1. Reflect: What am I looking for?
- What skills and knowledge am I hoping to gain from a research experience?
- What field(s) would I like to study?
- Most labs require a minimum 6-hour commitment divided in 2-3 hour blocks. Do I have the time and energy to commit to research right now?
2. Find opportunities
Most research opportunities are not advertised. Students find positions by contacting researchers they would like to work with – usually by email.
- Ask your professors, TAs, or faculty advisor for advice on finding research opportunities.
- Join CURB (Cornell Undergraduate Research Board).
- Paid research opportunities may be found on the Student Employment website or by speaking with individual research mentors.
- Make a list of researchers (including faculty, research associates) with whom you would like to work by conducting an online search. We recommend:
- Viewing the OUB’s faculty research database
- Searching departmental websites. Scroll down for links to units on campus where biological sciences students often engage in research.
3. Contact potential research mentors
- Before reaching out, read the researcher’s website or the abstract of one or more papers.
- Send an introductory email expressing your interest in their research.
- Start with a professional greeting (Dear Dr. or Professor X).
- Introduce yourself with your name, class year and major.
- Explain why you are interested in their research – be specific! Generic emails do not get much attention.
- Share why you are a good fit for the lab by providing more information about yourself. Describe your experiences (non-research experiences are great!).
- Emails should be concise; limit yourself to one to three paragraphs.
- End with a question. Ask to meet to discuss their research or getting involved in their field.
- Would you like feedback on a draft email? Meet with an OUB student advisor.
4. Meet with potential research mentors
Congrats on getting meetings with researchers! Now it’s time to prepare.
- Make sure you can articulate why you’re interested in their work specifically and research in general. Practice saying it out loud.
- Prepare a list of questions. These can be about research or the lab structure (e.g., what do undergrads do each day?). Only ask questions you’re sincerely curious about. Check out these example questions for mentors from NIH.
- You do not need to understand technical details of their research or have read several of their papers.
- Be prepared to talk about time commitment. Bring your schedule.
- Aim not only to find a lab, but the right lab for you. Fit matters! Meet with several mentors if you can; finding the right mentor matters as much or more than the specific research project you will work on.