We’re excited for you to practice communicating your novel research through a written thesis and an oral poster presentation. While more specific assignments and deadlines will be communicated and collected through Biology 495, below is the typical schedule for a few important deadlines for any semester. These deadlines will help you plan, as well as give Research Supervisors and Faculty Readers an overview of when they will be expected to give feedback.
The application for Spring 2027 GwD in Biology is due Tuesday, September 15. Apply here.
| Deadlines |
|---|
| Week 2: Set up meetings with your Faculty Reader and Research Supervisor based on semester calendar deadlines |
| Week 4: Submit first draft of figures/tables and send concept map to your Research Supervisor for feedback |
| Week 5: Second draft of introduction due and send to Research Supervisor for feedback. |
| Week 6: Second draft of figures/tables and concept map due and send to Faculty Reader for feedback |
| Week 7: Third draft of introduction due and send to Faculty Reader for feedback |
| Week 10: First draft of compiled thesis due and send to Research Supervisor for feedback |
| Week 12: Second draft of compiled thesis due and send to Faculty Reader for feedback |
| Last week of classes: Poster Presentation to the Biology Department |
| Last day of class: Final thesis with Research Supervisor Signature due and send to your Faculty Reader |
What do I need for the application?
You will be asked for a project abstract that must be written by you (not by your PI) and clearly articulate your research question and methodologies. You will be asked for an overview of the data you have already collected, to ensure that you have most of your data already collected. (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 or are unsure). Your Research Supervisor will receive a copy of your application with a request for an endorsement, which is required for GwD candidacy. 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. You have an opportunity to also list a secondary research supervisor that you might work more closely with day to day.
Approval of the application by the Directors of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) indicates that you may proceed with the completion of the written thesis as candidates for Distinction. Candidates will learn more about your Faculty Reader assignment when you begin Biology 495.
What is expected in a list of figures and concept map?
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 your findings. By putting the figures together, you start to build the scientific story that aligns to your overall research question.
There is no one set of guidelines for number of figures, but many students will have 4-7 data figures. Use these example questions to guide you:
- 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?
- How is figure 2 related to figure 3...and so on.
Why should I meet with my Research Supervisor and Faculty Reader in person to get feedback instead of just getting written feedback by email?
We find that students who meet the faculty reader have in person/zoom have a better experience with receiving feedback and guidance than via email. Thus, we want you to talk about your project. During the meeting, it is also a good idea to talk about how they give feedback, how you best like to receive feedback, and what advice they have for you as a writer. These meetings should not be about word editing, they should point out where your logic and writing may need work or clarification.
As soon as the semester starts, try to get regular meetings on your Research Supervisor's and Faculty Reader's calendars so you can ensure that you receive timely feedback.