<ul>
<li>Is there plenty of research internship, REU, or SURF for undergrads in UK university? Are they paid?</li>
<li>Is Senior thesis common?</li>
<li>Can I conduct my own research with help of grad students or profs just like it is done in American universities?</li>
<li>Which do you think is the best environment for biology research, U of Manchester, U of York, U of Wisconsin Madison, or USC?</li>
<li>How about the comparison between ICL or Cornell University? </li>
</ul>
<p>Is there plenty of research internship, REU, or SURF for undergrads in UK university? Some, google search undergraduate research followed by the name of the university. Obviously there won’t be as much as in the US. BBSRC runs an undergraduate research scheme. I know that BBSRC pays a little to cover living costs over the summer but I highly doubt any university based undergraduate research scheme will pay. The Amgen scholars website might be worth a look.</p>
<p>Is Senior thesis common? Yes, everyone does one.</p>
<p>Can I conduct my own research with help of grad students or profs just like it is done in American universities? Check individual degree course structures, I believe that most science degrees have a research project in their final year but you wont be working with grad students or academics.</p>
<p>Which do you think is the best environment for biology research, U of Manchester, U of York, U of Wisconsin Madison, or USC? Don’t know, and it doesn’t matter anyway. You’re going to be an undergrad - why are you so obsessed with research?</p>
<p>How about the comparison between ICL or Cornell University? Imperial is much better.</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply. I really need research experience for admission of PhD program in the U.S. </p>
<p>As an international student in the UK, if you have a standard student visa with no restrictions you are allowed to work 20 hours per week in term time and full time in the university holidays. In the summer between my first and second year (when I was an undergraduate at Cambridge) I worked as a research assistant at the University of Newcastle. In the summer between my second and third year I did a programming project at Sanger Centre in Cambridge. Both positions were in academia and both were paid. Each year I applied for about 50 positions. I was offered a position at Addenbrookes hospital too but I turned that down for Sanger Centre. Just apply for a job. There is nothing stopping you. If you go to the autumn careers fairs and events, there will be summer positions advertised, as well as positions for graduates. You could also apply for a job/internship back in the US, but this can be difficult because the UK has a shorter and later summer break.</p>
<p>You need to look at the course details for the courses you are applying for. These will be available in great detail online. For example, the University of York course description reads as follows:-</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>So as you can see, there is a compulsory independent research project (as per the norm for pretty much all sciences courses in the UK) in the final year. This course is also available with a year in industry, so perhaps you should apply for that as you then spend an entire year doing research (but I really think you should have read the course descriptions before you applied!)</p>
<p>I’ve never heard of these REU or SURF things. </p>
<p>The best place for research depends on what you want to research. I basically looked up research groups studying things I was interested in, and emailed them to ask if they had any summer positions. In the UK you will be considered a grown up at 18. You will be expected to do such things for yourself. You get a lot less help with everything (studying, social, housing, jobs etc) than US universities provide. Be sure you understand this.</p>
<p>Your anecdote helped me a lot! There are some SURF(Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship) which take place in American universities, and I found that all universities of my choice have schedule which would allow me to attend the program without conflict. I’m glad to know that programs like independent research project is so common in UK. I once considered to apply for the four-year program with industry experience, but I decided not to do so, because I got some advice such that working hard on research while staying in undergrad for three years is already enough for admission. </p>