Undergraduate Research Opportunities

SPUR (Supporting Psychological Undergraduate Research)

The psychology department supports 5-10 students per year in the SPUR program. Psychology majors with excellent academic records (3.3 GPA), have completed over 60 credits, and have taken B311 and B305 are eligible to apply. Eligible students will be contacted in late summer and will receive an application packet. Stipends may be available through grant applications developed with faculty mentors. For more information contact Dr. Harry June or Dr. Jane Williams.

SUR (Support for Undergraduate Research)

This support is administered by the IUPUI Honors Program. Through SUR, students take the initiative to compete for $1500 stipends to work on a faculty project or independent research. For more information call 274-2660

The Minority Research Scholars Scholarship Program

This program offers free tuition each your for 4 years and $1000. dooks-supplies allowance. To be eligible for this you must be an ethnic minority: African American, Hispanic, native American, Asian; and academically outstanding: top 25% of graduating class, minimum total SAT scores of 1000 (ACT composite scores of 21).

Capstone Research

This option requires that students work with a committee of two faculty sponsors, write a prospectus before beginning the project, write a final paper in APA format, and finally present an oral defense. This is very similar to a thesis project. Capstone Research requirements can be printed.

Readings and Research in Psychology (B292/492)

One of the best ways to become involved in research in the Psychology Department is to take B292 or B492 (B292 is open to freshmen and sophomores only). During the course of your studies, you may find an area of psychology that particularly interests you, or an instructor you would like to work with further. This provides an ideal focus for the start of your research career. Once you have decided on an instructor you would like to work with, visit them during their office hours or arrange an appointment and simply say you are interested in doing a B292 or B492. If that particular professor is not interested, it is possible they have no ongoing research that would be practical for you or they have all the research students they need at that time, but it will let them know that you are interested. Try another professor. The likelihood is by participating in this program, you will be on your way to work that will become absorbing and may even shape your career in Psychology.

Samples of Student Research

Research in the Psychology department many times results in faculty and student publications including journal articles, books, as well as chapters in textbooks. The following examples are of publications by SPUR Students and faculty. Students names are highlighted.

    Godfrey, C.C.; Stewart, R.B.; Froehlich, J.C.; Murphy, J.M. (in press). comparison of rats selected for intake in a forced swim test model of depression: Effects of desipamine. Physiology & Behavior.

    Russell, R.N.; McBride, W.J.; Lumeng, L.; T.-K.; Murphy, J.M. (1996). Apomorphine and 7-OHDPAT reduce ethanol intake of P and HAD Rats. Alcohol. 13: 515-519.

    Highhouse, S.; Pease, P.W.; Leatherberry,T. (1996). Contrast effects on strategic-issue framing. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 65.

    June, H.L.; Murphy, J.M.; Hewitt, R.L.; Greene, T.L.; Lin, M.; Mellor-Burke, J.; Lumeng, L.; Li, T.K. (1996). Benzodiazepine receptor ligands with different intrinsic efficacies alter ethanol intake in alcohol-nonpreferring (NP) rats. Neruopsychopharmacology. 14, 55-66.

    June, H.L.; Greene, T.L.; Murphy, J.M.; Lin, M.; Williams, J.A.; Cason, C.R., Mellor-Burke, J.J.; Duemler, S.; Torres, L.; Lumeng,L.; Li, T.K. (1996) 734 , 19-34 Effects of the benzodiazepine inverse agonist RO19-4603 alone, and in combination with the benzodiazepine receptor antagonists, flumazenil, ZK 93426, and CGS 8216 on ethanol intake in alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Brain Research.

    June, H.L.; Duemler, S.; Greene, T.L.; Williams, J., Lin, M.; Chen, S.H.A.; Lewis, M.J.; Murphy, J.M. (1995). Effects of RO19-4603 on the maintenance of tolerance to a single dose of ethanol. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 247, 1105-1112.

    June, H.L.; Lin, M.; Greene, T.L.; Lewis, M.J.; Murphy, J.M. (1995). Effects of negative modulators of GABAergic efficacy on ethanol intake: correlation of biochemical changes with pharmacological effect using behavioral paradigm . Journal of Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology. 3, 252-260.

    June, H. L.; Murphy, J.M.; Mellor-Burke, J.J.; Lumeng, L.; Li, T.K. (1994). The inverse benzodiazepine agonist RO19-4603 exerts prolonged and selective suppression of ethanol intake in alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Psychopharmacology. 115, 325-331

    McGrew, J.; Wilson, R.; Bond, G. (1996). Client Perspectives on the critical ingredients of assertive community treatment. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. 19, 13-21.


Psychology Undergraduate Program