Iowa Sciences Academy | University of Iowa General Catalog

This is the first version of the 2025–26 General Catalog. Please check back regularly for changes. The final edition and the historical PDF will be published during the fall semester.

Faculty: https://isa.uiowa.edu/people

Website: https://isa.uiowa.edu/

The Iowa Sciences Academy (ISA) is home to a range of programs that support the success of undergraduate students interested in research and scientific communication. Through ISA programs, students have access to hands-on research, professional development, and scientific outreach opportunities. The Iowa Sciences Academy strives to build a strong community of students, staff, and faculty engaged in the sciences.

The Science Alliance Internship program supports qualified first- and second-year students interested in exploring research on campus. The program aims to enrich the undergraduate experience through coursework, mentor matching, career guidance, and creating a cohort of students with similar interests in science and research. Competitive wages to carry out research in laboratories and access to a summer program for science alliance interns are provided.

The Maximizing Access to Research Careers (UI-MARC) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded program that supports the academic and personal success of qualified junior and senior students committed to pursuing a PhD in science. The goal of the UI-MARC research training program is to develop a cohort of undergraduates who complete their baccalaureate degree and transition into and complete biomedical, research-focused higher degree programs (e.g., PhD). A yearly stipend, funding for conference travel, tuition support, and access to external summer research experiences are provided.

The mission of the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (UI-LSAMP) program is to support and increase the nation's STEM workforce, broaden undergraduate participation in research, and create a sense of community and support for students with a declared major in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and pre-health professions. UI-LSAMP facilitates professional development and finding laboratory experiences for STEM majors transferring from community colleges. Selected students receive stipends for each term.

The Latham Science Engagement Initiative provides the opportunity for sophomore, junior, and senior students to interact with highly talented undergraduate students across science disciplines. The program prepares students to communicate science in the public sphere, work in multidisciplinary settings, and demonstrate the broader impact of scientific research. Students selected for the program complete two courses, design and implement science outreach projects, and participate in an event that highlights their achievements.

Students must apply for each program individually to be considered for admission. Requirements for admission vary from program to program. Admission to some programs may require an interview. For more information, including the online application forms, visit the Iowa Sciences Academy website.

In general, applicants should:

have a strong interest in pursuing a research career;
have a qualifying academic major;
have a strong academic record (e.g., a grade-point average of at least 3.00); and
meet additional requirements as specified by the individual program.

Iowa Sciences Academy Courses

ISA:1040 Exploring Research 1 s.h.

Professional and career development; tours of scientific research facilities and laboratories on campus; network with professors and graduate students; explore different types of research environments on campus; learn how to identify and contact potential research mentors.

ISA:1041 Entering Research 1 s.h.

Complement to independent scientific research experience; students meet weekly to share research experiences; students gain experience searching peer-reviewed literature databases; reading and summarizing peer-reviewed scientific papers.

ISA:2040 Professionalism in the Scientific Community 1 s.h.

Development of communication skills and appropriate professional conduct while maintaining ethical standards; further understanding of ethical issues in student's field, improve communication of student's research to the public, and understanding the significance of professional conduct, networking, and diversity within student's field.

ISA:2041 Career Exploration and Specification 1 s.h.

Students define career goals, increase knowledge about the process of obtaining a graduate or professional degree, and create personal plans for future academic and research endeavors.

ISA:3040 Critical Analysis of Primary Literature 1 s.h.

Development of critical thinking and research skills through analysis of primary scientific research literature to demystify and humanize research science; how to analyze components of a good empirical article; students present a research paper from literature in their field of interest as preparation to contribute to future empirical manuscripts. Requirements: minimum of 60 s.h. earned and junior or senior standing.

ISA:3041 Pathways to Post-Undergraduate Education 1 s.h.

Successful preparation for graduate school application process; students learn how to write their own curriculum vita, personal statements, research statements, and graduate school application action plan. Requirements: minimum of 60 s.h. earned and junior or senior standing.

ISA:3992 Iowa Sciences Academy Undergraduate Research 0 s.h.

Registration in a section taught by student's research mentor. Requirements: participation in Iowa Sciences Academy.

ISA:4040 Teaching Your Undergraduate Research 1 s.h.

Scientific teaching principles (e.g., backwards design, active learning, formative assessment); students develop a teaching unit based on some aspect of their research and teach it to the class in preparation for future interviews where the ability to explain the background and significance for their research is a highly valued skill. Requirements: minimum of 60 s.h. earned, junior or senior standing, and undergraduate research experience.

ISA:4041 Senior Capstone Project 1 s.h.

Structure for development, planning, and implementation of a culminating project for the Iowa Sciences Academy; students dedicate three to five hours per week to the project and are encouraged to connect their projects to community issues or problem; integration of external learning experiences and activities including interviews, scientific observations, or internships.