Dear students,
Yale University is one of the premiere research universities in the world, with a distinguished science and engineering faculty committed to undergraduate teaching and mentorship. With over 1200 laboratories offering cutting edge research in a wide range of scientific disciplines, Yale provides an extraordinary environment for the training of undergraduates who aspire to careers involving scientific research. Yale’s commitment to undergraduate research is highlighted by the fact that the Yale College Dean’s Office (YCDO) spent $1,000,000 in summer 2019 to fund 205 undergraduate research projects, with $615,000 allocated just to fund first-year research. As the Associate Dean of Science Education at Yale College, I am committed to support Yale undergraduates on all matters related to undergraduate research, including providing guidance to finding a suitable scientific mentor, how to write a fundable grant proposal, and providing opportunities for you to present your research findings to a wider audience.
Yale undergrads join laboratories across the Yale campus, from Science Hill where our most of the Faculty in Arts and Sciences reside, to West Campus (a short bus ride away) or to our Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health and Forestry and Environmental Studies. STEM education and research enjoy uniform support from the Yale leadership. President Peter Salovey has made enormous commitments to increase Yale’s investments in the sciences. By 2020 Yale would have concluded the first phase of an ambitious STEM faculty recruitment campaign and infrastructure expansion in research and education, with a brand-new Yale Science Building, lecture halls, and state-of-the art laboratories that will bring together students and faculty across diverse scientific disciplines. I am fully committed to carry out President Salovey’s vision to make Yale “the research university most committed to teaching and learning”.
Yale’s 15-year expansion of programmatic and financial support for undergraduate research has led to impressive outcomes at Yale and beyond. Science and engineering undergraduates co-author over 100 publications per year. They are highly successful in gaining admission to the most prestigious MD, Ph.D. and MD/ Ph.D programs. Yale STEM undergraduates also secure the most competitive jobs following graduation. As Yale alumni have completed their research training, they have been moved into faculty positions at outstanding institutions including Cal Tech, Stanford, Harvard, Princeton and Yale.
I hope you will take the opportunity to work under the guidance of one of Yale’s outstanding research mentors, apply for generous fellowship support, and join the community of distinguished undergraduate scientists. Many Yale undergrads have told me that doing independent research at Yale was the single most rewarding aspect of their college education. Please browse this website to learn more about our research fellowships and contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Sandy Chang, MD, PhD
Associate Dean of Science Education, Yale College
Professor, Yale University School of Medicine