The UA's Undergraduate Biology Research Program has found itself in a financial crisis, due in part to its own success.

The UBRP was started in 1988 to teach students science by involving them in biologically related research.

Carol Bender, director of UBRP, said she will have to cut back the amount of students in the program, from the current 140 sponsored students, due in part to the high amount of students needing to travel to present their research at academic conferences.

Bender said in the past, the UBRP sent some students to present their work in academic conferences, but the number has risen in the past few years. UBRP sent five students to conferences in 2002 and 15 in 2003. In 2004, the program had to cut back by five and sent 10 students.

"It can be very expensive," Bender said of the travel grants.

Bender said the UBRP would be decreasing the size of travel grants for future trips.

Another drain on the UBRP budget is due to the weak economy. Bender said the program receives its primary funding from interest off of a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

"We had a lot of funding in the '90s." Bender said of the grant.

Bender said a weak economy translates into less money flowing into the program from the grant than in previous years.

Bender said an increasing number of students in the program may also have contributed to the budget crisis, but downplayed the raise.

"We are not even paying a living wage," Bender said. "We are competitive with McDonald's."

Students in the UBRP are paid half by their faculty sponsor and half by the UBRP funds, Bender said. Faculty sponsors use primarily grant monies to pay for their undergraduate researchers.

Bender said students and their sponsors not only come from the College of Science, but there are participants from other colleges who tie their research into biology.

Students in the program said the ability for undergraduates to research is vital to their education.

Lara Schaheen, a molecular and cellular biology sophomore, has been with UBRP for two years and said the program is vital to undergraduate education.

"(UBRP) allows students to do research that might not have the opportunity," Schaheen said. "It's the difference between taking a course and doing research."

Basil Schaheen, a molecular and cellular biology junior who joined the UBRP last year, said he came to the UA because he knew he could do undergraduate research.

Basil Schaheen said he has already applied to UBRP for next year, noting it is hard for undergraduates to get jobs in research.

"It is difficult to hire undergrads, we are pretty expensive," Basil Schaheen said.