Baccalaureate Research Experience (BRE)

Overview: 

The Baccalaureate Research Experience (BRE) will provide SJV PRIME+ students with a rigorous, immersive research experience as a foundational component of their medical school preparation. Students must engage in primary research for no fewer than two consecutive semesters and are required to publicly present their research findings at the SJV PRIME+ symposium by the conclusion of their fourth academic year.  

Upon successful completion of the BRE, students should gain skills and will be evaluated in their ability to¹: 

• Read, critically understand, and apply literature using LEAD framework (Locate, Evaluate, Assemble, Suggest Reasonable Decisions)  
• Critically analyze and evaluate study design and data  
• Effectively engage in research project team activities   
• Identify ethical principles in medicine and research  
• Demonstrate inquiry habits of mind (e.g., curiosity, skepticism, appreciation for ambiguity)  
• Effectively communicate and disseminate scientific knowledge  

Other skills that may also be developed: 

• Formulate relevant research questions based upon the FINER criteria (Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, and Relevant)  

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• 1Adapted from UCSF SOM Inquiry Curriculum 

Student Expectations & Requirements Overview 

1. Identify a Primary Research Advisor 

• Semester 3-4: Identify research advisor/project
• Semester 5: Complete all onboarding/training 

2. Enroll in Research for Credit (3 units/semester) 

3. Present Research at the SJV PRIME+ Symposium 

• Year 3 (optional if prepared)
• Year 4 (required) 

4. Receive Formal & Informal Evaluation 

• BRE Rubric (formal)
• Mentored Research Experience (informal) 

5. Disseminate Research Externally (optional) 

Student Expectations: 

Timing 

Allowing sufficient time for the research experience is essential for success. Optimally, students will identify a primary research advisor and project by the end of semester 4 (end of year 2) and begin lab onboarding and required trainings during late spring/summer. Students should work with SJV PRIME+ Staff Advisor and research advisor to ensure all training is completed by the end of the 5th semester, at the latest.  

The primary research advisor must agree in writing that the student can do the BRE in their lab and that they will fulfill the duties of a primary research advisor for the BRE.   

*This is based on fall/spring semesters only 

We recognize that, for a variety of reasons, some students may wish or need to change labs and research advisors after beginning the BRE. To accommodate this, we encourage students to start identifying a research advisor and project as early as possible. The timeline above has been designed with built-in flexibility to support such changes. If a student intends to switch labs and advisors during semester 6, they must promptly seek approval from the SJV PRIME+ Staff Advisor to ensure they can complete the BRE in semesters 7 and 8.  

Progression of Responsibility 

Research is a scholarly undertaking, and students will need to learn how to contribute to the team so that they can progress to a meaningful role over time. At the start of their experience, students are observers; their role will become more active and progress to greater responsibility with investment of time and experience. By the end, students should be able to clearly and confidently explain the project they worked on and their contribution to the project.  

Mentorship experience 

It is expected that students will receive input on project progression on a regular basis from the primary research advisor and their team at weekly or bi-weekly intervals. This may include individual meetings with the primary research advisor and/or grad students/research staff and/or lab group meeting presentations. Students must meet with the faculty member before enrolling in research units to establish expectations for the research experience, and students are responsible for meeting those expectations.  

Completion of Intro to Medical Learning, Year 3 

All students will participate in IML Year 3 to support their research experiences, learn essential research skills and habits of mind, provide context for their work, learn how to and practice troubleshooting to solve problems, and practice disseminating research findings to the public.   

Additional Criteria for Selecting a Lab and Project for the BRE: 

• The research should be biomedical research (e.g., wet lab/dry lab, clinical, public/community health)  
• The research should be primary research that could lead to publication  
• The research should be project-based and not task-based  
• The research should not be primarily note-taking or shadowing, but novel research  

Student Requirements: 

(1) Identify a Primary Research Advisor 

UC Merced is highly regarded for providing outstanding and engaging research experiences for baccalaureate students; hence, the primary research advisor should be a UC Merced faculty member.     

There may be some instances in which a student wishes to pursue a project outside of UC Merced. On a case-by-case basis, students may request approval from the SJV PRIME+ Staff Advisor to have a research advisor from outside UC Merced, such as a community partner, UCSF-Fresno, or UCSF faculty member.

To request approval for a research advisor from outside UC Merced, the student must submit a proposal which includes: 

• Name and qualifications of their outside research advisor 
• Justification for how this project fits the goals of the SJVPP BRE; explanation of why this work needs to be done outside of UC Merced and cannot be done with in UC Merced-based project
• Plan for how their non-UC Merced research advisor will be able to partner with a UC Merced faculty member (e.g., DOME faculty) to ensure smooth integration of the research project with the needs of UC Merced and SJVPP required experiences  
• Explanation of how the student will still be responsible for contributing the equivalent of nine hours per week (3 units) for each semester  

This justification is needed to ensure that students who work with an outside advisor will meet the project goals and have an experience that is equitable with students who work with UC Merced advisors.  International research, independent research, or research done in other institutions will not fulfill this requirement.  

The primary research advisor must communicate in writing to the SJV PRIME+ Staff Advisor and student that they are willing to take on the responsibility of mentoring the student for the 2 semesters leading up to the public research symposium. In the case of an external research advisor, both the DOME faculty and the external research advisor must communicate in writing to the SJV PRIME+ Staff Advisor and the student that they are willing to take on the responsibility of mentoring the student for the 2 semesters leading up to the public research symposiumium. 

To ensure continuity and advancement of the student's role, the student should have the same Primary Research Advisor for the two consecutive semesters of the BRE. If unforeseen circumstances occur and the Primary Research Advisor is unexpectedly no longer able to work with the student, the student should meet with the DOME team (e.g., SJV PRIME+ Staff Advisor) to discuss how to find a Primary Research Advisor for a meaningful experience.  

(2) Enroll in Research for Credit 

Students must complete upper-division research units (e.g., BIO 195, CHEM 195, BIOE 195, or equivalent) for a minimum of 3 units per semester over two consecutive semesters (Fall/Spring or Spring/Fall), under the supervision of a single faculty mentor. Research units taken during Summer Session do not count toward the two-semester requirement. Although two consecutive semesters of research units must be completed to fulfill the BRE requirements, continued engagement in research beyond this minimum is strongly encouraged. 

Before registering for research units, students are required to meet with their major Academic Advisor to review how research units will affect their academic plan, including whether an excess unit petition (a request to exceed the standard unit limit) is needed. This meeting must take place in the semester before students plan to enroll in research units. Students planning to enroll in Summer research units must also consult with the Office of Financial Aid.  

To enroll in research units:  

1. Student completes the required meeting with their major Academic Advisor. 
2. Student then submits an online Independent Study Form, available on the Office of the Registrar’s website (https://registrar.ucmerced.edu/forms).  

Note: Students typically enroll in research units associated with their major or faculty mentor’s department, however program recommendations may differ in some cases. 

       3. After the form is reviewed and a decision is made, students will receive an email from the Office of the Registrar with instructions on how to add the approved research units and complete enrollment.  

If students have any questions about the process, they are encouraged to reach out to their SJV PRIME+ Staff Advisor for assistance. 

(3) Present Research at the SJV PRIME+ Symposium 

To fulfill the BRE requirement, all students must present a final oral presentation and poster of their research at the SJVPP Symposium. Students may opt to present earlier (e.g., in year 3) if they are prepared. Students may present more than once if desired.  

(4) Receive Formal & Informal Evaluation 

Student performance will be evaluated by the primary research advisor using the BRE rubric (see attachment). Primary research advisors will meet with the student to review the BRE rubric and assess progress in the learning goals. The student will be provided a copy of the reviews. The SJV PRIME+ Staff Advisor will discuss the progress of the BRE during their regularly scheduled meetings each semester for the student self-assessment process. Evaluations will be performed on the following schedule:   

• Semester 1: mid-semester and end of semester evaluations/feedback by primary research advisor and end of semester by the student’s SJV PRIME+ Advisor as part of student-self assessment meetings
• Semester 2: mid-semester and end of semester evaluations/feedback by primary research advisor and end of BRE evaluation by the student’s SJV PRIME+ Advisor after public research symposiu

(5) Disseminate Research 

In addition to presenting at the SJV PRIME+ Symposium, students are highly encouraged to work with their research mentor to disseminate their work in an appropriate manner, such as regional or national conferences, peer-reviewed publications, etc.   

(6) Miscellaneous 

To be on par with what is expected from pre-med students, research must be done during the baccalaureate years, i.e., research done prior to UC Merced matriculation cannot be used to meet this requirement.  

To play a meaningful role in the research experience, students must engage in at least 9 hours per week to meet the BRE requirements. While students are welcome to engage in other research with lesser commitment per week, this will not be able to be applied to meeting the BRE expectations.  

Policy on Academic Integrity: Academic misconduct will simply not be tolerated. We will follow the UC Merced Academic Honesty Policy and the Code of Student Conduct: https://osrr.ucmerced.edu/academic-integrity. Familiarize yourself with these documents. Know the rules -- ignorance is no defense. Those who violate campus rules regarding academic misconduct are subject to disciplinary sanctions, including suspension and dismissal.  

Examples of academic dishonesty include:  

• Plagiarism - using materials from sources without citations  
• Fabricating data or references  
• Using false excuses to obtain extensions of time or to skip coursework  

Student Accessibility Services: University of California, Merced is committed to creating learning environments that are accessible to all. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on a disability, please contact the SJV PRIME+ Staff Advisor privately so we can discuss options. In addition, please contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) at (209) 228-6996 or access@ucmerced.edu as soon as possible to explore reasonable accommodations. All accommodations must have prior approval from SAS and the appropriate supporting documentation. If you anticipate or experience barriers due to pregnancy, a temporary medical condition, or an injury, please contact SAS to discuss options.  

University Dates and Deadlines: Please refer to the registrar’s website for more information on course add/drop/withdraw deadlines and procedures (https://registrar.ucmerced.edu/policies/adddropwithdraw).  

Release of Grades: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits faculty and staff from posting grades to unsecured websites or reporting grades by e-mail or telephone. Individual grade information is available via CatCourses.  

Flexibility Clause: Circumstances may arise during the BRE that may require modifications to the requirements. Therefore, this document is subject to change. Students will be notified prior to any changes, if possible.

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