Research Opportunities for Freshmen/Sophomores
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Research can do a lot to stand out from a wide applicant pool–it builds critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, and independent inquiry, all alongside a mentor in the field. Research can be an immensely rewarding and broadening experience, adding richness to an application as evidence for field-specific interests and a potential source of a recommendation letter. That being said, underclassmen often find difficulty involving themselves in research due to few skills and scarce opportunities. Today, we’ll go over some ways to get involved as soon as possible!
Research at your institution:
The best place to start is at your current university, already being a student can circumvent some of the restrictions placed on university research. These limitations can include research positions being only available to students in specific schools, fields of study, alongside security and transportation concerns. To get started, look for the faculty list on your department’s website; many of those involved in research have a short section explaining their research interests alongside their email. At this stage, research is a numbers game; ask all the faculty who interests you. A sample email is below, feel free to make any changes as you wish, but be mindful that professors in research are often very busy and loath lengthy emails:
Dear Professor _,
Hello, this is [Your Name], a [Year] at [Your Institution], and I would like to know if I could be involved with research at your lab. I read your lab interests and parts of recent publications, was interested in the material, and wanted to know if we could discuss this further. My resume is attached.
Best wishes,
X
Do not be discouraged if you receive rejections or no response at all, the goal is to have a few minutes of a professor’s time and demonstrate you are interested in the field. Professors know undergraduate students have very little to offer; a good research mentor wants to see you succeed every bit as much as you.
If emails are of no help, do not be discouraged from asking professors you currently have for classes if they are interested in taking undergraduate students in research. Failing that, ask if any of their peers have openings for undergraduates. Although more technical fields (particularly in chemistry and engineering) may sometimes only take upperclassmen, there is nothing to be lost in asking.
Research at another institution:
Should your institution lack any available opportunities, reach out to other colleges/universities in the area. The same process as previously, look to their department website and search for faculty in research fields that interest you. The onboarding process at other institutions may be longer and require a number of additional forms and waivers, but can absolutely remain a fulfilling experience.
Where are some other places to find research?:
Alongside local universities, there are a number of federal research programs and opportunities that open up with their own applications and deadlines, many of which are paid as well:
REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates): a federal program that offers paid research experiences at a partner institution.
SULI (Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships): a federal program that connects undergraduates with paid internships with various federal agencies at a number of national laboratories around the country in a wide variety of fields.
Zintellect: Unlike the REU & SULI, Zintellect is a pool of internships supported by the federal government across all agencies and departments, from the Department of Energy to the US Navy, offering many STEM internships, often paid. Zintellect requires filtering to make sure you find opportunities that undergraduates can apply to, and frequently asks for recommendation letters alongside essay questions.
With all these resources in mind, we hope you can find somewhere to begin a fulfilling and productive step into research, especially in support of a transfer application, where it can offer real depth for an admission.
