How Students Get Involved | College of Health Sciences

(Updated June 2026)

How do I get involved in Undergraduate Research in the College of Health Sciences?

Search the Current Opportunities page of the CHS UG Research Experiences website to identify a research experience that interests you.
- Opportunities that are labeled as (OPEN) are available and currently interviewing students for help.
- Opportunities that are labeled as (FULL) are not looking for students at this time.
- Opportunities that are labeled as (CLOSED) are slated for removal from the list
Once you have found a research experience of interest, contact the Director of CHS Undergraduate Research (DUR), Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu), and let him know the following information:
- The title of the research experience for which you would like to be considered.
- What semester are you planning to participate in?
After receiving your email, Dr. Andreatta will confirm with the faculty mentor if space is available in the lab during the time you want to be involved (i.e., the semester).
If there is space for an additional student ti interview, Dr. Andreatta will contact you with a copied email to the faculty mentor, asking you to contact them regarding a time to meet and discuss your participation.
After your interview has been completed, the faculty mentor will let Dr. Andreatta know if they believe you are a good fit for the project; LIKEWISE, after you meet with the faculty mentor, if the work is not appealing to you, contact Dr. Andreatta and let him know your decision.

What happens once I am accepted into a research lab?

After you are accepted into a faculty mentor's lab, you must inform Dr. Andreatta immediately so that he can send you information on the "next steps" in the process.
Please also tell Dr. Andreatta the number of credit hours you want to be enrolled in for HHS 455.
- To register for HHS 455, YOU MUST HAVE APPROVAL from the Director of CHS Undergraduate Research.
- Dr. Andreatta can register you into HHS 445 if your registration window is closed; however, he cannot register you for non-CHS experiential credit classes (i.e. BIO 395).
The number of credit hours that a student enrolls in HHS 455 is related to the number of work hours per week:

Fall or Spring Semester	12 Week Summer Session
For a one credit hour experience: 2-4 hours per week in research.	For a one credit hour experience: < 6 hours per week, for 12 weeks, in research.
For a 2 credit hour experience: 5-7 hours per week in research.	For a 2 credit hour experience: 6-10 hours per week, for 12 weeks, in research.
For a 3 credit hour experience: > 8 hours per week in research.	For a 3 credit hour experience: > 10 hours per week, for 12 weeks, in research.

Fall or Spring Semester

12 Week Summer Session

For a one credit hour experience:

2-4 hours per week in research.

For a one credit hour experience:

< 6 hours per week, for 12 weeks, in research.

For a 2 credit hour experience:

5-7 hours per week in research.

For a 2 credit hour experience:

6-10 hours per week, for 12 weeks, in research.

For a 3 credit hour experience:

> 8 hours per week in research.

For a 3 credit hour experience:

> 10 hours per week, for 12 weeks, in research.

Finally, before beginning in a research lab, you must complete several mandatory research and safety trainings.

Are there mandatory onboarding requirements BEFORE my lab work and research experience can begin?

ONBOARDING PROCEDURE:

ALL undergraduates participating in CHS research labs MUST complete the following onboarding steps BEFORE BEGINNING ANY WORK IN A LAB. Verification of completion for each requirement must be sent to Dr. Andreatta to confirm that these requirements were completed correctly. Please follow all directions EXACTLY and CAREFULLY.

STEP 1 - Register with the UK Office of Undergraduate Research
STEP 2 - All students MUST complete the Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) training course through CITI.
- First, to sign up for a CITI account, go to this link: https://www.research.uky.edu/office-research-integrity/citi-user-information-faqs
  - Follow the instructions for "How do I create a new CITI account?"
- Secondly, after your CITI account is created, follow these steps to enroll in and complete the RCR course.
  - Go to the following link: https://www.research.uky.edu/responsible-conduct-research/getting-started
  - Scroll down the page and open the link for CITI RCR Course Basic Stage.
  - Scroll down and click on the link for: "How do I enroll in the RCR (Basic) course on the CITI website?"
  - Read and save the directions to find the RCR course on CITI.
  - Scroll back to the top of the page and click on the blue UK CITI ACCESS button to log in to CITI.
  - Follow your saved directions to enroll and complete the RCR course.
STEP 3 - Students working with human subjects or human specimens MUST complete the Human Subjects Protection (HSP) training course offered by the UK Office of Research Integrity through CITI.
- You will use your CITI account to complete the Human Subjects Protection course needed to begin working in your mentor's lab.
  - Go to the following link to get started: https://www.research.uky.edu/office-research-integrity/initial-citi-hsp-training-irb-approval-faqs
  - Click on the heading entitled, "How do I enroll in initial (basic) human subjects training for IRB approval on the CITI website?" (*IRB stands for "institutional review board")
  - Read and save the directions to find the HSP course.
  - Scroll back to the top of the page and click on the blue UK CITI ACCESS button to log in to CITI
- In summary, once in CITI, select Add a Course from the bottom menu, then select the Human Subjects Protection (HSP) option, and click NEXT. Select Human Subjects Protection Training, and click NEXT. Select Initial Human Subjects Protection Training, and click NEXT. Lastly, select one of the two options below, and click NEXT.
  - Please ensure that you are taking ONE of the following to satisfy your Human Subject Protection training:
    - Human Research - Group 1 - Biomedical Investigators and Key Personnel (Basic Course) OR
    - Human Research - Group 2 - Social/Behavioral Investigators and Key Personnel (Basic Course)
- FOR STUDENTS WORKING WITH ANIMALS ONLY: If you are working with live animals or with animal tissues only, you do not need to complete Human Subjects Protection training, but RCR training will still be required.
  - It is strongly suggested that students working with animals complete an IACUC training module on animal care and welfare in research.
  - Animal training needs are left up to the discretion of the faculty mentor. The faculty mentor will provide guidance on how to enroll and complete the necessary training before beginning your work.
STEP 4 - Students must create and FULLY complete an account on the UK ForagerOne system
- Go to https://our.uky.edu/ForagerOne, and click on the button labeled "Students - Create Your Profile Here".
- On the ForagerOne log-in page, enter the "University of Kentucky" in the Select Your Institution field and click <enter>
- On the next page, enter your LinkBlue ID and password and sign in.
- ForagerOne will ask you to select a user type.
  - Choose UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
- When completing your ForagerOne profile, YOU MUST INCLUDE ALL THE FOLLOWING REQUIRED ITEMS LISTED BELOW. DO NOT SKIP ANY:
  - A picture of yourself.
  - List 3 to 5 keywords that describe your research work and interests.
  - Add a brief bio about yourself in the "About" section
- Click FINISH.....That's it...all done!
OPTIONAL STEPS:
- If the faculty mentor chooses, they may also require you to take one or more web-based safety training (WBT) modules. Your mentor will decide which WBTs you must complete. If the faculty mentor does not require you to complete any WBTs, you may simply skip this step.
- To find the WBTs assigned by your mentor, click the following link to access the SciShield Safety Training site: https://uky.scishield.com/raft/training/courses
  - You will need your LinkBLue ID and password to log into the SciShield safety training site.
  - One logged into SciShield, search for each class using its name.
    - The most frequently assigned courses by faculty mentors are: Bio-Safety, Bloodborne Pathogen, Chemical Hygiene, and Hazardous Waste.

What happens after I complete all of my requirements and onboarding?

Send documentation of completion of each requirement to Dr. Andreatta.
- Documentation can be in the form of a forwarded email, a screenshot of your certificate of completion, an attachment of a file, etc.
Meet with your mentor to develop a formal HHS 455 contract that will outline your duties and work. The HHS 455 contract operates as your syllabus for the research experience.
- Both the mentor and student must agree to the contents of the HHS 455 contract, then SUBMIT THE FORM ELECTRONICALLY to Dr. Andreatta.
- Submission of the contract form indicates that all requirements have been successfully performed and completed.
Dr. Andreatta checks and signs the contract and then sends a copy of it back to the student and the faculty mentor.
- The student can begin working as instructed by the faculty mentor ONLY after receiving an executed contract from Dr. Andreatta.
The student must complete an online evaluation of the HHS 455 research experience at the end of the semester. This is a requirement for undergraduate research.