About HARP 170 - FRI Research Methods
Our FRI Research Methods course (HARP 170) is a 2 credit course that covers research as a process: how science works, how we figure out the next steps, how we reduce the inevitable risks and pitfalls, and how we make discoveries that add to world knowledge and innovations. Class time primarily involves students applying the concepts of the research process including data collection, data management, initial analyses, and presentation.
A dedicated Research Educator (Research Assistant Professor) designs and oversees the research experience guiding students through the process of identifying a topic of interest, identifying a research question, and attempting to answer that question. For the research conducted, students will work in teams of three to five. We have students work inter-dependently because developing teamwork and collaborative skills are so important in research today. Each student team will work on a research question that is related to the overall objective of the Research Stream for that year. Students learn how to talk about their research, collaborate and identify their next steps in research. Students will finish this course with a public poster session displaying their results.
This course will be offered in an online, hybrid model (synchronous and asynchronous). We will be running this course twice, during Summer Session I (May 28 - July 1) and Summer Session II (July 8 - August 9). Students successfully completing this course will receive an “O” general education requirement and will be considered for available spots in the FRI program during the Spring 2025 semester in one of our 11 research streams.
Placement into the FRI program for further research experience is not guaranteed but the goal is to provide the foundational skills required to be successful not just in FRI but in research labs across campus and beyond.
Course Credit
This course will count toward a Binghamton University degree. Upon successful completion of HARP 170, students will fulfill the Oral general education requirements.
You will be billed for 2 credits during the summer for participation in this course. In addition to tuition, there are comprehensive and activity fees as shown in the table below.
| NYS Resident | Non-Resident | |
| Tuition | $295/credit x 2 credits = $590 | $1,090/credit x 2 credits = $2,180 |
| Comprehensive Fee* | $52.95/credit x 2 credits = $105.90 | $52.95/credit x 2 credits = $105.90 |
| Activity Fee | $38.50 | $38.50 |
| Total Cost | $734.40 | $2,324.40 |
*Subject to Change, rates for 2025 have not yet been determined.
Registration Process
There is no application required for current undergraduate students to enroll in this course, interested students need only register for the summer HARP 170 course. For more information about summer session at Binghamton University please visit the Center for Learning and Teaching's Summer Session student info page.
Interested and qualified high school students or recent graduates are encouraged to participate, but must apply either as a non-matriculated student or through Binghamton University's College Link program. Registering as a non-matriculated student is most appropriate for individuals who have earned a high school diploma or GED but are not yet undergraduate students. The College Link program is designed for students who will be continuing their high school education in the fall. Application forms can be found on Binghamton's Undergraduate Admissions website.
Informational Webinar
This video explains the ins and outs of our summer programs and is a great chance to learn more about program benefits.
New For Summer 2024!
HARP 170 Student Quotes
"One of the most important developments I’ve made over this semester has been in my time management skills. In the past, I’ve always tried to force myself to improve my time management, but the few advances I’ve made have been short-lived. However, the responsibility of working in a team for a long period of time has made me reevaluate my deadline meeting practices...This has also extended beyond just my work for HARP 170, as I find that once I start being productive it’s easier for me to keep doing so, so I’m able to get a head start on projects and assignments for other classes as well."
"Going back to when I first enrolled in the FRI program...the only “research” I had done was looking up topics on Wikipedia for when I had to write an essay in high school for my history class or find answers to my chemistry problems. In addition to this, I had absolutely no knowledge of the [research topic]...Despite all this, I felt like I had a lot of catching up to do. There were many days where someone would ask a complex question about vaccines against biofilms, and I would sit there still wondering why I should care about biofilms in the first place. However, through multiple stream reading assignments, I began to grasp an idea of what biofilms were and, more importantly, why I should care about them. That is the point when my interest in the class blossomed...I remember times before group meetings when I had twenty tabs open on my laptop dedicated completely to journals on biofilms because I kept thinking about ideas for a universal vaccine against biofilms and wondering if anything had been done about it. This was a major turnaround from when I first started in August. I had learned to do research and gather intel about something no one knows the answer to as of right now."
