MIMG 99 & 199

Lab Research

MIMG Research Overview

Undergraduate research opportunities are available within the Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics (MIMG) Major.  Undergraduates are strongly encouraged to engage in the laboratory research experience as early as their schedules permit.  For students contemplating professional or graduate school, research is, in most cases, necessary. Performing research directly engages students in their chosen field of study in a very meaningful and valuable way. Students are also given the opportunity to present their work, and at times, have their work published in a scientific journal.

The majority of our faculty accept undergraduate researchers in their labs.  However, many faculty members require that students fulfill certain course requirements before the student is approved to do research.  Because of this, most students don’t begin doing research until their sophomore or junior year.  Check with faculty directly to find out about course requirements.

MIMG students can earn academic credit toward the major with their research with MIMG 199s (see below), MIMG Path II (application-based), and/or MIMG Departmental Honors (application-based). Please email the MIMG advising team at undergrad@microbio.ucla.edu with your UID to inquire about our major's different research options or for additional resources on finding research opportunities.

SRP 99s and 199s Overview

MIMG/SRP 99 and MIMG 199 are both contract courses where students work on an individual research project or investigation under the guidance of a UCLA faculty member. Contract courses allow students to receive academic credit for their unpaid research work. 

Student Research Program (SRP 99) courses are lower-division research courses (1-2 units with P/NP grading), and departmental 199 courses are upper-division research courses (usually up to 4 units with letter grading). Students often take departmental 199 courses after they take SRP 99 courses (as a “next step”), but enrollment in an SRP 99 course is not a prerequisite to enrolling in a departmental 199 course.

What’s the difference between SRP and 199?

SRP (MIMG 99) MIMG 199
Learning of protocol/small project More in-depth, independent project
1 or 2 units 4 units
P/NP grading only Letter grading only
Approx. 6-10 hrs/wk in lab Approx. 12-16 hrs/wk in lab
No report required Report required for every quarter
Go to Undergrad Research Office (2121 Life Sci) for enrollment and grading information See below for enrollment

SRP 99

Enrolling in an SRP 99 allows undergraduates to receive university/course credit for engaging in research experiences under the supervision of a UCLA faculty. SRP-99 courses are particularly suited for entry-level research experiences for lower-division and first-quarter transfer students. Students must submit an SRP Contract every quarter which they plan to enroll in an SRP (due quarterly Friday of Week 2).

MIMG 199

MIMG 199 (Directed Research in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics) is a 4-unit, letter-graded course that allows students to conduct independent research under the guidance of a faculty mentor for university credit. 

Eligibility Requirements

Enrolling in MIMG 199

Note: This process is required each quarter you plan to enroll in MIMG 199. 

  1. Ensure that you have enough units on your study list to add a 4-unit MIMG 199 course. If needed, petition for extra units. You must have approval for extra units in advance of enrolling. 
  2. Create the contract: Access the form at MyUCLA www.my.ucla.edu under "Contract Courses".
  3. Complete the contract and include a: Fill out the form with a detailed research proposal (your faculty mentor can assist you).
  4. Obtain approval: Have your faculty mentor sign the completed contract.
  5. Submit documents via email: Email the following to undergrad@microbio.ucla.edu by noon on Friday of Week 2 of the quarter you plan to enroll:
  6. An MIMG advisor will either confirm your enrollment or share next steps via email. Confirm enrollment: After submitting your contract, expect confirmation from an MIMG advisor. Check your class schedule by Wednesday of Week 3. If MIMG 199 isn't listed, contact the MIMG Advising Team.

*Proof of Lab Safety Fundamental Concepts Course required: students will NOT be enrolled unless they complete the EH&S Laboratory Safety Fundamental Concepts course. Sign up the course on WorkSafe.  Proof of completion must be attached to the contract, every quarter.

MIMG 199 Research Report

A 5-10 page report must be submitted for every quarter you're enrolled in MIMG 199. The report should include: Title page, Abstract, Intro, Methods, Results, Discussion, and References. Submit this to the department by 5:00 pm on the Friday of Finals Week.

Submitting Your Research Report

  1. Draft your report with the guidance of your faculty mentor as needed. The MIMG advising team will share guidelines with enrolled students via email. For a copy, please email undergrad@microbio.ucla.edu with your UID. 
  2. Ensure your faculty mentor reviews your report before submission.
  3. Submit the report to the MIMG team (undergrad@microbio.ucla.edu) no later than 5:00 PM Friday of Finals Week each quarter enrolled. 

The MIMG advising team will share guidelines with enrolled students via email. For a copy, please email undergrad@microbio.ucla.edu with your UID. If you haven't received the submission guidelines and Faculty Acknowledgement Form by the end of Week 8, please contact the MIMG Advising team at undergrad@microbio.ucla.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions: MIMG 199 Report

  • The MIMG 199 report must be five to ten pages, double spaced, plus any figures and tables. It must include these seven components:
    Title Page, Abstract, Intro, Methods, Results, Discussion, References
  • The MIMG advising team will email the submission guidelines to all students enrolled in MIMG 199s by the end of the 8th week. MIMG advisors will include instructions on how to submit your report. Make sure your faculty mentor has reviewed the report before you submit it. 
  • Along with your report, you must submit a Faculty Acknowledgement Form signed by your faculty mentor. 
  • If you do not receive the submission guidelines and the Faculty Acknowledgement Form by the end of the 8th week, please contact the MIMG Advising Team at undergrad@microbio.ucla.edu.

You must submit the report to the department by 5pm on the Friday of Finals Week. A report is due every quarter for which you are enrolled in MIMG 199. 

The MIMG advising team will email the submission guidelines to all students enrolled in MIMG 199s by the end of the 8th week. MIMG advisors will include instructions on how to submit your report. Make sure your faculty mentor has reviewed the report before you submit it. 

Along with your report, you must submit a Faculty Acknowledgement Form signed by your faculty mentor. 

If you do not receive the submission guidelines and the Faculty Acknowledgement Form by the end of the 8th week, please contact the MIMG Advising Team at undergrad@microbio.ucla.edu.

Yes!  Even if your mentor doesn’t require that you write a report, the department does.

 

 

  • This varies and should be discussed with the mentor before the student begins research.
  • The student and mentor should decide upon a schedule that works for both of them BEFORE the quarter begins so that there is no confusion as to when the student should be in lab.
  • For the first quarter of 199, you are NOT expected to have enough data for a complete report.
  • Think of the paper as a rough draft or work-in-progress.
  • Write as much as you can, given what you have at that point.
  • Some mentors use the paper as part of their basis for grading the student, some do not.
  • This should be discussed with the mentor before the student begins research.
  • Even though the department does not grade you, a report must still be submitted, as agreed to on the 199 contract.

Frequently Asked Questions: MIMG 199

  • Review MIMG faculty research topics
  • Determine who is doing research that looks most interesting to you.
  • Contact the faculty members via e-mail.  Use the UCLA directory to find their contact info.
  • In your e mail, include a resume and brief cover letter.
  • If the faculty member does not respond to you in about a week, you can send a message to follow-up.  If (s)he still does not respond, do not continue to pursue the matter.
  • If the faculty member is interested, you will most likely be asked to interview.
  • Before the interview, it’s best to look up the faculty member’s recent publications, found in the Faculty Research section of the MIMG website (as above).
  • The faculty member will discuss with you whether you should do 99 or 199 (most require students who are just beginning research to do at least one quarter of 99).
  • The faculty member will discuss the project with you, that is, you do not have to already have a project in mind.
  • The student must first check with the MIMG Advising Team (email undergrad@microbio.ucla.edu) to see if the faculty in question has already been approved for MIMG 199.
  • If the faculty has NOT already been approved, the student must petition by submitting the following:
    • A letter from the student explaining why (s)he want to do 199 with the mentor (previous experience with the mentor is an example).
    • A one-page proposal for the project that the student will be researching.
  • The petition materials must be submitted to undergrad@microbio.ucla.edu no later than the first day of instruction.
  • The departmental Curriculum Committee will review the petition. In addition to working on a topic that is relevant to the MIMG major, the Curriculum Committee also looks at the qualifications of the proposed mentor and will only approve the petition if the mentor has the experience and a record of independent research accomplishments deemed comparable to those of a typical MIMG professor.
  • If the faculty is approved, the student will proceed with filling out and submitting the 199 contract

Students are NOT allowed in enroll in 199 in the same research lab in which they are working for pay.  Exceptions to this rule require prior approval by the Vice Chair of Undergraduate Studies, April Pyle.

  • Must have an MIMG faculty mentor or approved UCLA faculty mentor. 
  • Be an MIMG major of at least junior standing (non-MIMG majors see below). 
  • Have a GPA of at least 2.5 in the pre-major and major classes. 
  • Have proof of completion of the Lab Safety Fundamental Concepts course.
  • 199 is a one-quarter commitment.
  • Students can repeat 199 for multiple quarters if desired (up to 32 total units of 199 or 8 quarters).

 

 

  • If you do not submit a contract, you will not be enrolled.  There is no “automatic enrollment”.
  • Once you’ve taken the safety class you do not need to take it again, but you must attach proof of competition to every contract you submit.
  • All 199 contracts must include a thoughtful and well-described proposal for research, to be approved by the department.
  • Your mentor will help you with the proposal.
  • All contracts also require a commitment to produce tangible evidence of the research in the form of a written report (see below).
  • Your mentor must sign the contract, the Department Chair DOES NOT.

But there’s a place on the contract for the Departmental Chair to sign!

The Chair never ever needs to sign the contact.  The 199 contract is a standard contract used all across campus.  The MIMG department is not able to remove the line that asks for the Chair’s signature.  If we could, we would.

One quarter of MIMG 199 will fulfill the MIMG General Elective requirement. 

Additional quarters of MIMG 199 will not be counted toward the MIMG major but may help fulfill UCLA's Upper Division requirement.

Other departments' 199 courses (i.e. MCDB 199) do not count toward the MIMG major but may help fulfill UCLA's Upper Division requirement.

Students majoring in another Life Science department can petition for enrollment in MIMG 199!  For more information, email undergrad@microbio.ucla.edu with your UID. 

Your faculty mentor, not the MIMG department.

 

 

Any Incomplete (I) for a 199 must be resolved during the following quarter (Fall in the case of Spring), or it will lapse to an F.  Continued enrollment in 199 will not be permitted until the Incomplete is resolved.