MIT / Department of Biology / Biology UROP and Mentoring Program / For Mentors

The BUMP for Mentors:
Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scientists

As a UROP Mentor you will:

Get useful teaching experience
Find a smart and capable assistant
Become an important role model for a student

However, you may not be sure how to:

Select a UROP student
Design a UROP project
Help a student do successful research

The BUMP can help you mentor a student effectively!

General Information

UROP is the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program at MIT.
Students from any MIT Department can participate in UROP in the Biology Department.
UROP students typically work in a laboratory for more than one semester.
Students generally work for credit during the semester, or for pay over the summer.
BUMP mentors will be working full time in a Biology Department lab.

Recognition for mentors

As a UROP mentor, you will put considerable effort into supervising a UROP student. For this, the Biology Department thanks you, and recognizes your efforts.

All registered UROP mentors will receive an official letter of recognition from the Department, which will be a significant addition to your CV.

Training and registration for BUMP mentors

The Biology Department is committed to training its UROP mentors to effectively supervise a research student.
Mentors are strongly encouraged to attend a 1.5 hour training session. These sessions (usually a panel discussion with refreshments!) will be held twice a year. You are likely to find this training very useful. Topics will include: choosing a student to work with you; defining a good project; teaching techniques; and coping with problems.
In order to receive official recognition by the Department, you will need to register as a UROP mentor. This can be done at a training session, or at a later date (email us).
One training session is expected throughout your tenure at MIT; however, you are welcome to attend others. If you would like to register as a mentor, but feel you do not need the training, please email us and explain why.

Other BUMP mentor events

BUMP social events will allow you to meet other mentors, and establish useful contacts. These will include a discussion on a topic of interest to you, for example:

Career paths

Ethics in research

Strategies for choosing a research project

Email us to suggest topics you would like to discuss or events you would like to happen!

Q and A:

Please note that many questions UROP students may have are on the “For Undergraduates” page of this website, and you should encourage students to read these.

1. How do I become a UROP Mentor?

You and your faculty supervisor should come to an agreement that supervision of a UROP student is timely for your current research project.
Decide on a possible UROP project.
You can advertise a potential project on the UROP office website or email the office at UROP@mit.edu to simply ask that the project description and your contact information be advertised. Be very clear as to whether you are looking for undergraduates with specific expertise (for example, students who have completed the Introductory Biology lab course, 7.02), and whether you will consider freshmen. Ask each applicant to include his/her resumé.

2. How do I choose a UROP student?

Think about what you are looking for in a student.
Are you willing to consider an enthusiastic freshman? Or do you want someone with more experience, who has taken the introductory lab course (7.02) or had previous experience?
It can be useful to formulate a set of questions that you can fill in during an interview. This will allow you to compare students fairly. See this sample questionnaire for ideas.

An important criterion is enthusiasm of a UROP student for the project. You want to mentor a student who truly thinks your research is interesting, no just one who is looking for a UROP.
Another important criterion is time commitment.Is a potential student able to work at least 12 hours/week? Interested to commit to at least two semesters in the lab? (Biology Department guidelines indicate that a UROP student should commit to at least two semesters in a lab).
Has the student worked in an MIT lab previously? Done 7.02 or project lab? In this case, you may be able to get a recommendation from the course instructor.

3. What makes a good UROP project?

A good UROP project should be clearly defined. It may seem very simple to you, but bear in mind that your UROP student will have limited time and limited expertise.
You can add to a simple project if it is going well, but it can be discouraging to a student to have an overly complicated project.
Be able to define the question that the project addresses. If you cannot do this easily at a level understandable to an undergraduate, you may need to think the project through more deeply, or it may not be a good project.
Make sure you have all the reagents necessary before the student starts the project. It is a real waste of time for a student to wait half a semester for constructs to arrive.
A UROP student should not be treated as a “pair of hands”. The student is there to learn how to perform research both on an intellectual and technical level.
On the other hand, a student will usually need to learn basic techniques before he/she can get much done. Further, a student will often not know how to trouble-shoot, set up a control, or think about next experiments.
Be realistic – UROP students have limited time and limited expertise. A UROP student will not get as much done as a graduate student. He/she has classes to complete that are crucial to getting a degree.

4. What can I expect of a student?

A UROP student will be expected to work the number of hours to which he/she has committed.
UROP training and supervision take time and use research money. A student is therefore expected to work seriously and responsibly to justify this investment.
A student is expected to work to understand the specific research question you are asking, the techniques you are using, and the methods of doing research.
A student should be prepared to work at least two semesters in the lab (assuming his/her progress is satisfactory), or a summer plus one semester. This is stated in Biology Department guidelines. Less than this will not allow a student to be properly trained or productive. Some students remain with the same lab for three or more years, and if a student is working out well, you should encourage him/her to continue with you.

5. What is my role in supervising a UROP student?

While you play a crucial role in supervising a UROP, you should work with your faculty advisor in UROP student supervision.
You should give a clear description of the project on which the UROP student will work, including background reading.
You should help the student write a brief (1-3 page) UROP proposal every semester.
You should train a student to perform the appropriate experiments, after appropriate safety training.
You should explain how to keep good records.
A UROP student will likely have to present his/her work as part if a lab meeting every semester, and you should help the student prepare for this. See the Tips for Talks link, and information on the UROP web site.
You should encourage a UROP student to ask questions as needed.
However, you should also explain to a UROP student that you have your own research program, and cannot constantly be available to him/her.
You should be able to give your Faculty supervisor input regarding performance of the student if a letter grade is required, or for a letter of recommendation.

6. How can I optimize the effectiveness of a UROP student?

Be patient and explain principles of experiments. A student may have little previous expertise in the area he/she is entering.
Explain the meaning of hypothesis-driven research. You will help a student to understand that an experiment is designed to TEST a theory, not to PROVE it. This sets an important tone where there is no expectation of getting a “correct” answer, just an accurate one.
Establish basic rules of ethical laboratory behavior.
Make sure the student understands and is trained in safe laboratory practices.
Emphasize the importance of accurate and timely record keeping.
Explain that experiments often fail, and that one should not be discouraged. It is important to figure out why and move on.
Remember that each student is different, and you will need to get to know a UROP student in order to understand the best guidance style for him/her.

7. How independently should a UROP student work?

Initially, a student will work best on a simple project which you closely supervise. This will build his/her confidence, and allow you to assess his/her abilities.
With time and good performance, your student should be able to play a more independent role on the project. Optimally, a student should learn to trouble-shoot and suggest next experiments.
Confidence that the student can work safely in the lab, has mastered the techniques being used, and will come to you if a question arises, are all good criteria for allowing more independence.
Note that a UROP student cannot work in a laboratory unsupervised.

8. What should I know about the difference between UROP for pay or credit, project lab and 7.18 (UROP for project lab)?

UROP can be performed for pay or for credit (7URG or 7UR), typically 12 units or more per semester. 12 units means 12 hours per week of lab time. A smaller time commitment may not allow a UROP student to have a productive experience.
In project lab or 7.18 a student earns 30 units of credit. Either is required for a course VII major. In both cases, students perform original bench research.
In traditional project labs (7.16, 7.17 and 7.13) a student works as part of a group on a research project suggested by the faculty who teach the course.
A UROP student wanting to take 7.18 must have worked for one or more semesters (or a summer) in the same lab where he/she wants to perform 7.18.
7.18 is a continuation of research a student is already performing in a research lab. The student will continue to work in the lab, but will also meet for several hours per week with other 7.18 students under supervision of a Biology faculty member on paper reading and oral presentation skills. Students also meet with a writing tutor on writing a paper about the research.
Permission of the Faculty head of the lab is required for a UROP student to perform 7.18 in a lab. Your input into this decision is very important.

9. What should I do if a student does not work the hours he/she has signed up for?

First, discuss this with the student, and try to find out whether he/she is overloaded with courses or other activities. Frequently a student will sign up for too many courses, and UROP is the first to go.
If necessary, inform the faculty head of the lab and try to resolve the issue together.
If time management or course pressure is undermining a student’s commitment to research it may be best to have the student move out of the lab. For a student who has been in the lab a while, taking a semester’s break due to course load and then returning for the summer or subsequent semester is often acceptable.
Ask whether he/she is enjoying UROP. Explain that understanding he/she does not like research is a useful lesson.
Where a student is taking UROP for credit, the UROP must be dropped by Drop Date, or the course will appear on the student’s transcript.

10. My student does not seem to understand the project. What should I do?

Encourage your student to ask questions. Emphasize that naïve questions are expected and encouraged, and are not “stupid”.
Ask your student to explain what he/she does understand and what he/she does not understand, using written (typed) notes. These should be brought to a meeting with you.
Give the student reading material. Encourage him/her to think about the project and to write down questions as he/she is reading.
Try to assess whether it is the student who does not understand, or you who has not explained the project clearly.
It is possible that this is not a well-thought-out project, and a student’s questions will focus and improve the project.

11. My student does not seem able to perform the necessary techniques. What should I do?

Encourage your student to ask questions. Emphasize that naïve questions are expected and encouraged, and are not “stupid”.
Ask your student to explain what he/she does understand and what he/she does not understand, using written (typed) notes. These should be brought to a meeting with you.
Give the student reading material. Encourage him/her to think about the project and to write down questions as he/she is reading.
Try to assess whether it is the student who does not understand, or you who has not explained the project clearly.
It is possible that this is not a well thought out project, and a student’s questions will focus and improve the project.