Photos courtesy of the Skouta, Adler and Blanchard Labs

An important part of your scientific training is getting experience in your field. The Biology Undergraduate Apprenticeships (BUA) program provides equitable access to research and teaching assistant positions at UMass. We encourage students for all backgrounds to apply. Please apply for positions that interest or excite you, even if it seems you don't have research expertise (yet!), you may have other experiences that are valued. Professors know that you are here to learn, and are excited to train motivated students. These experiences are important foundations for your future career, and the opportunity to get involved is one thing that makes UMass a great place to be an undergrad. To apply for projects log into BUA using your UMass email.

 

Timeline for Fall 2023

For Research Mentors

  • Tuesday, August 1 at 6:00am - First day to post projects
  • Tuesday, August 29 at 11:59pm - Last day to post projects
  • Friday, September 8 at 1:00am - First day to accept applications
  • Friday, September 15 at 11:59pm - Last day to accept applications
  • Saturday, September 16 at 1:00am - First day to agree to contracts
  • Saturday, September 23 at 11:59pm - Last day to agree to contracts

For Students

  • Wednesday, August 30 at 1:00am - First day to apply for projects
  • Thursday, September 7 at 11:59pm - Last day to apply for projects
  • Saturday, September 16 at 1:00am - First day to agree to contracts
  • Saturday, September 23 at 11:59pm - Last day to agree to contracts

Recent Blog Posts

Being a uTA Strengthened My Laboratory Skills

My name is Jolie and I’m a sophomore biology student here at UMass. Getting involved
with research and other related opportunities was one thing that I knew I wanted to pursue
before I even enrolled at UMass, but the idea of finding these opportunities always seemed
daunting. Right before the new school year started I discovered BUA and was immediately
interested and excited by the diverse opportunities it presented.

From undergraduate research opportunities to a NSF post-baccalaureate fellowship

My name is Danaiijah Vilsaint, and I am a recent graduate of UMass Amherst. Research is an invaluable experience and something I encourage undergraduates to participate in. Through BUA, I was able to get into the Pallas lab my junior year. I learned so much about the brain and the anatomy of mice. Unfortunately, Covid cut that experience short. I was disheartened and didn't think I would be able to get any more research experience.