Undergraduate research opportunities

The University of Minnesota Genetic Counseling Program offers three research avenues for undergraduate students which include: 

  • Richard King Fund Scholarships: Richard King Fund Scholarships are application-based and competitive. You should apply to the Richard King Fund if you are an undergraduate student seeking a paid individual research opportunity alongside faculty from the UMN Genetic Counseling Program. 
  • Dean’s Undergraduate Research Program: The Dean’s Undergraduate Research Program is a competitive application-based program offered to UMN undergraduates in the College of Biological Sciences during fall, spring and summer. You should apply to these individual research opportunities separately to be considered for them. 
  • Directed Research for credits: You can do research for course credit with our faculty. This involves a contract through the department where you contribute a specific amount of time per week to work on a specific project. Availability varies by semester and depends on openings.

If funding is not available or you are a prospective genetic counseling applicant and do not qualify for these opportunities, we do sometimes offer a select number of volunteer research positions (please note these opportunities are infrequent and never guaranteed).


To express interest in any of the above genetic counseling research or volunteer opportunities, please complete the Research Interest Form. This does not guarantee that you will be given a position and you must apply separately to access Richard King Fund opportunities or the Dean's Undergraduate Research Program. However, completing the interest form will ensure you are added to our list and we will contact you when/if a role becomes available.