How to join a research lab

Graduate School research
By Elliot

Research LabExperience conducting research is an important criterion for admission to graduate school, medical school, and industry jobs, yet finding and obtaining a research position can be challenging for many undergraduates. Without background or experience it can be intimidating to reach out; however, by following some simple steps and tips outlined below, students can set themselves up to find and become involved in a fulfilling and meaningful research endeavor.

1. Find a lab

As an undergraduate the first question to ask is what YOU yourself are interested in. Which subjects interested you most in high school? What college classes have you enjoyed so far? What type of work gets you most excited and driven? Research does not always have to be conducted in the same field as your declared major, and sometimes the most rewarding experiences are made by stepping out of your comfort zone.

Once you have chosen a general area of interest, search for professors who conduct research that aligns with your interests. This can largely be done online by reading faculty profiles or visiting lab websites. Students can also attend research seminars or poster sessions to get a sense of the research offerings at their university. Furthermore, don’t feel limited to professors at your home university, many professors are also open to taking students from nearby universities. Finally, talk with friends, classmates, and peers about which labs are particularly welcoming to undergraduates. Not every lab is a good learning environment or focused on helping undergraduates develop, and determining this early on can save time and a headache later.

2. Reach out

Reaching out to professors can often be the most intimidating step for students, but talking with professors can also be extremely helpful to help you decide if the lab is a good fit for you. Initial contact with a professor can be made through their office hours, after a lecture, or by email. Begin with an introduction demonstrating that you are familiar with their work, and with an explanation of why their research interests you. Even if you do not have a research background, passion and excitement can go very far to demonstrate potential and promise as an aspiring researcher.

Remember to bring a copy of your resume or CV, and if you have taken a class with the professor an example of work you completed for the course can also be helpful. Most of all make sure you have done your own research before meeting with the professor and are familiar with their work. Finally, whether the professor agrees to take you on or not, thank them for their time and they might even be able to help you find a different lab that better fits your interests.

3. Secure funding

Undergraduate research can be conducted in many different capacities, but is most often done on a volunteer basis and is unpaid. This isn’t to say the experience is for nothing! Simply getting to work in a lab will give you valuable technical skills and experience, will help you learn to think independently and creatively, will help you understand material you are learning in class better, and will help you determine if a research or academic career is something you really are interested in.

Some universities will offer academic credit for research work, whether in the form of a formalized class or additional units. Sometimes this might even culminate in a senior thesis, particularly if you have seen a research project through to its completion. On the rare occasion, university undergraduate programs will offer funding to undergraduates to complete research, most often in the form of a summer stipend.

Notably, several national funding opportunities exist for undergraduates conducting research, some of which require researchers to conduct work at certain universities. These opportunities, whether fellowships that simply provide funding or formalized programs at host universities, are highly competitive and will require a well-crafted application. Below is a list of some of the best-known opportunities:

https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/

https://amgenscholars.com/

http://dms.hms.harvard.edu/diversity/summer/SHURP.html

https://www.training.nih.gov/programs

https://mdphd.weill.cornell.edu/summer-program

https://goldwater.scholarsapply.org/

https://oge.mit.edu/graddiversity/msrp/

https://www.lerner.ccf.org/education/undergrad/

Finally, remember that conducting research as an undergraduate is just as much for your own benefit as it is to help a lab or professor. The reason why undergraduate research is so important for graduate and medical school admissions is because it is an opportunity for students to determine if these types of careers are the right choice for them. Some students will not enjoy their time in the lab and this is entirely okay; it is better to know early that you don’t enjoy something than spend time and money pursuing something you will not find fulfilling. And alternatively, for those that fall in love with research early on, an undergraduate research experience can serve as a catalyst to an exciting career.

Comments

topicTopics
academics study skills MCAT medical school admissions SAT expository writing college admissions English MD/PhD admissions writing LSAT strategy GMAT GRE physics chemistry math biology graduate admissions ACT academic advice interview prep law school admissions test anxiety language learning MBA admissions premed career advice personal statements homework help AP exams creative writing MD study schedules Common Application test prep summer activities computer science history philosophy organic chemistry secondary applications economics mathematics supplements PSAT admissions coaching grammar research 1L law statistics & probability psychology ESL legal studies CARS SSAT covid-19 dental admissions logic games reading comprehension engineering USMLE Spanish calculus mentorship parents Latin case coaching verbal reasoning DAT PhD admissions excel political science AMCAS English literature French Linguistics MBA coursework Tutoring Approaches academic integrity chinese medical school Anki DO STEM Social Advocacy admissions advice algebra astrophysics biochemistry business classics diversity statement genetics geometry kinematics letters of recommendation mechanical engineering mental health presentations quantitative reasoning skills study abroad technical interviews time management work and activities 2L IB exams ISEE MD/PhD programs adjusting to college algorithms art history artificial intelligence athletics business skills careers cold emails data science first generation student functions gap year international students internships linear algebra logic poetry resume revising science social sciences software engineering tech industry trigonometry 3L AAMC Academic Interest DMD EMT FlexMed Fourier Series Greek Health Professional Shortage Area Italian Lagrange multipliers London MD vs PhD MMI Montessori National Health Service Corps Pythagorean Theorem Python Sentence Correction Shakespeare Step 2 TMDSAS Taylor Series Truss Analysis Zoom acids and bases amino acids analysis essay architecture argumentative writing art art and design schools art portfolios bibliographies biomedicine brain teaser campus visits cantonese capacitors capital markets cell biology central limit theorem centrifugal force chemical engineering chess chromatography class participation climate change clinical experience community service constitutional law consulting cover letters curriculum dementia demonstrated interest dental school dimensional analysis distance learning econometrics electric engineering electricity and magnetism enrichment escape velocity european history evolution executive function finance freewriting fun facts genomics graphing harmonics health policy history of medicine history of science hybrid vehicles hydrophobic effect ideal gas law induction infinite information sessions institutional actions integrated reasoning intermolecular forces intern investing investment banking lab reports linear maps mandarin chinese matrices mba medical physics meiosis microeconomics mitosis music music theory networking neurology neuroscience object-oriented programming office hours operating systems organization outlining pedagogy