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To find chemistry research at the University of Washington, identify a faculty group that matches your interests and contact the professor directly to ask about openings. A research placement is not the same as permission to enter a lab: once a supervisor agrees to host you, you must complete the authorization and safety steps for the specific space.
How do I find a chemistry lab at UW?
Start with a research question or area that interests you, then use UW Chemistry’s undergraduate research guidance to review faculty profiles and lab websites. Read enough about a group’s work to explain why it interests you. Faculty publications, conversations with chemistry instructors and teaching assistants, and the UW Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) can also help you identify possible matches.
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- Choose a plausible research area. Consider what you have studied and what you would like to learn. Students still taking general and organic chemistry may have fewer options, but some CHEM 199 or CHEM 299 projects may be suitable.
- Contact faculty members directly. UW Chemistry advises students to contact faculty using the information listed on faculty pages. You can approach more than one group; the department notes that finding an arrangement may take multiple inquiries. There is no general walk-in placement or guarantee of a research opening.
- Ask practical questions early. Find out whether the group is taking students, what prerequisites apply, what tasks and schedule to expect, who will supervise you day to day, and whether the opportunity is for academic credit, paid work, or another program.
- Agree on expectations before committing. Workload, schedule, and project expectations depend on the group. Some techniques require longer work blocks, so discuss the actual weekly commitment with the supervisor rather than relying on a generic estimate.
UW Chemistry suggests junior year as a useful general time to begin looking, while allowing students to approach faculty earlier. It recommends a 3.0 GPA, but does not present that as an absolute requirement; motivated students may still contact faculty regardless of GPA. Project-specific prerequisites can apply, so ask the faculty member or an adviser.
Should I pursue faculty-led research, a summer program, or credit?
These are different routes, not interchangeable promises of a place in a lab. A faculty-led project is arranged with a research group. Cohort-based summer or other structured programs have their own application windows, eligibility rules, and funding. Research credit is an academic arrangement with a faculty supervisor; it does not reserve a bench or grant access to controlled spaces.
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| Route | How it works | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Faculty-led research | Contact a faculty member whose work fits your interests and agree on a project and supervision. | Availability, prerequisites, schedule, duties, and whether the work is for credit, paid, or otherwise supported. |
| CHEM 499 or BIOC 499 independent-study credit | Arrange a project with a faculty adviser, then use the applicable department form and obtain the required permission and add code. | Current quarter form, course schedule, project description, credits, schedule, deliverables, deadlines, and how credit applies to your degree. |
| Summer or other structured programs | Apply through a specific program, such as a Chemistry summer award, NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), or Clean Energy Bridge to Research. | Current application dates, eligibility, funding, project placement, and any program-specific facility access arrangements. |
| OUR database or interdisciplinary research | Search the UW Undergraduate Research Program database and relevant departmental or center listings for openings beyond a single Chemistry group. | Whether the project is open, its prerequisites and time commitment, and which department or facility controls access. |
UW Chemistry also lists opportunities connected with the UW Molecular Engineering Materials Center, the Academic-Year Research Accelerator, and other UW or regional programs. Listings, eligibility, timing, and funding vary; consult the current Chemistry internships and summer programs page and the program’s own details. The OUR database is another place to check periodically because opportunities change.
How does CHEM 499 or BIOC 499 work?
For independent-study research credit, settle the project description, number of credits, schedule, deliverables, and deadlines with the faculty adviser before submitting the applicable CHEM 499 or BIOC 499 form. The department describes one credit as approximately three hours of work per week and caps the form described at 12 credits. Students commonly arrange two to three credits per quarter over two or more quarters, but the actual commitment should be agreed with the supervisor.
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Registration is through the supervisor’s department, regardless of your major, and requires that department’s faculty permission and add code. Check the current quarter form and course schedule rather than relying on an older form or deadline. Chemistry and Biochemistry research credit is graded Credit/No Credit.
How research credit counts toward a degree is not uniform. UW says biochemistry majors may apply CHEM 499 or BIOC 499 to the science elective requirement; research in other departments may require a petition. Chemistry-major requirements differ by degree path and honors or distinction status, so check the current major requirements or ask an adviser.
As a general policy, UW Chemistry says students receiving credit for Chemistry Department research should not also be paid for that same work. The department notes exceptions and grant opportunities, including Mary Gates Endowment Research Grants. Ask an adviser and the research group about funding or compensation for your specific project.
How do I get authorized access to a chemistry lab?
First secure a faculty-supervised placement. Then ask your supervisor and the overseer of the particular space what authorization, training, orientation, and key or card steps apply. Being accepted into a project does not itself authorize entry to a controlled lab.
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UW Chemistry’s Building Keys guidance says keys and access authorization for department-managed spaces in Bagley Hall and the Chemistry Building are issued through Key Connect, which requires a UW NetID. The department requires researchers granted access or keys to complete Health and Safety Orientation and sign Chemistry Policies & Procedures; key borrowers also sign a Statement of Responsibility. The separate Building Access page identifies the Chemistry front office in Bagley Hall 109 as the contact point for keys or cards for Bagley Hall, the Chemistry Building, and the Chemistry Library Building. It specifies an Initial Key Application and authorization from both the borrower’s supervisor and the space overseer, with required safety training complete. Follow the live department instructions for your space because access procedures can change.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →For after-hours or weekend access, the department says to carry a Husky Card with building access and not to loan or share access credentials. If you do not have a UW NetID, contact the Chemistry front office in Bagley Hall 109 for information.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What if the first lab I contact has no opening?
Ask whether the faculty member can recommend another group, then broaden the search through OUR and relevant departmental or center programs. The department’s opportunity listings include a mix of academic-year and summer routes; each may have different eligibility, timing, and funding. Do not assume that an opening in one program automatically includes access to a Chemistry-controlled space: confirm arrangements with the host and the specific facility.
Is the new Chemical Sciences Building available for research placements?
No current placement or student access follows from the building plan. UW College of Arts & Sciences describes the Chemical Sciences Building as a planned 104,500-gross-square-foot project, with construction projected to begin in fall 2026 and completion projected in winter 2029. Those are published forecasts, not evidence that the facility is open or that it has student research vacancies.
The College says more than 6,500 UW students take Chemistry courses each academic year and describes existing facilities as spread across buildings and floors. It presents the new building as intended to provide laboratory, meeting, collaboration, office, and active-learning space and improve collaboration and accessibility. These are project descriptions and goals, not a route to an individual research placement. See the College of Arts & Sciences Chemical Sciences Building project page for current project information.
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