Undergraduate research training programs and courses

IRBEH is committed to providing access to research opportunities for VCU undergraduates and reducing barriers to participation. Students from all majors/programs and any class level are welcome to apply. No prior research experience is necessary. We have both curricular and co-curricular opportunities.

VCU GREAT Program: Guided Research Experiences and Applied Training

The Guided Research Experiences and Applied Training program (GREAT) is a NIH-funded summer research training program that began in 2019. Each summer, students spend one week in an intensive training “bootcamp” learning fundamental research skills. The next weeks are spent in a paid research internship in the lab of a faculty collaborator.

Group of nine students in front of a backdrop of research posters

The first VCU GREAT cohort poses in front of their research at the poster symposium in 2019.

GREAT by the numbers

55 - Program-funded research experiences for undergraduates
100% - Percentage of fellows who completed the program
76% - Percentage of fellows who had at least one additional research experience
91% - Percentage of graduates who received their Bachelor of Science degree
43% - Percentage of graduated fellows who enrolled in graduate school

_{From 2019-2024.}_{The first cohort of fellows celebrate with a cake to mark the end of the first summer of VCU GREAT.}

Starting in 2025, the GREAT program partnered with the Rutgers Addiction Research Center to offer students at both universities the opportunity to participate in GREAT.

Through the GREAT program students have worked with 30 VCU faculty members representing African American Studies, Anatomy and Neurobiology, Counseling and Special Education, Dental Public Health and Policy, Epidemiology, Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, Psychiatry, Psychology and Social Work.

EMPOWER Youth Lab and director, Dr. Chelsea Williams; the lab has included fellows who have worked with Spit for Science Data across numerous years!

A large group of more than 20 people stand on a sidewalk with buildings and greenery in the background.

Starting in 2025, the GREAT program partnered with the Rutgers Addiction Research Center to offer students at both universities the opportunity to participate in GREAT.

Through the GREAT program,students have worked with 30 VCU faculty members representing African American Studies, Anatomy and Neurobiology, Counseling and Special Education, Dental Public Health and Policy, Epidemiology, Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, Psychiatry, Psychology, and Social Work.

A group of students standing in front of a sign with the acronym ABRCMS

Student Emily Ramos and Dr. Liz Prom-Wormley, GREAT poster symposium, 2019

Julianna Florez and Dr. Chelsea Williams, GREAT poster symposium, 2025

Two people stand smiling in front of a research poster.

What they're saying: GREAT Fellows

We asked participants to tell us about their experiences.

The GREAT program showed me my calling. Within six weeks, I not only learned about research but also gained a profound understanding of what it means to be a scientist. I am forever grateful for the opportunity and for helping me find my future.

Alum Kayla McLean (B.S.'21)

My experience in GREAT was unmatched by any other. I credit that time with helping to prepare me for research as a PhD student in the health psychology program at VCU, and for helping me get into grad school. I learned more in that experience than I can put into words and I continue to maintain the professional relationships that I developed in the program; my GREAT mentors are my biggest cheerleaders and supporters on this wild academic journey!

Alum Steph Cull (B.S.'22, M.S.'24)

VCU’s GREAT program has been integral in shaping my pathway into domains of psychology involving behavioral genetics and clinical research. Being introduced to figures like Dr. Jessica Salvatore via the program and Dr. Christina Sheerin through the Virginia Institute of Behavioral Genetics not only built upon my knowledge and research goals established during the program and my presentation of it, but into my work currently as a clinical research coordinator within VCU’s Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies and Richmond's Institute for Veterans Research.

Alum Enoch Bullock, M.Ed. (B.S.’22)

The GREAT program truly opened my eyes to new possibilities in psychology and careers in psychology. I learned things about the field that I had no idea about before. The faculty and mentors are so supportive and genuinely want to see you succeed in whatever path you choose. If that’s what you’re looking for, APPLY!

B.S. student Lauren Hinton

This program allowed me to experience what the day-to-day work is for a research psychologist, to network and meet a bunch of great researchers, present at a national conference, and figure out what I want to do with my post-grad career. This program overall is amazing for networking and personal development. I could not recommend this program more.

B.S. student Adam Hvitfeldt-Matthews

GREAT helped me connect what I’d learned in classes to real research while picking up new skills like micro pipetting. What really stood out was how supportive my mentor was and how collaborative the lab felt.”

B.S. student Eman Aymen Mahjoub

Spit for Science course

Spit for Science: Conducting and Understanding Research (BIOZ 399/PSYC 494/SLWK 391) is a cross-disciplinary research and service-learning course that introduces undergraduate students to the fundamentals of research methods and statistics and shows them what a career in research could look like. Students in the class work in teams to develop research questions and analyze Spit for Science data. Research projects may focus on things like alcohol use and related consequences, cannabis use, mental health outcomes, and family history of substance use disorder. Students also assist with Spit for Science project recruitment, education, and outreach as part of the service-learning requirements. Class is a mixture of guest lectures related to addiction-related research, lectures by the primary instructor on foundational research concepts, and group work to carry out the research project.

Interested in joining the course? We put out a call for applications to join the fall class in mid-March and the spring class in mid-October. You can keep an eye on the spit4science website and the telegRAM for information about the application. Contact Dr. Rebecca Smith (smithr22@vcu.edu) for questions regarding the Spit for Science course.

Featured speakers

Students in the Spit for Science class have the opportunity to learn from world-class faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students from across both VCU campuses who are experts in their fields.

Spit for Science community education events

As a service-learning course, Spit for Science students give back to the VCU community through hosting engaging and interactive community education events. Events include planning speaker panels and hosting a Spit for Science carnival with behavioral health trivia, games, and fun activities like making stress and slime balls, practicing mindfulness, and extracting DNA from strawberries.

Spring 2025 community event: Stress Relief Workshop