Application & Deadlines for Fall 2024 & Spring 2025

We’re excited for you to practice communicating your novel research through a written thesis and an oral poster presentation. Below is the schedule for important deadlines associated with Graduation with Distinction for the 2024-2025 academic year. 
 

1) Deadline 1: Online Application Submission Deadline (see deadlines in table above)

The project abstract must be written by you and clearly articulate your research question and proposed methodologies. The majority of your data should already be collected by Dec 2024 for Spring distinction or when the application is submitted for Fall distinction (note: you can complete a thesis even if you have negative or inconclusive data; feel free to contact Bio Faculty member Dr. Julie Reynolds if you have questions about that). Your Research Supervisor will receive an emailed copy of your application with a request for an endorsement, and their email reply will serve as an electronic signature of approval for the application. The Principal Investigator or faculty member most closely associated with your project should be listed as the research supervisor, not the post-doc or graduate student with whom you might work more closely. Any Duke faculty member in a biological sciences department (including the Duke University Medical Center) may be a Research Supervisor. 

Approval of the application by the Directors of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) indicates that you may proceed with the completion of the written thesis. (The DUS approves these as one batch after all the research supervisor approvals come in for all students.) You will be matched with a Reader from the Biology Faculty (called the Biology Faculty Reader) shortly following the start of Spring Term.

Students accepted as candidates for Distinction will be eligible to register for a special 1.0 credit course, Writing in Biology, in either Fall (BIO 495S) or Spring (Bio 495). This course will be an intensive training in the principles of scientific writing, with a focus on the preparation of the honors thesis. This class is recommended, but not required and carries a W designation. You may take the course the semester prior to the term you'll be submitting your thesis if you feel you have enough data collected to write about.

It is your responsibility to meet all requirements and deadlines.

2) Deadline 2: Submit a preliminary list of figures and tables and detailed outline to your research supervisor

What is expected in the detailed outline?

The outline tells your scientific “story” as it relates to your research question. It incorporates both text and your figures/tables.  Rather than simply a list of figures and tables, include a narrative that describes the specific question(s) being tested and how the data presented in your figures and tables relate to your research question(s). Use these example questions to guide your outline (although it might not work for all types of projects):

• What is the overall research question being asked in your project?
• To what specific experimental question is figure 1 related? What conclusion are you making (or might you make if you had data) from this figure?
• What did you do next and why? 
• How is figure 1 related to figure 2?
• Do the data support the hypothesis you were testing in your overall research question and if so, how?

I don’t have all of my data yet. How can I do this part of the thesis so early?

You should have collected most of your data by this date so you ready to start compiling the “story” of your research project. If you don’t have all your data finalized, that is okay! You can still complete this part of the process by visualizing the data you have. For example, if your project is going to involve several Western Blots, then you can draw a cartoon of what potential final data might look like, including the controls you are using in the experiment. If your project is more numerical based and you don’t have all those numbers yet, you can demonstrate how you would present the data in either a table or a graph. 

Why am I being asked for the figures and tables before completing an introduction?

Mapping out your data or visualizing what your data might look like gives you a chance to think more deeply about your research question(s) and gives you and your reader a chance to think about the best way to communicate and opportunities to revise. By putting the figures together, you start to build the scientific story that aligns to your overall research question. Don’t get bogged  down in the details here – we don’t want you to waste time polishing graphics that you may eventually not use. The goal is to get you thinking about how you will show your data.

3) Deadline 3: Communicate with your faculty reader and provide preliminary list of figures and tables and detailed outline

What is the goal of the meeting with the faculty reader?

We find that students who meet the faculty reader have a better experience with receiving feedback and guidance. Thus, we want you to meet the reader and talk a few minutes about your project. During the meeting, it is also a good idea to talk about how they give feedback and what advice they have for you as a writer.

Does this meeting need to be in-person?

No, you can meet either in-person or on zoom. As soon as the semester starts, try to get a meeting on your reader’s schedule so you can meet the deadlines. Many faculty will need to schedule at least a week or more ahead to have open spots on their calendar. Tip: send them a list of several possible dates and times that work for you to minimize the communications by email.

What if my faculty reader is not available to meet with me in this time frame or hasn’t responded?

Keep a record of your emails that you have tried and keep trying. Meeting with them anytime during the semester will still be valuable in the writing and feedback process. If you haven't heard from them after many attempts, please let our DUS know.

What other resources are available to help me with my writing?

All candidates for Graduation with Distinction are encouraged to enroll in Bio 495, a writing-intensive course designed to support you through the writing process.  The course is offered every spring and, if there is enough interest, also in the fall.   Even if you are not enrolled in the course, you may schedule one-on-one appointments to work with Dr. Reynolds who can help you with any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming to polishing your prose.  You can also use the Writing Studio which is particularly helpful if you are struggling to communicate your message to a non-specialist.

4) Deadline 4: Submit draft of introduction to your Research Supervisor

Even if you are still collecting and analyzing data, you should prepare an introduction and submit to your research supervisor for feedback. Be sure to include a clear statement of hypothesis, a review of the relevant literature, and an explanation of the rationale for your specific experimental approach. Feedback from your research supervisor should be incorporated into the Introduction before you submit the draft to your reader. 

5) Deadline 5: Submit draft of introduction to Bio Faculty Reader and DUS Office via Canvas

Submit your draft of your introduction to your Reader and solicit feedback. You should also upload it to our Biology Graduation with Distinction Canvas site as a PDF. We may evaluate your text by iThenticate, a tool used by Duke faculty and graduate students to ensure that their writing isn’t too close to the text. We’d send you the iThenticate report if there are any areas of concern.

6) Deadline 6: Submit first draft of the entire thesis to your Research Supervisor

The Research Supervisor must review and approve the thesis draft before submission of the first draft to your Biology Faculty Reader. Feedback from the Research Supervisor is crucial, and it is wise to anticipate one or two rounds of revision before the deadline.

7) Deadline 7: Submit first draft of the entire thesis to your Biology Faculty Reader

 Submit your draft of the entire thesis to your Faculty Reader and make plans with them to discuss the thesis draft and receive feedback. If you do not hear from your reader, please let our DUS know.

8) Deadline 8: Electronic Submission of Thesis Title & Abstract

Abstracts should be ~ 250 words, single paragraph, no references.  Submit through Canvas.

9) Deadline 9:  Final thesis PDF copy due to Canvas AND send a copy to your reader

The approval of the Research Supervisor is required for consideration of your final thesis and indicates that the work is complete and is nominated for distinction. The research supervisor’s electronic signature should be on the cover page of the thesis uploaded to Canvas as a sign of approval. (Your reader’s signature is not needed at the time of submission). The thesis should be submitted in the format described here.

10) Deadline 10:  Poster session (Spring) & upload a copy your poster to Canvas

A poster summarizing the results and conclusions of your project should be presented at the poster session and uploaded to Canvas. More info at "Guidelines for the Preparation of an Honors Poster." Presentation does not guarantee the award of distinction.

Invite your PI, lab mates, and friends/family as the Symposium is open to the public and all are invited to attend. Communicate with your Faculty Reader so you'll know they're attending & connect during the Symposium. Readers consider the presentation/poster in conjunction with your thesis when determining the award of Distinction. If your reader cannot attend, try to arrange a 1:1 showing at a time that works for you both within a few days of the session. Other faculty members may visit your poster as well, especially if your reader is absent.