been admitted to NSC 3851, his or her primary interactions during the semester will be with the faculty sponsor. However, all students are required to write a term paper (8-page minimum, 15-page maximum) on the focal topic of the readings. The document should be double spaced with 1-inch margins, and 12pt Times or equivalently clear font. The references do not have to fit into the page limit. NSC 3851 may only be taken twice for credit.

Grades

The paper is due on the last day of class. There will be a deduction of 1 letter grade on papers received after the deadline. Copies should be submitted to the program through Brightspace AND to the student’s faculty mentor. The paper is to be graded by the faculty mentor who should submit a recommendation for a final grade to the Program Office within one week of the due date.