research experience help

Princeton Correspondents on Undergraduate Research

Tips for Writing about Your Research Experience (Even if You Don’t Think You Have Any)

If you’re someone who hasn’t yet done formal research in a university setting, one of the most intimidating parts of the process can be simply getting your foot in the door. Just like the way your options can seem very limited when applying for your first job, asking for a research position when you have no “experience” can seem discouraging — maybe even to the point of causing you to question whether you should apply in the first place. With that being said, there are some simple tips you can employ when applying for research positions to highlight the link between your existing interests and the work of the position for which you are applying.

First things first: tailor not just your cover letter (for applications that ask for it) but your resume to the position for which you are applying. Even if you’re just sending a casual email to a professor to ask about the research that they’re doing, as a rule, it never hurts to attach your resume. I also like to think that submitting a resume even without being asked to shows that you’re serious about doing research, and have taken the time to put together a thoughtful inquiry into a position. If you’ve never written a cover letter or resume before, don’t fret. The Center for Career Development has some great online resources to help you create one from scratch. If you are looking for more individualized help, you can also schedule an appointment to get one-on-one feedback on your application at any stage in the writing process.

One of the things that I’ve found, however, is that the single-page format of a resume often isn’t enough space to include all of the information about every single thing you’ve ever done. Rather than trying to jam as many impressive accomplishments as you can onto a page, your goal should be to create a resume that gives a cumulative sense of your interests and experiences as they relate to the position for which you are applying. One of my favorite ways to do this is to create a “Research” section. “But Kate, what if I don’t have any research experience?,” you ask. Remember that paper you wrote about a painting by Monet in your favorite class last semester? Write the title down, or even a sentence or two that summarizes your main argument. The art museum you’re hoping to do research at will love knowing that your interest in their current exhibition on Impressionism is rooted in classes you’ve taken and the projects you’ve done in them, no matter how new you may be to a topic. Your interest in a specific research position has to come from somewhere, and your resume is an important part of demonstrating this to others.

What I would like to reassure you of is that it’s normal to be an undergraduate with very little research experience. The people reading your application —whether it be for an official program or even if it’s just a friendly email with a few questions— know that you are a student and will probably be excited to offer you guidance on how to get involved with more specific research projects even if all you have to offer at this point is enthusiasm for the topic. Working in a lab or with a professor on a research project is an opportunity designed to help you learn above all else, so it’s ok if you don’t know what you’re doing! It goes without saying that having little experience will make the final result of your research experience all the more worthwhile because of the potential to gain knowledge in ways you haven’t even imagined.

— Kate Weseley-Jones, Humanities Correspondent

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How to Get Research Experience

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Working in a research setting can help make you a competitive medical school applicant and help you to determine if a career in medicine or medical research is right for you

How do I find a research position?

If you’re currently in college, check with your institution’s science or undergraduate research websites for opportunities to assist with faculty research projects. You can also review faculty bio pages and lab websites for more information. Next, reach out to your immediate network: express your interest in assisting with a research project to your science professors, academic advisor, and your pre-health advisor.

Try exchanging ideas with your peers and upper-classmen for advice on research opportunities at your institution. You can also ask peer advisors, resident advisors, or any fellow premedical students for introductions to principal investigators (PIs). You might even try the “Undergrad-Grad-PI” method. This is where you first reach out to undergraduate students in research labs to learn about their responsibilities; they oftentimes are more responsive. Then, reach out to the graduate or post-doc students to learn about the research question being investigated. After this, read the most recent paper or abstract the lab published. Once you complete these steps, you can approach the PI more confidently and more effectively demonstrate your commitment to and understanding of their project.

Your school’s career center or student employment office may know about research job openings, and they can also offer resume help and go over interview tips and techniques. Remember, opportunities may be on or off campus, full- or part-time, paid or unpaid, or part of a summer program. Once you find a position, you can connect with your school’s fellowships or awards office to inquire about research funding opportunities.

If you’ve already graduated, consider looking into open positions. Research hospitals, universities, and biotech companies are always looking for lab technicians or clinical research coordinators (CRC). Job opportunities are typically posted on the career pages of their websites.

When should I begin gaining research experience in college?

Some premedical students begin their research experiences during their first year of college, and others begin research positions after they have already graduated. On average, most students secure a research position junior or senior year. There are three big factors that will impact this:

• Your level of interest in pursuing research. If you are really excited to investigate a question under a mentor, you might find yourself reaching out to professors early and often. Other students may focus on gaining clinical experience, and therefore wait later in their academic career to start research.
• Readiness for the research project. Different PIs will have different expectations for preparation. A research project might require you to first take coursework in basic lab sciences, statistics, or another advanced topic specific to the project. Other PIs may prefer to train you “on-the-job” through their graduate or post-doc students. This will impact when you are ready to join a project.
• Finding the right research project. There is a process of reviewing different PIs and research projects to find the right fit for you. What subject do you want to investigate? Do you want your research project to take place in a lab or non-lab setting? Is there an independent question you want to investigate with the help of a mentor?

When is the best time to look for a position?

According to Kate Stutz, Ph.D., Director of Pre-Health Advising at Brandeis University, if you’re interested a research position during the academic year, the best time to look for positions is at the very beginning of the semester. There also tend to be a lot of research opportunities in the summer, both paid and volunteer, through set programs like the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REUs). It’s best to start applying for summer research positions in December-February for the upcoming summer. Remember, typically there are more applicants than available spots so get your applications in early. Each undergraduate institution will be different, therefore make sure to connect with your advisors and peers for feedback on when to start looking.

What’s the best way to apply?

The outreach email message that you send to potential research faculty is very important. This message should include a formal introduction of yourself, evidence that you are familiar with their research project(s), and a clear, specific ask. Identify what you hope to contribute to the project. Do you want to clean the glassware or analyze lab findings? Consider attaching your resume as well. Dr. Stutz stresses that networking and persistence are crucial to finding a position. Make sure you’re using all of your network, including your peers and professors, to find open positions. Don’t be afraid to send follow up emails; faculty are very busy and often overlook emails. Sometimes, it can be even more effective to stop by a professor’s office hours to hand deliver your materials and indicate your interest in person.

How should I prepare for an interview?

With any interview, it’s important to make a good impression. Be sure to dress appropriately. Come prepared with a resume. Use your campus career center for advice on proper attire and resume best practices.

Often during interviews, you’ll be asked about your career goals. It’s helpful to be able to speak about the steps you plan to take to meet those goals. Talk about classes you’ve taken, especially upper-level science courses. Speak about your skills, your knowledge of techniques, and the equipment you’ve used throughout your coursework. Be prepared to discuss the lab experiments you’ve completed. If you’ve done any sort of research—even in your coursework—keep track of it. This shows you have experience. Lastly, interviewers often ask candidates if they have any questions. Dr. Stutz suggests asking something that indicates you’ve done your own research into their project. You could ask where they see their research going in the next three years or what challenges they anticipate. You could also ask about expectations for undergraduate researchers; do they expect you to work 20+ hours a week? Full time over the summer? Do they require you to have work study or to sign up for research credits? Asking these questions ahead of time can help you plan ahead and determine if this position is the best fit for you. Check out these  interview resources  for more tips.

Does research experience have to be in a wet lab?

No! Research can be performed in any field or subject. We’ve had successful applicants with research in classics, sociology, history, and policy, as well as applicants with research in biology, biochemistry, and neuroscience. Medical schools value all types of research. Research can take place in a scientific lab that requires advanced devices and procedures to obtain data for analysis. Research can also take place in the humanities or social sciences where participant interviews or surveys are needed to obtain an individual's life perspective. The clinical research field is constantly investigating patient outcomes and how to improve care through clinical trials or analysis of patient data. As a premedical student, consider what question you want to investigate further. Do you want to learn more about how health inequities impact disadvantaged communities in your area, or perhaps you want to know more about the protein channels involved in memory cognition? Once you choose a direction, you can then partner with a research PI for guidance on how to navigate your question. Sierra Perez, Pre-Health Advisor at Brandeis University, shares not to be afraid to get creative with your research question. She has been impressed by the medical school applicants who have created independent questions that address the community needs. “Applicants are recognizing the critical needs of specific populations, such as homelessness, LGBTQ+, veterans, youth with disabilities, etc.,” she stated. “There is also a demand for translational researchers, or individuals who can take complicated bench topics and apply it to the clinical world.”

Is research experience required to be accepted to medical school? 

It depends. Some medical schools are very research focused; they may require a research thesis or have research time built into the curriculum. Other schools are more community or clinically focused; they would rather have an applicant work in a healthcare setting or volunteer at their local soup kitchen than be at the bench moving clear liquids from one test tube to another. Research experience (in whatever discipline) is helpful for developing some of the Premed Competencies , such as critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, scientific reasoning, as well as teamwork and oral communication skills. How much you should engage in research depends on how much you enjoy it once you try it!

The majority of accepted medical school applicants have some form of academic or clinical research at the time they apply. Competence in research has become increasingly important in the medical field to improve patient care outcomes.

You can also review medical school mission statements to see if research is a focus at a particular school. You can read each school’s mission, and the number of accepted students in their most recent class who had research experience, in the  Medical School Admission Requirements . Remember, it’s best to pursue experiences that you’re genuinely interested in, rather than just to check a box, but you may not know if research is for you until you give it a try.  

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• CAREER COLUMN
• 15 March 2019

A student’s guide to undergraduate research

• Shiwei Wang 0

Shiwei Wang is a junior undergraduate student studying Integrated Science and Chemistry at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Twitter: @W_Shiwei

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience working in a materials-chemistry laboratory at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, for the past two years. Being able to mix an undergraduate education with original research in a proper laboratory has been a fantastic opportunity.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-00871-x

This is an article from the Nature Careers Community, a place for Nature readers to share their professional experiences and advice. Guest posts are encouraged. You can get in touch with the editor at [email protected].

Wang, S. et al. Preprint at ChemRxiv https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv.7824707.v2 (2019).

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Program Innovations: Promoting Success in Student Research

To enhance the student experience and increase access to experiential learning, colleges and universities have gotten creative with undergraduate research experiences.

By  Ashley Mowreader

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Undergraduate research can provide students with hands-on experience in a lab environment, as well as help them determine career opportunities they might not otherwise consider.

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Undergraduate research opportunities are one way to provide experiential learning in many disciplines, introducing learners to research methods under the supervision of a faculty member and providing experience for a résumé.

A 2021 study from the University of Central Florida found student researchers are more likely to have higher grade point averages and graduation rates, and higher matriculation into graduate school, as well as life skills such as analyzing literature critically, observing and collecting data and communication.

However, not every student has equal access to undergraduate research opportunities. The study found non-STEM students, transfer students and part-time students are less likely to participate in research compared to their peers.

To increase student participation in undergraduate research and boost skill development among student researchers, institutions have created innovative models of work. Here are seven examples.

Survey Says

Around three in 10 students say they are required to participate in undergraduate research, according to a winter 2023 Student Voice survey from Inside Higher Ed , and a slightly smaller number (27 percent) believe that undergraduate research should be required in their program.

Four-year students are more likely to say undergraduate research is required in their program (32 percent) compared to their two-year peers (15 percent).

First-year research opportunities—University of Missouri

Career exposure in the first year can help students feel confident about their paths throughout college and provide a head start in building their résumés.

Mizzou is known for its Interdisciplinary Plant Group that hosts research scholars exploring innovations in plant biology and a first-year program that provides young researchers a leg up in their work, giving them research time with more experienced researchers and mentorship.

FRIPS, short for Freshman Research in Plants , supports 10 to 15 students annually, who work alongside a faculty member and their research group on plant biology. Students also meet regularly with their FRIPS scholars cohort and gain professional development training.

Each student’s work is funded by grant dollars from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Graduates of FRIPS often go on to become Goldwater Scholars and NSF graduate research fellows. The program also creates a place of belonging and community for new students to the university.

Underrepresented minority students—Davidson College

Some students face systemic disadvantages in participating in co-curricular experiences because they may lack the social capital or be unfamiliar with the norms of higher ed to identify and participate in a faculty-led research experience.

At Davidson College in North Carolina, rising sophomores can participate in a four- to six-week summer intensive research fellowship program called RISE (Research in Science Experience) . This program is designed for students from historically marginalized groups including low-income and first-generation students.

The goal of RISE is to equip students to take on larger, more intensive academic-year and summer experiences for later in their college career. Each student receives $2,500 in scholarships and funds to cover on-campus housing, which the college arranges for all participants.

Jacquelline Nyakunu , a rising junior at Davidson, spent the summer with chemistry professor Cindy Hauser researching hookah, studying the smoking of shisha and the chemical composition of the tobacco. Nyakunu wrote in a blog post that the experience taught her about her passion for chemistry, built her research skills and solidified her career path as a pre-medicine student.

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Transfer students—University of California, Los Angeles

Transferring into a new institution can be a challenge for many students, and finding ways to get plugged in and connected to one’s field of interest can be just as hard.

UCLA offers an initiative exclusively for transfer students to both promote their academic success at the university and expose them to undergraduate research opportunities, the Transfer Research Entry Program (TREP).

To participate, each student must be an incoming transfer student with at least two years remaining at UCLA and be considering a career in research. Participants attend a one-week virtual bootcamp about research, which covers careers in research and how to write a cover letter and curriculum vitae. The program also provides networking opportunities for transfer students and academic survival skills for the transition to UCLA.

There’s no obligation to take a research role after the bootcamp, but students are encouraged to do so and given guidance on how to find their areas of interest, the application and interview process as well.

Financial support—University of Texas at El Paso

Financial need can be a barrier to participation for some students. The University of Texas at El Paso is a Hispanic Serving Institution (84 percent Hispanic), commuter school with a large population of Pell-eligible students (60 percent) and first-generation learners. Many students are working to support themselves and their families, explains Lourdes E. Echegoyen, director of the Campus Office of Undergraduate Research Initiatives.

As a result, UTEP staff realized a need to provide financial assistance through employment to give students high-impact activities.

University staff have identified grant funding from federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Education, and private foundations.

Students can receive financial support through stipends or tuition scholarships. The university’s student employment program also provides employment positions for undergraduate researchers across disciplines.

“Generally, full time students are supported to conduct research during the academic year from 10 to 19 hours per week—depending on the program—thus allowing students to remain on campus and be mentored as research trainees,” Echegoyen says.

UTEP leaders have seen the benefits of undergraduate research on retention and persistence among students, with one program focused on biomedical research having a 98 percent retention rate among students across four years, compared to a 37 percent retention rate among their peers who did not participate.&

Community partnerships—Roosevelt University

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Roosevelt University in Chicago partnered with The Field Museum to digitize and analyze data collected at the museum. Visitors had measured specimens of liverworts, but the data needed to be sorted and inaccurate measurements eliminated from the set to be most useful to scientists.

Students wrote code to screen and clean the data, helping set the researchers up for success and teaching students firsthand about research processes in a remote setting.

Career development—Elon University

At Elon in North Carolina, returning students can participate in undergraduate research over the summer in between academic terms, funded by the university. While career readiness is a natural component of research experiences, leaders at the university wanted to bolster student skills beyond the laboratory, says Eric Hall, professor of exercise and director of undergraduate research at Elon.

Now, student researchers attend regular professional-development workshops that inform and establish career competencies. The workshops are co-led by other campus partners, including the writing center, career services, the fellowships office and librarians, Hall says.

For the 2024 session, workshops include a session on LinkedIn on how the fellowships office can support student goals, professional writing for graduate school and industry, and navigating academic publishing.

The new initiative is still being evaluated, with formal data collection underway, but anecdotal evidence from post-assessments shows students enjoy and learn from the experiences.

Research in the classroom—California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Cal Poly Pomona leaders wanted to expose more learners to undergraduate research, understanding that first-generation, Pell-eligible or historically underserved students have lower access to research opportunities, says Winny Dong, faculty director for the office of undergraduate research.

Rather than asking students to squeeze an additional responsibility into their schedules, faculty members brought research to the classroom, embedding experiences into required general education courses.

The initiative makes it so all students are exposed to research and required to participate in some capacity, helping build their skills and pique interest for those who may consider a career in research.

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Research experience

Research is one of the best things you can do to make yourself a competitive graduate school candidate — and a better, more prepared scholar..

Quality undergraduate research experience strongly enhances your competitiveness for graduate school. Increase your likelihood of admission by seeking research opportunities at your home campus or other institutions. 

Connect with faculty

Identify topics that interest you, then find faculty members at your campus who are conducting research in those areas. Department websites and faculty pages, where you can locate faculty members’ bios, curricula vitae (CVs) and most recent publications, are great starting points.

After reading their publications and familiarizing yourself with their work, contact professors to schedule a meeting. Share what interests you about their research, citing any particular publications, then follow up with a thoughtful idea or question.

After you’ve connected intellectually, express your interest in assisting on a current project. Provide a résumé or CV and be prepared to report on the skills and strengths that qualify you to join a research project. Be realistic about the number of hours you can commit without overextending yourself. And remain positive and persistent as you seek the right opportunity.

Apply early

Begin applying for research opportunities as early as your sophomore year. Research experience gives you a competitive advantage by demonstrating that you're capable of the type of study graduate school requires.

Some campuses offer structured research programs during the academic year in addition to summer programs, so learn about all the options your institution offers.

You may have to apply to several programs before you get an acceptance letter, so be persistent, and apply to all that match your qualifications and interests.

Find a summer research program

Many universities — including UC campuses — offer structured summer research programs in a variety of disciplines, including social sciences and humanities.  Typically 8 to 10 weeks long, summer programs often combine faculty-mentored research, professional development workshops and GRE preparation. Host institutions typically cover expenses such as travel, housing and food (meals/resources to prepare/buy meals). Some also provide a stipend, since you will not be able to work while participating in the program.

In addition to building your skills, summer research gives you the chance to become familiar with institutions you may plan to apply to for graduate school. Apply widely to these programs, as you may find a great match in an institution you would not otherwise have considered. Deadlines vary, so start looking early and be prepared to submit your applications as early as December through early February.

Finally, investigate informal ways to gain research experience. You may be able to work under the guidance of a faculty member, even if the professor is not an official research program mentor. Some professors may be willing to supervise an independent research project.  If a faculty member cannot accommodate you, ask him or her to suggest colleagues who may be seeking an undergraduate assistant. 

Learn more about research programs offered at UC campuses

UC Berkeley Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarships   UC Davis Undergraduate Research Center Additional Research Information   UC Irvine Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Campus Wide Honors Collegium Access to Careers in Engineering and Sciences (ACES)   Neuroscience Summer Institute Office of Access and Inclusion   UCLA Undergraduate Research Center - Sciences Undergraduate Research Center - Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences Summer Programs for Undergraduate Research

UC Merced Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center

UC Riverside Mentoring Summer Research Internship Program (MSRIP) Application Form UC Leads

UC San Diego Research Experience and Applied Learning Portal Summer Research Program 

UC San Francisco Summer Research Training Program PROPEL Post-baccalaureate Program

UC Santa Barbara Undergraduate Research  

UC Santa Cruz Undergraduate Research Opportunities Summer Research Opportunities STEM Diversity Research Programs Hispanic Serving Institutions Initiatives  

Learn more about national research programs

AMGEN Scholars Programs Initiative for Maximizing Student Development Program 

McNair Scholars Program

Maximizing Access to Research Careers

National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

Pathways to Science

Helpful tips

Reality check Summer research programs are highly competitive, so apply to many different schools and programs — including your current institution.  Don't worry about where you do your research ... just do it!

Stay in touch!  Once you've completed a research program, maintain connections with your research mentors, who will be able to write very strong letters of recommendation and support you throughout the process of getting into to graduate school. Check in regularly with your research mentors and provide updates about your academic progress.

“If you look across the country, there are maybe four or five known Native American statisticians. That certainly makes it difficult some days. But it also gives me the spark.”

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Getting involved in research as an undergraduate: nuts and bolts

Research experience consistently emerges as a top criterion for admission into graduate school and for employment in competitive positions. But gaining research experience is largely dependent on your own initiative. That can prove intimidating, so in this article I highlight the key steps in the process of obtaining research experience.

The benefits of student research boil down to two dimensions (Landrum & Nelsen, 2002). The first might be labeled “specific skills,” including developing research ideas, conducting literature searches, analyzing data, using statistical procedures, preparing conference presentations and improving writing ability. The second dimension might be named “interpersonal goals.” These entail influencing decisions about employment or graduate school, enhancing teamwork, forming relationships for letters of recommendation and developing leadership. You seek both types of benefits in securing a research experience as an undergrad. 

Choose a path

Here are five common avenues for undergraduates engaging in research. 

• Volunteer to work with a faculty member on one of his or her research projects.
• Complete a student research program for a notation on your transcript but not academic credit. Students identify potential professors to work with from a faculty directory of research interests, jointly complete a learning contract and then devote a minimum number of hours (say, 75) throughout a semester working directly with the faculty sponsor.
• Take independent psychology research for academic credit. This entails individual study and research under the supervision of a faculty member and is ordinarily limited to junior and senior psychology majors.
• Work or volunteer for a researcher outside of your university — in a hospital, medical center, research institute, private industry or community-based organization, for example. Especially in large cities, researchers with major grants depend upon students for many elements of study management, data collection and statistical analyses.
• Complete an honors thesis in either a departmental or a university-wide honors program. Many schools allow motivated students to complete an honors thesis, an original study that the student conceptualizes, conducts, analyzes and has some hope of presenting at a regional conference or even publishing.

Whichever path you eventually take, the procedures are quite similar. Following is a nuts-and-bolts guide to help you make the most of your research experience.

Determine your interests

An initial step is finding a research area that interests you. A good place to begin is to read through your department brochure or website describing faculty interests and current research. Visit with the director of psychology advising or the director of undergraduate studies in the psychology department (if a large university) or the department chairperson (if a smaller college) to discuss research possibilities. Speak to other students in the major about potential faculty mentors. Look for professors who have a proven track record of scholarly publications.

Once you have a list of faculty interests, you may find someone interesting but not be sure exactly what the research is all about. If publications are not provided on the departmental website, or if reprints are not posted in the department, then you can go to PsycINFO and read what that professor has published over the last five to seven years. This should make it easier to decide which professor you would like to approach to volunteer to do research with. Do not narrow your choices too quickly . Find at least two or three professors whose work initially interests you.

Select professors

Next, find out more about that professor as a person. Do you know people who have taken a class with him or her? Are there other undergraduates working with this professor now? What do they do, and what is it like working under this person? Is the professor easy to get along with? Is the professor helpful to students? 

Some professors maintain large research facilities and employ vast numbers of undergraduates to help them with their data collection and management. If there are 10 undergraduates working in a lab, the attention given to each individual tends to decrease, as well as the value of the research experience. On the other hand, some large laboratories provide unique research opportunities unavailable elsewhere. The key is to talk to students who have worked there to learn about their experiences and determine if former students have had success applying to graduate school.

An optimal research context, then, is one in which a faculty member or research mentor has an established reputation in his or her field, a record of producing publishable research, interests similar to your own, a history of working successfully with undergrads and a propensity to share authorship with students. Be guided by these principles in selecting professors to approach, but do not expect all these qualities to be available to you.

Make contact

Now it’s time to make yourself known to the faculty researcher. Of course, it is natural for you to feel nervous. Again: Read what the professor has written and remember that you are offering your services free of charge. 

Here are 10 quick pointers in asking for a research assistant (RA) position: 

• Go during office hours. 
• Bring a CV or resume. 
• Begin with small talk.
• Express interest in his/her research. 
• Manifest positive nonverbal behaviors. 
• Ask explicitly to serve as an RA. 
• Explain why you qualify for the position.
• Ask for decision date.
• Thank the professor for his/her time.
• Have a backup plan.

A good opening line might be, “Hello, Dr. Freud, my name is Chris Smith. I’ve been reading on autism and came across several articles you’ve written. I’m pretty interested and was wondering if I could help with your research projects.”

“Well Mr./Ms. Smith, I’d be very interested in speaking with you about helping with my research.” You have made the contact and off you go.

If the professor does not need help, you have lost nothing and gained experience in asking. Ask if he or she knows of someone with similar interests who is looking for help, or simply approach the next person on your list.

Either way, you are on your way to acquiring the research fever in psychology as an undergrad. Go get ’em.

About the author

Undergraduate research experience: A roadmap to guide your journey

Tips and tricks for finding and applying for research experiences and internships

Undergraduate research opportunities and internships

Additional resources for undergraduate students

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• Talk to People
• Take Action
• Inspire Others
• Events and Outcomes
• JHU At-A-Glance
• Students and Schools
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A student’s guide to undergraduate research

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Originally written by Shiwei Wang for Nature journal in March 2019.

Participating in original research during your undergraduate studies can greatly expand your learning experience. However, finding the project can be a challenging task, so here’s a short but comprehensive guide that can help you get the most out of an undergraduate research opportunity.

Choose the right lab

Learn to think like a scientist. A lot of people start their undergraduate research by glancing at the faculty list and e-mailing multiple professors whose work seems interesting. Although this might get you a position somewhere, it is not the most effective approach. Before looking at labs, dive into the science to find out which areas fascinate you. Read a lot, go to talks, and talk to your professors not just about their classes, but about science in general as well.

Subscribe to e-mail newsletters from journals such as Nature and Science. Try to read research highlights and science news regularly. Podcasts and articles by, for example, Nature, Science, Scientific American or Quanta can also be interesting sources of information. Follow academics, journals and universities on Twitter. Start your undergraduate research by learning more about science, thinking like a scientist and working out what you love.

Look for questions, not subjects. You might have chosen a major to study, but don’t let this limit your search for research labs. Modern labs are interdisciplinary and very different from what you do in undergrad labs. Instead of limiting your search to your department, try to look at labs in all related departments. Choose labs on the basis of the questions they’re trying to answer.

Mentoring is as important as research. Contact group members to learn about your prospective laboratory’s environment. Are the group members close? Is the lab friendly or competitive and condescending? Is the lab head hands-off or hands-on? The size of the group is also important. If you join a small group, you’ll have a higher chance of being mentored directly by your principal investigator, whereas in a big group, you are more likely to be mentored by a postdoctoral researcher or graduate student.

Reach out with confidence. Once you’ve determined that the research programme interests you and the group dynamic is healthy, send the principal investigator an e-mail. Make sure to explain why you’re interested in working in the lab and that you have spoken to other lab members. Be patient if they don’t reply. If you don’t receive a response after a week or so, send a second e-mail or reach out in other ways, such as by asking group members to enquire for you.

Get the most out of the experience

Start your research with reading, and keep on reading. Usually, the principal investigator will assign you a mentor and a project. Ask for literature to read: learning about the state of the field and why the work is important will help you to push the project forward. Read about your field as well as other, totally unrelated fields. As an undergraduate, you have the freedom to change your major and your future plans. Make sure to strike a balance between reading and conducting experiments. It’s hard to do both at the same time, but it will make you a better scientist.

Set specific goals for yourself and let your mentors know. Think about what you want from your research and how much time you are willing to put in. Besides learning the techniques, do you want to learn how to analyse results and design experiments? Do you want to learn how to write proposals by applying for undergraduate research grants? Do you want to improve your presentation skills by going to conferences? Do you want to potentially finish a project for publication? Working out what you want to achieve will help you to direct your time effectively.

Research takes time. Don’t blame yourself if experiments don’t work or the project is not moving forward as fast as you expected. Science is about failing and trying again. Getting used to and coping with frustration is part of the learning curve of research.

Find a healthy balance. University is already a lot of work, and research will only take up more time. When planning your schedule, try to allocate large blocks of time (whole afternoons or individual days) to research. Rushing through a procedure could be unsafe and will often produce useless results. Always plan extra time for experiments. Consider working less in the lab during exam weeks so you don’t get overwhelmed. Talk to your mentor about your schedule and feelings regularly, so that you can arrange experiments at times that suit you, and you can keep on top of your mental health.

Find financial support. If you wish to do research at your own institution over the summer, your institution might offer funding to cover your expenses. If you want to go to another university, you can apply for funding from that institution’s undergraduate research programme, or from foundations, companies or academic societies. For example, the US National Science Foundation offers a Research Experiences for Undergraduates programme. Universities, foundations and academic societies might also offer grants to cover your travel expense to various conferences. Don’t let money limit what you want to do. Talk to senior students or professors, or search online to find all the opportunities!

Always think about the big picture. Your undergraduate research doesn’t define what you’re going to do after your degree. Keep reading and taking classes outside your comfort zone. Explore and learn as much as possible. Working out what you love is the best preparation you can get for the rest of your career.

Read the full article on the Nature website.

To find a research opportunity at Johns Hopkins University, visit the Hopkins Office of Undergraduate Research website .

Finding a Research Experience

• First Online: 06 September 2022

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This chapter discusses the importance of an undergraduate research experience in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or medicine (STEMM) and how it differs from lecture-based or “active” classroom learning, and “independent study” for credit. Different types of research experiences and internships can range from the traditional one-student-one-mentor experiences to participation in larger, more structured undergraduate research programs that may have teams of multiple students and mentors. Guidance is provided on the range of available resources that students can use to find a research experience that matches their needs and expectations.

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Ellison, A.M., Patel, M.V. (2022). Finding a Research Experience. In: Success in Navigating Your Student Research Experience. SpringerBriefs in Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06641-2_1

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An Undergraduate’s Guide to Gaining Research Experience

Editor’s note: This is another in a series of posts that first appeared in a student quarterly magazine called the DNA Decoder — a magazine written by students, for students. The magazine is designed to help students across the nation connect with each other and share interesting ideas around genetics. We in turn want to share a few of those stories with you on 23andMe’s blog.

By Ava Daniel

In this article, we’ve highlighted some useful tips for how undergraduates can become more involved in genetics and academic research, both at their home institutions and around the country. Knowing how to join a laboratory as a research assistant can be a confusing task, so we’ve provided a comprehensive summary of advantageous steps to take that can make the process easier. Joining a research laboratory is a both a fun and extremely rewarding experience, and we’d love to explain why.  

What can Undergraduates Gain from Participating in Laboratory Research?

Ava Daniel, l, and Ann Serbin working in the Tjian Lab at the University of California Berkeley during the summer of 2016.

Exposure to the field of laboratory research. This is a great way to find out if research could be a suitable career choice for you, especially in this era of scientific and technological innovation. Even if you may not foresee yourself working in a lab as a career, many areas of science (ex: medicine, biomedical engineering, technology) may call on you to engage in a lab environment at some point; so, it could only benefit you to get acquainted with even the most basic kinds of research.

Mentorship. A formative mentoring experience will help you to learn hands-on skills that you may not have the opportunity to gain otherwise. Having a mentor can be extremely beneficial for guidance, advice, and even letters of recommendation for your future learning and career opportunities as you progress through university and employment.

Advantages in your different academic science courses. You will be able to personally see the applications of experimental techniques as they pertain to real-life laboratory and clinical uses.

A chance to be involved in groundbreaking research, either by witnessing it firsthand or even participating in it. This gives you the chance to potentially be included as an author on a publication or symposium presentation.

How can I participate in Laboratory Research? Where do I even start?

STEP 1 Try to think about what field of science interests you. Ex: genetics, cell biology, developmental biology, evolutionary biology, endocrinology (hormones), oncology (cancer), immunology (immune system), pathology (diseases), etc.

STEP 2  Try to gain a foundational set of practical skills relevant to laboratory work, if possible. Take a lab course in the type of research you’re interested in (molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, etc.) or find out if your university offers any “Lab Fundamentals Bootcamps.” While not required, having a set of basic skills and familiarity with lab work will set you apart from other applicants.

STEP 3  Approach instructors and graduate teaching assistants (TAs) in classes that you are especially excited about and ask if there are any research opportunities for undergraduates in their labs (or in other labs they may know of). If you perform well in the course or go out of your way to be especially thoughtful and curious, your teachers will likely be excited to welcome you into their labs.

STEP 4 Look into the labs that are thriving at your university. You can find labs by attending undergraduate journal clubs and/or research talks, doing online research, or talking to professors or TAs that are in the field of study you’re interested in.

You can then see what labs are run under which principal investigators (PIs) (via Google Scholar).

• How many articles have been published?
• How many citations?
• How recent?

If any of those PIs stick out to you, try to read some of their papers to familiarize yourself with the work.  

How to Choose a Lab

• Look for a lab with a strong record of welcoming undergraduate students in their research. You can find this out by exploring the lab’s website.
• Search for labs who have graduate students or post-doctoral researchers, as they may be able to answer questions and offer help while you work, or potentially act as mentors to you.  
• Consider talking to other students further along in the major you want to pursue and see if they have any research experience or recommendations, either in a lab you want to work in or labs similar to it.  
• Asking your peers for advice can be a great first step in identifying what you want to do.  
• Keep in mind that any kind of exposure can be beneficial to you. Although your lab of interest may not have openings for research positions right away, ask if you can do some periodic shadowing.  
• Continue to check in with the lab to see if anything opens up over time.  
• Don’t concern yourself too much about finding the perfect experience, especially right away.
• You will learn over time, and you never know where or when a perfect opportunity may arise.
• Take advantage of the resources already available to students who are looking for research opportunities.  
• Many educational programs and departments have staff members who are dedicated to helping students find on-campus research opportunities.  
• Take time to identify if there are such staff members in your program and set up an appointment to meet with them to discuss your interests.

How do I contact a lab that I’m really interested in?

Once you’ve narrowed down a lab you are very interested in, reach out to the Principal Investigator (PI) of the lab via email and attach your CV (see below).

Come off as knowledgeable, informed, and professional. Feel free to reach out to a trusted professor, advisor, or TA to look over the email before you send it.

If at first you don’t succeed, try again! PIs are often very busy traveling and running their lab.

Try to reach out to multiple labs at once and wait to see who contacts you back. This way, you have more options in case something does not work out.

You can try to reach out to individual researchers (graduate students and postdoctoral researchers) within the lab that are not the PI that you may want to personally work with. You can find the contact information of these researchers on the lab’s website, and you can reach out by sending them an introductory email similar to what you sent the PI.

Remember, it is okay to reach out to a PI even if you have no lab experience. Labs are encouraged to be educational spaces, so do not feel intimidated if you have never had prior lab or hands-on science exposure.

What if you do not have access to research opportunities at your university?

At some universities, undergraduate research positions may be few and far between, or you may not find a research lab that peaks your exact interests. Also, it may be possible that your university may not have a strong laboratory science presence.

There are other options for how you can get exposed to laboratory research. For example, you can look into paid summer internship opportunities at the National Institute of Health (NIH), The Broad Summer Research Program (BSRP), Amgen Research Scholars,  National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs), Cold Springs Harbor Undergraduate Research Program, and other similar programs at other universities. These programs may offer you with funding for summer lab internship opportunities, or with alternative ways to apply to separate fellowships or grants that could provide you with funding.

You should start applying to these opportunities as soon as you can, even in your freshman or sophomore years. By experiencing research early, you can make the decision for yourself if you want to continue to pursue it, or spend your time exploring something else. Always remember that you can and should reach out for help! Never be afraid of asking for guidance, recommendations, or general advice from professors, advisors, TAs, and peers in whatever area of study appeals to you. Your undergraduate years are meant for exploration and inquiry, so take advantage of as many resources and opportunities as you can.

Guidelines for a good CV

• Break up your CV into sections:
• Name and contact information
• Experience Summary – brief overview of who you are
• Education – list your institutions, GPA and activities done at each institution
• Experience – describe each relevant work experience, the duration of the work experience, and whether you have a letter of recommendation available
• Honors and Awards – list your awards, prestigious positions, fellowships, etc.
• Skills Summary – list any of your best skills not highlighted in the previous sections

Useful Links

NIH Summer Internship Program (SIP)

The Broad Summer Research Program (BSRP )

Amgen Research Scholars

NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates

Cold Springs Harbor Undergraduate Research

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Online and remote research, online & remote research opportunities .

Ground-breaking research is being done everywhere across the world, with much of the work being done from remote locations. Many academic departments offer both in-person and remote research opportunities for undergraduates either through working directly with faculty in a mentored project, through  Vertically Integrated Projects (VIPs), or through  Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). As the university and faculty members adapt to an increasingly flexible workplace, online and remote research opportunities continue to increase. This page provides resources for undergraduate students seeking to find and be involved in remote and online research experiences during both the school year and the summer. 

Where do I find online and remote research?

The sections below share different avenues to find online, virtual, and remote research experiences for both the academic year and over the summer. These opportunities are available for any undergraduate student interested in remote research.

Check out Handshake , which can be used to find research positions, internships, employment opportunities, and networking events that are currently accepting applications!

What is Handshake?

• Handshake is a free-to-use online platform that undergraduates can use to find on-campus and/or off-campus workshops, jobs, internships, research experiences, and events.
• Students must use their UA NetID to create and log into your Handshake account.
• For more tips and tricks on how to utilize Handshake in your research journey, please visit here .

How can I use Handshake to find online and remote opportunities? 

• Log in Handshake  with your UA NetID in order to access the main home page.
• On the left-hand side bar, click on  Jobs .
• Go to  All Filters  and scroll down to the bottom until you see the heading  Labeled by your school .
• In the search bar that is below the Labeled by your school  heading, search  undergraduate research  in order to see the research opportunities that the URA staff has tagged.
• On the top bar, go to the  on-site/remote drop-down heading and filter by  remote - work from home.

ura online work.png

The UA Researchers Database  is   an online list of UA faculty from every academic department that welcome undergraduates students into their research projects. The database is updated regularly with new faculty who are interested in welcoming undergraduate students into their research projects on- or off-campus. Faculty can now indicate their ability to offer remote and online opportunities.

We recommend using our Faculty Profiles resource in conjunction with the UA Researchers Database. While the UA Researcher Database provides brief descriptions of current projects, profiles.arizona.edu  provides a convenient and extensive platform for learning more about a faculty member's research interest, current and past projects, publications, classes, and much more. 

How do I use the UA Researchers Database to find online and remote research?

• Go to our UA Researchers Database , which can be found under our  Find Research  drop-down heading.
• You will be able to set your preferences at the top of the database list, such as your preferred College ,  Department , and  Types of Opportunities  (e.g. for course credit, paid, volunteer, and/or not given). 
• You can also type a certain research interest you may have in the Keyword Search  area.
• You can also set your preferred location! In the  Research Location  menu, choose the  Online  option. This option was recently added to the database, so not many researchers have responded yet. Please Check again regularly for more online opportunities!
• Click the Apply option   when you have set all your preferences to see the list of faculty that best fits with your own interests and preferences!

How do I use the Faculty Profiles resource to find online and remote research?

There are two ways that you can use the profiles.arizona.edu to find online and remote research opportunities; we will be showing you both!

In Conjunction with the UA Researchers Database:

• Once you have found a faculty member that you are interested in from the UA Researchers Database, type their name name in the search bar below the  Search UA Faculty, Educators, Scholars, and Researchers  heading. Sometimes, it takes a long time for the profile to load, so please be patient!
• After the page has loaded, the faculty member's profile will appear below the search bar. Feel free to explore this informtion, which will include their  Biography , Interests  in teaching and research,  Courses , and  Scholarly Contributions , which includes their journals and publications.
• Before reaching out to the faculty member, we encourage you to read through their research interests as well as explore their publications , such as reading the abstract of their publication, in order to gain a better understanding of their research. If you need help in emailing and reaching out to faculty about research opportunities, please go to this helpful resource .

Only Using the Faculty Profiles:

• In the search bar below the  Search UA Faculty, Educators, Scholars, and Researchers  heading, you can search up certain key words that will lead you to faculty profiles that best matches it!
• Try searching up  online  and/or  remote  in the search bar to find faculty profiles that either teach courses or conduct research remotely and/or offer research opportunities that can be done remotely.

There are many online, remote, and virtual research programs available for undergraduate students across a broad variety of research interests. These programs can be summer or academic year and are offered by a number of universities. Please read each program carefully for their description, application requirements, and program dates. This section will be updated regularly as more online programs become available for the summer.

Online Programs for 2024-25

For other online summer research programs, please visit the AAMC's list of Summer Undergraduate Research and the NSF's list of Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) .

Stanford Center for Asian Health Research and Education (CARE) Scholars

Description :   The Stanford Center for Asian Health Research and Education (CARE) offers an immersive online course in Asian Health for undergraduate and graduate students, featuring a 9-week summer focus on Data Science and Vulnerable Populations. The program trains scholars in population science research, equipping them with skills in database analysis, healthcare research, and problem-solving in vulnerable populations. It emphasizes collaboration with various stakeholders and covers topics like Asian health, medical technology, AI, global health, research essentials, innovation, leadership, scholarship, presentation skills, and career development. Students will also be able to build valuable connections within Stanford CARE's global network and present their research at the annual Stanford's CARE Summer Research Symposium .

Application Requirements :   $75 application fee

Deadline :   January 14th, 2024

Program Dates : June 2024-August 2024

Texas A&M University Department of Material Sciences & Engineering Online Research Experience for Undergraduates (O-REU)

Description : The Texas A&M University is pleased to offer an online REU (O-REU) program in partnership with  Los Alamos National Laboratory . During the summer, students are expected to participate ( 40 hours/week ) and are remunerated $5000 for the summer. All activities are carried out fully remotely: there are no in-person meetings and no residency requirement. Travel support for one site visit will also be made available. O-REU is open to US citizens and permanent residents currently pursuing bachelor's degrees.

Application Requirements :   1 page resume, recent electronic transcript, list of preferred mentors (please consult the faculty interests list), and contact information (name, professional affiliation, email address) of two professional references

Deadline : Friday, April 28th, 2024 at 5:00 PM CST

Program Dates : May 24 to August 4, 2024

Please email the application required materials and/or any inquiries to  Ms. Isabel Cantu .

Neoscholar CIS Online Research Program

Description : The CIS online research program is offered throughout the year. A CIS program course usually hosts fifteen students, who are divided into small research groups. The program is generally 24 hours with our professors across ten weeks , including 2 hours of lectures in each of the first six weeks and 3 hours of research seminars in each of the last four weeks. Each course will be assigned an experienced instructor to provide academic instruction sessions and research guidance to students. 

Application Requirements : Please access the application form  and be able to answer its secondary questions.

Deadline : N/A

Program Dates : N/A

Please email any questions or request a brochure from [email protected] .

Description : CrowdMath is an online, open project that gives all college students the opportunity to collaborate on a large research project with top-tier research mentors and an exceptional peer group. MIT PRIMES and Art of Problem Solving are working together to create a place for students to experience research mathematics and discover ideas that did not exist before.

Application Requirements : Please create a free account to participate.

Please email any questions to  [email protected] .

Pembroke College of Cambridge Online Summer Research Programme

Description :  The Online Summer Research Programme offers you the unique opportunity to experience the renowned Cambridge style of teaching from anywhere in the world. It’s a real opportunity to challenge yourself academically and develop deep subject knowledge, working one-to-one with an expert in the field. From cyber warfare to the economic viability of Obamacare, we almost cover it all on our Subject Stream and for everything we don’t, you’re able to propose your own research topics on our Open Stream. Outside of supervisions, you’ll also connect and make friendships with other students on the programme through online networking events.  

Application Requirements : Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2, have finished your first-year of college, and have high level of English Fluency. Please visit the application site to see what other application materials are required (e.g. transcript, project form).

Deadline : TBA

Program Dates : July 1st-28th, 2024

Please email any questions to  [email protected].

BeMo ®  4-Month & 1-Year Research Programs

Description :   BeMo ® offers many different types of online research projects   for all undergraduate students that will best prepare them for their application to medical school.

• Online Independent Research Program : You can get research experience that makes your application stand out from the comfort of your home and have weekly meetings online via video conference with your team of research committee members. You can choose between the 4-months or the 1-year research program to conduct a literature review research project on a high impact topic hand selected by the PhDs.
• Step-by-Step Guided Research : The BeMo® team of research experts will help you each step of the way from choosing the best research topic to scientific research methodology to presentation and publication. Each week you'll meet for private one-on-one consultations to go over your research and get specific guidance and feedback as your progress.
• High-Impact Research Projects : You can research high-impact topics, such as Psychiatric, COVID-19, Substance-abuse, Vaccines, COPD, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Ulcerative Colitis, Stroke, Heart Attack, Asthma, Obesity, Women’s Health, Cancer, and more.
• Master Scientific Research Methodology : You will attend 6 guided workshops and complete 5 exercises to learn research methodology, literature search, data analysis, scientific communication, research manuscript creation, and research presentation. In the 4-months program you'll attend 15 sessions and in the 1-year program you'll receive 48 sessions to guide you at every step of the way.
• Gain Experience Writing Research Papers:  BeMo®  team of research experts will help you complete a research summary paper on your research topic to help you learn the essential principles of scientific inquiry and publication. Your research summary will be published on the BeMo®  website, so you can use it as a reference on your applications and CV.

Application Requirements :  You can schedule a free 15-minute initial consultation , where you will be able to talk about what option of research is the best fit for you. Prices for these research projects are listed on their website .

Program Dates: N/A

The University of Arizona Library  is available online for all UA undergraduate students. Students will be able to find wide variety of online resources, such as research journals, course guides, tutorials for library research, and much more. This section will provide a brief overview of resources that are available and important for online and remote researchers. Please also explore the UA Library Online & Distance Students site , which provides information on research resources, on how to develop your research skill. 

How can I find online research resources?

There are many different ways on how to find online research through the UA Library site. You will be able to access these online resources for free with your NetID and password.

• Use the library search engine to find both print and online content, including articles, books, ebooks, films, and more. You can type any keywords that may aid you in your search in the search bar at the top of the screen.
• You can also search through the online A-Z database  to find a specific resource based on subject, database type, vendor/provider, and keyword (e.g. description or title). 
• If you are unable to find what you need through the website, you can also receive a free library card at your local library, such as at Pima County Public Library , if you are a local resident.
• Finally, you can search for academic resources that are tailored to your discipline . This site features many guides that are categorized by course number (e.g. ENG 101), subject (e.g. General Chemistry), and topic (e.g. AI literacy). You can also search for a specific guide using the search bar near the bottom of the webpage. 

How can I learn and/or improve my research skills?

The UA Library has made quick video tutorials, articles, and quizzes that can teach you skills on how to be a better researcher, through both academics and research. These videos are meant to build your foundation in research, such as how to cite empirical articles, how to evaluate online information, how to find a research interest/topic, etc! Please explore the Learn with Tutorials webpage from the UA Library in order to delve deeper into the resources our online library has to offer! The UA Library also offer support for any researchers , such as funding & networking opportunities, research proposal plans, management of citations, publishing opportunities, and much more!

Not sure how to find an online research opportunity that suits your interests? Need help reaching out to faculty?

The Undergraduate Research Ambassador (URA) Team is here to support you on any step of your research journey. The URA Team URAs are able to provide one-on-one support to students who would like individualized help in exploring possibilities, communicating with a research mentor, sharing their research ideas, or preparing an application for a research program.

How can I individually meet with an URA?

There are many ways for undergraduate students, who are online and/or remote, to receive  one-and-one support  from URAs at any step of their research journey:

• Sign up for a 1:1 meeting!  Schedule your appointment through  Handshake . Meetings are available through zoom and usually last 30 minutes! Appointments can be made throughout the week, including weekends!
• Send an email!  Write any questions, thoughts, or concerns to  [email protected] . You can also send us email drafts, research program applications, resumes, etc for us to review for you!
• Check out other SECD resources!  The  Student Engagement & Career Development (SECD)  also provides individualized support on preparing your resume, CV, or cover letter for any applications through  Lifelab , which appointments can also be made through Handshake  with a  Career Educator  or  Career Peer Coach . 

What academic departments at the UA offer online and remote research?

Each academic department manages their own undergraduate research program and may have specific steps for how to become involved, even for online and remote research opportunities. The list below will provide links and information on the different types of online research, such as VIPs, CUREs, research teams, or faculty projects that are unique to the academic department or college. The full list of all of the academic departments and colleges, with links to their websites, can be found here . 

This sections lists online Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) for the  academic year of 2023-24  and other online research opportunities by online UA Faculty . This site will be updated regularly, so check in with us!

Online Course-Based Research Experiences for Fall 2024

APCV361: Data Analysis and Visualization

Description :   Data Analysis and Visualization will lay a foundation for students to understand how to process, analyze, and visualize data.  Topics include data collection and integration, exploratory data analysis, statistical inference and modeling, machine learning, and data visualization.  The emphasis of the course topics will be placed on integration and synthesis of concepts and their application to solving problems.  Students will explore these topics using software tools.

Prerequisites :   College of Applied Science & Technology (CAST) student, APCV 302 and APCV 320, Prior Python programming

Credits :  3 credits

Other Information : Asynchronous online, optional weekly meetings

Instructor :   Dr. Li Xu , College of Applied Science & Technology

BAT/ENGR/CALS 102 | Data Science Heroes: An Undergraduate Research Experience in Open Data Science Practices

Description :   Despite a growing demand for data scientists, university training in science ethics, code licensing and best reproducibility practices are not generalized for undergraduates. In this Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE), students will conduct an assessment of the current landscape and the evolution of accessibility, documentation and reproducibility practices in bioinformatics. The CURE will be a two-credit course in the Department of Biosystems Engineering accessible to students from any college. Students will learn and reflect upon best practices for open science and science reproducibility. Several practical skills will also be developed such as science communication, as well as the use of computational tools for code versioning and documentation.

Prerequisites :   None

Credits : 3  credits

Other Information : Asynchronous online

Instructor : Dr. Bonnie Hurwitz , Dr. Alise Ponsero, College of Engineering

HWRS 349A&B/350 | Principles of Hydrology

Description : Students in this course will work to answer the question: “Do monsoon storms start later in the day than they did decades ago?” This question has been raised by numerous long-time Tucson citizens, who insist that monsoon storms start in the late evening (after sunset) rather than 3-5pm. While this started as a pedestrian question, it also has meteorological and practical implications if it is in fact true. The in-person class is a hands-on Collaborative Learning course, and there is a practical, applied lab with several field trips, many of which involve interaction with hydrology & atmospheric science professionals. Some examples of field trips for the lab include: Stream gaging with the US Geological Survey; A tour of the National Weather Survey office and a weather balloon launch; A tour of Biosphere2's Landscape Evolution Observatory (LEO) Project; and more! This is an excellent course to gain a broad, applied understanding of virtually every subdiscipline in hydrology!

Prerequisites :   Calculus I (MATH 113 or MATH 122A&B)

Credits : 3 Credits

Other Information : Online

Instructor : Dr. Martha Whitaker , College of Science

LING 2/3/499: Community-led Language Technology Development

Description : Students will join a community-based language technology development project, the Coeur d’Alene Online Language Resource Center (COLRC), as an example of a community lead language technology development project that focuses on the needs of a low-resource, minoritized language community. Depending on their skills and interests, participating students will enroll for 1 to 3 credits, at a course level (299, 399, 499) appropriate to their experience, and be assigned to assist in the development and deployment process. The project supports students who wish to develop skills in linguistic analysis and language activism, along with at least one of the following technical skills: coding for frontend, backend, rest interfaces, and scripting (javascript, python); database development (postgres, graphQL); and/or natural language processing (ingest, tokenization, annotation tasks using lum.ai/odinson libraries). Interested students should have at least some familiarity with and enjoyment of coding, but need not have significant experience or expertise in these areas. Students who are members of minoritized or low resource language communities will bring particularly valuable experience and expertise to this work, but any undergraduate student is welcome to participate

Credits : 1-3 credits

Other Information : Asynchronous Online

Instructor :  Amy V Fountain ,  College of Humanities

Online Course-Based Research Experiences for Spring 2024

PAH 420 | Innovation and the Human Condition: Learning How to Improve Life in the Community and Beyond

Description :   This course will equip students with the skills to use the humanities intellectual and analytical traditions to identify and pursue strategic responses to opportunities for innovation in the human condition. Over the course of the semester, students will draw on a range of humanities-based ways of seeing and doing to: 1) identify opportunities for improving the human condition at the community level and beyond; 2) analyze the cultural, political, and economic conditions that influence such opportunities; 3) design technological, industrial, and socio-cultural innovations that are directly responsive to these opportunities; and 4) develop strategic storylines that effectively convey the merits of these innovations to relevant stakeholders.

We will begin by forming small teams of student innovators. Each team will engage, experience, and internalize the course content through a series of activities and tasks that include: 1) identifying a community-based issue or opportunity that warrants an intervention; 2) analyzing the issue or opportunity through secondary research; 3) formulating an innovative strategy that is data-driven and based in the principles and concepts central to the humanities intellectual and analytical traditions; 4) refining and enhancing said innovative strategy through primary research; and 4) developing and delivering a multi-faceted presentation (visual, oral, written) of the strategy to a panel of experts.

Other Information : Asynchronous online, mandatory team weekly meetings, final research project showcase

Instructor :   TBA

HNRS 195J-101: Tasting Tomorrow: Portraying Culture and Futurity through the Culinary World

Description :   The course focuses on a few key areas that center of the relationship we all have with food: examining how food operates in defining culture and discussions around cultural heritage; how specific restaurants and figures have informed the growth of Tucson into a City of Gastronomy; and, how different modalities of food media (food writing, poetry, television, film, web content, art, etc.) shape a variety of discourses on contemporary issues ranging from food scarcity to the politics of eating meat/plants to the treatment of laborers within the broader scope of the food industry. By the end of the semester, students have read and viewed materials to foster robust in-class (or online, or both) discussions of these concerns and themes while producing several research-based small-scale projects using a variety of composing strategies and multimodal mediums (such as using Instagram, developing newsletters/web pages, and executing in-person/digital presentations).

Prerequisites :   Honors College

Credits : 1 credit

Instructor :   Joseph Nardinelli , College of Humanities

HNRS 195H-102: Speaking for Yourself: Understanding Your Linguistic Identity

Description :   We apply methods and concepts from the study of linguistics, with a focus on acoustic and articulatory phonetics for spoken and signed languages, in order to investigate the patterns of language that give each of us our own 'voice'. We share our findings with each other, and in doing so begin to develop an understanding and appreciation of the linguistic diversity around us.

Online UA Research Labs & Projects for Spring 2024

If you are interested in any of these opportunities, you will need to contact the faculty member in charge of the project. Please read our tips on  writing an email to faculty  or schedule a 1:1 Handshake appointment with an URA for personal support on drafting emails.

For other online research opportunities by UA faculty, please visit our extensive database of professors conducting online research and welcoming undergraduate students.

Dr. Dalal Alharthi - Cybersecurity and related fields

Description :   Preferred interest in Cloud Security; Penetration Testing; Incident Response; Human-Computer Interaction (HCI); Privacy; and Cybersecurity Education. I nterdisciplinary Research opportunities are available in the intersection between the area of Cybersecurity and several areas such as Computer Science; Public Administration; Business Administration; and Education.

Prerequisites : None

Types of Opportunities : Volunteer, For Credit

Commitment :  If volunteering, you should commit to 6 hours or more per week. For credit, you may enroll in an Independent Study course.

Principal Investigator :   Dr. Dalal Alharthi , Computer Science

Alicja Babst-Kostecka - Plant Environmental & Genomic Adaptation

Description : My research combines genetic, phenotypic, and environmental information in an integrated framework to study plant adaptation to changing environmental conditions. I am particularly interested in the mechanisms that allow certain plant species to colonize industrially contaminated habitats at former mining sites. These species thereby undergo rapid genetic and physiological adaptation. Specifically, they have evolved the ability to tolerate and sometimes accumulate remarkable amounts of metal trace elements – traits that I am studying in both field and controlled laboratory experiments. My interdisciplinary work sets the stage for mitigating the legacies of industrial exploitation. By advancing the molecular basis of phytoremediation and biofortification efforts, I strive to contribute to improving environmental and human health.

Types of Opportunities : Volunteer, For Credit, Paid

Commitment : N/A

Principal Investigator :   Dr. Alicja Babst-Kosetecka , Environmental Science

Mixed Augmented ViRtual eXtended Reality Laboratory - MA[VR]X

Description : The Mixed Augmented ViRtual eXtended (Reality) Laboratory in the College of Applied Science & Technology is the University of Arizona’s home for research, exploration, and development for alternative and extended reality media and training in southeastern Arizona. We take a very broad view of “extended reality” to include everything from head-mounted display Topics include: Posthuman inquiry, applied post-phenomenology, extended reality, augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, Web3, metaverse, educational technology, instructional technology, human-computer interaction, cybersecurity, cyber operations, digital identity.

Prerequisites : Preferred interested in extended reality and comfortable with fully remote research. Enrollment in APCV 399 (1-3 credit hours) required.

Types of Opportunities : For Credit

Commitment : 3-9 Hours per week

Principal Investigator :   Dr. Ryan Straight ,  College of Applied Sciences & Technology

Purnima Madhivanan   - Public Health & Health Promotional Sciences

Description : Purnima Madhivananis an Associate Professor in Health Promotion Sciences at the Mel & Enid College of Public Health at University of Arizona. A physician by training from Government Medical College in Mysore, she has a MPH and PhD in Epidemiology from the University of California, Berkeley, USA. She completed her post-doctoral training in 2010. She is the Director of Public Health Research Institute of India (PHRII) and is also the Director of the Global Health Equity Scholars (GHES) Training Program in collaboration with Stanford, Yale and University of California, Berkeley. For the past 20 years, her work has focused on disadvantaged populations, elucidating the dynamics of poverty, gender, and the environmental determinants of health, in particular the impact on women and children living in rural communities. She established a clinic in Mysore, India in 2005 while completing her PhD dissertation. For over a decade, the PHRII/Prerana Women’s Health Initiative has delivered low-cost, high-quality reproductive health services to 44,000 low-income women living in Mysore District. Offering a full-service clinic, molecular laboratory and active affiliations with several major tertiary care hospitals, the site is recognized as a research and training site for Global Health. The Saving Children Improving Lives Program focused on increasing integrated antenatal care and HIV testing services for women in rural and tribal communities using mobile clinics with the help of women’s self-help groups to mobilize and follow-up women. This program model was then adapted to provide cervical cancer screening services in the community in India, which is the only community based cervical cancer screening program in India. Dr. Madhivanan’s work focuses on addressing the systemic inequities that put India’s tribal and rural women at-risk for poor health and birth outcomes. Her current work is at the intersection of infectious and chronic diseases with a special focus on cancer. Dr. Madhivanan serves as an advisor to a number of state departments of Public Health, non-profit as well as governmental research organizations. In 2007, she received the prestigious International Leadership Award from the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation for her work on HIV prevention. She has received several awards and honors for mentoring. Dr. Madhivanan’s global health credentials and clinical service has brought unique opportunities for collaboration; most recently benefiting students and faculty interested in learning about Global Health and service in a developing world setting.

Prerequisites : Proficient in Social Media, Website, Technology, MS Office

Types of Opportunities : Volunteer, For Credit

Principal Investigator :   Dr. Purmina Madhivanan ,  Public Health

Noshene Ranjbar - Cultural & Trauma Psychiatry

Description : Interested in integrative medicine; integrative psychiatry; culturally-sensitive and trauma-informed work with underserved, particularly American Indian community and refugees; mind-body medicine; physician wellness and burnout; medical student wellness and burnout; integration of indigenous and modern medicine and healing practices; PTSD and trauma-spectrum disorders

Prerequisites : Pre-Med

Types of Opportunities : Volunteer, For Credit, Paid

Principal Investigator :   Dr. Noshene Ranjbar ,  Integrative Psychiatry Program

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Office of Undergraduate Research

Reflect on the experience.

The end of an experience is a great time to reflect on your learning. With every research experience you will gain new skills, learn more about the type of environment you enjoy being in, further explore your strengths and interests, and test out your motivation to further study or pursue a career in a field or discipline. In some cases, a research experience teaches you what you don’t want moving forward; this is an equally valuable learning experience that you need to recognize and use when evaluating what’s next.

Consider these questions, or those in the boxes below, to guide your reflection and prepare for conversations with your mentors to discuss your next steps.

• What is your overall reaction to and impression of your experience? Is this a subject you see yourself continuing to study? Is this research you would like to build on?
• How does your current knowledge of the work compare to what you imagined it would be like going into the experience? Did anything surprise you? Are there differences between what you thought it would be like and what it was actually like?
• Did you learn something about the field that you didn’t know before? Does this new knowledge impact your opinion of the work and motivation to further engage in research in the discipline?
• Consider your day-to-day tasks – what tasks did you find came easy to you/you did well at, and what tasks did you struggle with? Of those tasks you did well, did you enjoy them? If there were tasks you struggled with, are these areas where you want to challenge yourself to learn more and improve?
• What did you learn about yourself – your strengths and weaknesses – through engaging in a research experience? How do you plan to use this knowledge in navigating future endeavors?

I Learned…

• I learned...
• I learned this when...
• This matters because...
• I will use this knowledge to...
• What? (What did I learn?)
• So what? (Why does it matter?)
• Now what? (How will I build on this learning?)

What Have I Learned About…

• The process of research or creative activity?
• Myself, my strengths, and my areas for growth?
• How I learn and what conditions support my learning?
• My educational goals and career goals?

Then and Now

• What have I come to see differently because of my experience with this project?
• What do I know now that I didn't know then?
• What do I know now about what I don't know?
• How did I develop these skills through my engagement in this project?
• How did I demonstrate these skills through my engagement in this project?

Critical thinking/problem solving Teamwork/collaboration Leadership Oral/written communication Technology Professionalism/work ethic Self-awareness   career management Global perspective Research-specific skills

As your research experience is coming to a close, make a point to meet with your supervisor/faculty mentor to discuss the experience, your goals and interests, and next steps. Faculty mentors are a wonderful source of guidance, inspiration, and referrals. Go into this conversation with clear ideas as to what you enjoyed most about your research experience, how you want to incorporate or build on to the experience moving forward, and how the opportunity has shaped  your goals and interests.

Sample conversation starter:

During my experience working with you, I’ve found that I’m drawn towards and most enjoy ______________ ( doing/researching/analyzing/assisting with) __________ ( task or topic ). In thinking about how I can build on this experience, and taking into account my goal of ________________, I want to gain additional _________ ( experience/skills/knowledge) in _____________ (researching/exploring/analyzing)__________ (topic) . I’m wondering if you have suggestions on next steps that will help me _____________ ( learn/gain experience in/expand my skills) in____________ (task or topic) . As always, I sincerely appreciate any guidance you’re able to provide me.

Maintaining Relationships

Always thank everyone who contributed to your learning during a research experience. Hand-written thank you notes go a long way in demonstrating your appreciation and cementing your relationship with faculty mentors, supervisors, and TAs.

But the relationship doesn’t end there. Keep in touch by periodically sending updates and reminding them how they contributed to your learning and impacted your direction. Maintaining relationships is essential to having a rich pool of valued mentors you can draw from when seeking guidance or letters of recommendation.

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How to List Research Experience on Your Resume

Applying for a role that requires research skills? Here’s how to list your research experience on a resume, with examples you can follow.

3 years ago   •   7 min read

Research experience isn’t just for science and academia. Research is a valuable skill that’s required for a number of roles and industries, which means it almost certainly has a place on your resume. And no — that doesn’t mean writing “research” in your skills section and moving on.

Why you should list research experience on your resume

If you’re applying for a job that involves research, listing research experience is a no-brainer. Research-specific positions, scientific jobs like Research Assistants , Lab Assistants or Technicians, graduate school applications, and most jobs in academia all require evidence of research skills. Even outside these positions, research experience demonstrates valuable transferable skills, like critical thinking and attention to detail . Which is not to say that you need to include research experience on every resume — if it makes you a stronger candidate, include it, but if it isn’t relevant and doesn’t add anything else to your candidacy, leave it off.

Research experience resume example

Before we dive right in, here's a sample resume that emphasizes research skills. You can use this as a template or as inspiration to write your own resume from scratch.

Download: PDF | Google Docs

How to list research experience in your resume

Like a lot of desirable skills, research is a soft skill , meaning it’s not something you can claim as an objective fact on your resume without backing it up. What you can do instead is prove it — what previous role involved a lot of research? What resume accomplishments do you have that highlight your research experience? Showing how you used research skills in action is the best way to demonstrate the value you could bring to the company and role you’re applying for.

There are a number of ways you can highlight research experience on your resume:

In a dedicated section

In your work experience, in your education section, listing research publications, in a projects section, in your skills section, in your resume summary.

Let's take a look at each of these options in a little more depth. But first, let's look at an annotated example to help set the context.

If you come from a research background, you might want to title your work experience ‘Research.’ Alternatively, you could create two experience sections — one titled ‘Work Experience’ and one titled ‘Research Experience’ — if you also have a lot of non-research experience but want to highlight your most relevant experience first. You can go into more detail when applying for a research-focused role by describing the project and specifying the nature of the research and your role in it.

More information: How to title different sections of your resume

Including research experience in your main work experience section is appropriate if it was paid work or if it was your most recent and relevant experience. List the employer — for example, the university or research department — job title, dates, and accomplishments, just like you would any other work experience.

More information: How to list your work experience on your resume

If you’re a current student or recent graduate, you can list your education section at the top of your resume. You can also make this section a little more comprehensive if you don’t have a lot of work experience, by including things like awards, coursework, and academic research.

If you undertook research as part of your studies and it demonstrates skills relevant to the job you’re applying for, list your research accomplishments in bullet points under the education section of your resume.

More information: The must-haves when writing your education on your resume

If you have a lot of publications that came out of your research, and you want to draw attention to them — and if they’re relevant to the job you’re applying for — consider creating a separate publications section . Formal publications like these are an excellent way to add credibility to your research experience.

List each publication in a new bullet point with the title, year, and name of the magazine, website, or journal. Academic publications can be listed more formally if it’s relevant, like if you’re applying for graduate school or a role in academia.

When it comes to listing research on your resume, like other soft skills, you need to show you’ve used this skill in your previous roles by showcasing your research related accomplishments. Upload your resume to the tool below to find out if your resume highlights your most relevant research experience and achievements.

If your research experience is less extensive or wasn’t quite relevant enough to include alongside your work experience or education, you can still highlight it in a projects section. Keep this brief and include 1-2 bullet points showcasing your key research accomplishments.

More information: How to list projects on a resume

Research skills can go in your skills section — as long as they’re hard skills. Steer clear of listing generic skills like “Research” — instead, use our keyword finder to look for relevant skills and keywords and include specific hard skills like data analysis, project management, software proficiency, and certifications.

You can also use the skills search tool below to get a list of hard skills relevant to the research-focused role you’re applying for.

More information: How to write a resume skills section

If you’re applying for a position where research experience is essential, consider emphasizing your experience by including a short resume summary at the top of your resume. This should include the title of the job you’re applying for and a brief overview of your background and key skills.

More information: Generate a summary for your resume

Examples of listing research experience on your resume

No matter where you choose to include it, always list research experience in concise, accomplishment-focused bullet points . These should follow the structure of action verb + what you did + what the result was. Here are some examples of resume bullet points you can use or modify to suit your own research experiences.

Highlight research projects

• Assisted with cell development research projects as part of the Leukemia Research team — identifying cell changes, determining cell counts and coulter counters with 98% accuracy.

If you have significant research experience, describe it! The more relevant it is to the position you’re applying for, the more detail you can go into. Make sure to specify exactly what stages of research you worked on and what your contribution was.

Mention awards for your research

• Awarded “Total Quality Award” in recognition of consistent high standards of quality work for research excellence (only 3 awarded in class of 500).

If the high quality of your work has been acknowledged by an award, early promotion , or similar outside recognition, include it! In addition to the name of the award or accolade, don’t forget to specify context (e.g. 'out of class of 500 people' to increase its credibility.

Demonstrate technical expertise

• Created over 75 3D models with CAD tools such as Solidworks and ANSYS.

If you have experience with specific software or tools that you’ll be using in the position you’re applying for, include a bullet point accomplishment specifying how you’ve used them. While this isn't direct 'research' experience, it uses tools that are relevant to research projects — this is a good way of showing that you have research skill sets without having formal research experience.

Use 'research-focused' action verbs

• Researched and edited two articles and one book chapter on prenatal substance abuse, policy implication of Human Genome Project.

Use action verbs like "Researched" or "Scoured" which clearly emphasize research skills. In some cases (like in this example), you can list publications in your bullet points itself. If you’ve authored academic papers, books, or articles, this is a great way to show the validity and importance of your research.

Include accomplishments related to research studies

• Oversaw screening and recruitment of over 100 participants to study, liaised with laboratory personnel and site coordinators to ensure study is completed on time with 100% success.

Not all research positions involve pure research. Make sure you highlight appropriate related accomplishments, like managing research study participant data and enrolments or managing a team of research assistants.

Include accomplishments relating to research in your field

• Conducted legal research; organized and analyzed data and evidence for over 50 cases annually.

If research is part of the job description, make sure you include at least one bullet point highlighting how you’ve used those skills in the past. Including metrics, like the number of cases you’ve researched, contextualizes your accomplishments and helps them stand out.

• Conducted marketing research for both buy-side and sell-side resulting in 15 strong leads.

Research isn’t just limited to science and academia. Demonstrate your skills in action by the context and end results of your research, like the number of leads it generated or the increase in sales figures.

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Scientists help students vanquish research-experience Catch-22

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In new publication, CU Boulder scientists detail how the SkillsCenter allows students to gain credentials in basic to advanced research skills

It’s an unfortunate truth of higher education that students are not exempt from a classic Catch-22: You need research experience to gain research experience.

“Undergraduates participating in research is a key variable for enhancing their persistence in STEM professions,” explains Zachary Hazlett , a PhD candidate in the University of Colorado Boulder Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology .  “But to gain access to opportunities in research is not the most straightforward. For a lot of students, these things aren’t baked into their undergraduate degree plan.”

So, students seeking research-focused internships, jobs or higher education opportunities after graduation are often inconsistently prepared with the necessary skills and experience. Hence, the SkillsCenter .

Zachary Hazlett, a PhD candidate in the University of Colorado Boulder Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, is a lead TA on the SkillsCenter proctor team and first author on a paper newly publish in Cell detailing the organizing philosophy, structure and goals of SkillsCenter.

As detailed in a paper newly published  in the journal Cell , the SkillsCenter is a modular research skills training course that allows students to “gain training and micro-credentials in the laboratory skills of their choosing.”

In other words, Hazlett says, “what if there was a bridge, something between the classroom and these research spaces that can allow students to gain that necessary experience? That can help equip them to enter those spaces both confidently and competently?”

Module-based curriculum

The SkillsCenter, which is open to students of every major, emerged, in part, from a recognition that undergraduate students have often gained research experiences “by cold-calling faculty members and saying, ‘I’d like to work in research, are there any opportunities in your lab?’” Hazlett says.

Understandably, faculty often ask what their previous experience is, and if a student doesn’t have any, they have to hope they’ll get lucky and find a faculty member willing to teach them.

So, faculty and graduate students in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, led by Professor Michael Stowell , began researching and discussing alternative means by which undergraduate students could gain the training and experience they need to gain these critical professional development opportunities.

Based on the principle of “learning by doing,” they designed a module-based curriculum in which modules are scaled by skill level, with appropriate prerequisites, and students can learn at their own self-directed pace. In fall 2021, the first 10 students enrolled in the for-credit SkillsCenter course, working through skills such as lab safety, pipette operation and calibration, centrifugation, buffers and stocks preparation, autoclave sterilization and more.

Today, the course offers training in the laboratory basics as well as advanced training techniques such as polymerase chain reaction, protein expression and purification and various forms of microscopy.

“The course has been designed very carefully,” Hazlett says. “We’ve done our best to build a laboratory space that mimics a traditional research space. Students working in the SkillsCenter gain the experience of what it would be like to be a member of a laboratory research group—in charge of maintaining their space, scheduling equipment, restocking materials, etc. The training modules themselves mimic something a trainee would encounter, with resources to help them and guide them in their conceptual understanding and procedural competence.”

Lab proctors—who are the course instructor, graduate students in the department and a number of undergraduate students who previously took the course—provide on- and off-site guidance for students and assess their work.

What if there was a bridge, something between the classroom and these research spaces that can allow students to gain that necessary experience? That can help equip them to enter those spaces both confidently and competently?"

Learning the scientific process

Through six semesters, SkillsCenter has grown and evolved from the original 10 students to nearly 100 per semester. The lab space is now open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday thanks to increased staffing, and students can work on their modules when their schedule allows.

“It is very important that we have trained lab proctors, and that we instruct our students very carefully on how to engage in this course,” Hazlett says. “Students are instructed that they are responsible for seeking out the resources and guidance they need, and we make sure they know how to access the supports they need.”

Each module requires a certain number of tasks that students complete and submit to proctors for review. Proctors monitor students’ work through each module, give feedback and assess their progress through the scientific process—from hypothesis through notes and observations to interpretation of results.

After completing a module and passing all its required tasks, students receive a certificate for each skill, “so they can collect these certificates and put those skills on their resumes,” Hazlett says, adding that he and his colleagues are working with ORCiD and digital badge organizations to create digital credentials that students can display to future employers. “We also want to embed students’ raw data into those badges, so if an employer wants proof of their skills, they have direct evidence of students’ technical proficiencies.”

Hazlett and his colleagues also are building a network of industry and academic research lab partners to “create an ecosystem for training STEM students. Many students often excitedly explain to me how they have convinced faculty researchers to let them join their labs because of the experiences they have gained in the SkillsCenter.”

Researchers Beiyi Xu, Jennifer Knight, Michael Klymkowsky and Michael Stowell also contributed to the Cell publication.

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How To Put Research On Your Resume (With Examples)

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Research experiences and skills are an incredibly important aspect of many job applications, so it’s important to know how to put them on your resume correctly. Hiring managers and recruiters want employees who can help drive innovation by being able to apply research skills to problem solve and come up with creative growth solutions.

If you’re a job seeker looking to include your research skills on a resume , we’ll go over how to list research on resume, where you can include it on a resume, and give you some examples.

Key Takeaways:

If you don’t have traditional research experience, highlight the skills used for research that you’ve used in past jobs.

Consider creating a separate research section in your resume if you have a lot of research experience or merge sections, depending on which section you want to bolster with research.

Research experience is one of the best assets to include on a resume so be on the lookout for more opportunities.

What are research skills?

Where to put research experience on your resume

How to include research on your resume, examples of research on a resume, how to put research on your resume faq.

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Research skills are any skills related to your ability to locate, extract, organize, and evaluate data relevant to a particular subject. It also involves investigation, critical thinking , and presenting or using the findings in a meaningful way.

Depending on what job you’re applying for, research skills could make or break your ability to land the job. Almost every job requires some research skills and you probably already have some of those skills mastered by now.

For most careers, research is a vital process to be able to answer questions. “Research skills” are not a single skill, but multiple ones put together.

Some skills that are necessary for research are organization, problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, and specific technical skills, like coding, Excel, and copywriting.

Including research experience and skills on a resume can be incredibly flexible. When thinking about how to add it to your resume, you want to consider how the research experience adds to your resume.

Your research experience can be included in a few different sections of your resume. Some of those sections include:

Academic accomplishments

Research experience

Work experience/history

College activities

Volunteer work

Presentations and publications

Skills section

If you’ve had smaller research roles but no “official” research experience, you can highlight the skills associated with the types of research mentioned above in your job description under the work history section in your resume.

If your job history is a research position, then naturally, you would include research under the work history section. You can also merge your sections depending on what type of position you are applying for.

For example, you could create a “Research and Education” section or a “Research and Publications” section. If your research is not related to your education and you don’t have any publications, you can also detail it in a separate “Research” section in your resume.

To include your research on your resume, you should gather all the necessary information and then quantify your accomplishments to fit into specific sections. Here is a more detailed list of how to write about research experience in resume:

Gather all the necessary information. The first step is to collect all of the important details like the title of the research project, the location of the research project, the principal investigator of the project (if applicable), and the dates of the project. You will list these details much like you would list a company you have worked for in the past.

Read the job description carefully. Every resume and cover letter you write should be tailored to the job you’re applying for. When a hiring manager puts a necessary qualification in their job posting, you must be sure to include it in your resume.

Make sure that you highlight the right types of research skills on your job applications and resumes.

Quantify your accomplishments. When describing your role on the project, you will want to summarize your accomplishments and deliverables. Hiring managers and recruiters love seeing numbers. When you write out the deliverables from your project, make sure you quantify them.

Incorporate into your work history section. If there were times when you used your research skills in your past employment opportunities, include them in your work experience section. You can also include publications, conferences you may have presented at, and any awards or recognition your research had received.

If you have completed research in an academic setting, then presentations (oral and poster) are an important part of the research process. You should include those details along with the titles of your publications.

Add to your research section. Other aspects of research that you can detail to make your application more competitive are adding skills specific to your project to the skills section of your resume.

These skills will vary depending on the subject matter, but some examples include coding languages, interviewing skills, any software you used and are proficient in using, managerial skills , and public speaking if you have presented your research at conferences.

Add research to your skills section. If the specific research you did is less important than the skills you used to perform it, highlight that in your skills section. That way, you don’t have to take up a lot of work or education history with slightly irrelevant information, but hiring managers can still see you have research skills.

Just be sure you’re more specific about a research methodology you’re an expert in because the skills section doesn’t give you as much room to explain how you leveraged these abilities.

Sprinkle research throughout your resume. If you have a lot of experience performing research in professional, volunteer, and educational settings, pepper it in a few different sections. The more hands-on experience you have with research, the better (for jobs that require research).

Let’s look at some examples of how research can be included on a resume:

University research example

EDUCATION Undergraduate Thesis, University of Connecticut, Dec. 2017-May 2018 Worked alongside UCONN English Department head Penelope Victeri to research the poetry of New England writers of the 20th century. Explored common themes across the works of Elizabeth Bishop, Wallace Stevens, and Robert Lowell. Performed online and in-person research on historical documents relating to each author , including information on the political, religious, and economic landscape of the US at the time. Analyzed poetic works of each author and drew on similar contemporary regional authors’ works. Prepared 20,000 words thesis entitled “Place, Allegory, and Religion: Three 20th Century New England Poets” and defended my written arguments to a panel of English professors.

Customer service research example

WORK EXPERIENCE Conducted interviews with 20 customers each week to gain insight into the user experience with company products Used Google analytics to determine which pages were driving most web traffic, and increased traffic by 11% Reviewed thousands of customer surveys and compiled findings into monthly reports with graphic findings Presented at weekly marketing meeting to inform marketing team of trends in customer experience with our products

Laboratory research example

RESEARCH Conducted experiments on rat brains by introducing various novel chemical compounds and levels of oxygen Ran electricity through brain slices to view interaction of different chemical compounds on active brain cells Prepared sterile samples for daily check and maintained 89% percent yield over the course of a 3-month study Presented findings in a final 15 -page research report and presentation to the Research and Development team

Examples of common research skills to list on your resume

Here are examples of research skills in action that you may have overlooked:

Searching for local business competition

Sending out customer satisfaction surveys

Summarizing current policies and laws in effect for a particular topic

Creating lesson plans based on current education standards

Reading literature reviews and implementing changes in clinical practice

Attention to detail

Problem-solving skills

Critical thinking

Project management skills

Communication skills

Why are research skills important?

Research skills are important because they can help you identify a problem, gather information, and evaluate that information for relevancy. Including your research skills on a resume will show hiring managers that you have the ability to suggest new ideas and help their organization adapt and change as the industry changes.

Some common research skills include:

critical thinking

Computer skills

Can I list research as a skill?

Yes, you can list research as a skill on your resume. Including your research skills in your resume can help show a potential employer that you have the ability to suggest new ideas and use critical thinking to find solutions to problems. Most research skills will use attention to detail, problem-solving, and project management skills.

California State University San Bernardino – Incorporating Research Project Experience on Your Resume

University of Missouri – How to Put Research on Your Resume

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Heidi Cope is a former writer for the Zippia Career Advice blog. Her writing focused primarily on Zippia's suite of rankings and general career advice. After leaving Zippia, Heidi joined The Mighty as a writer and editor, among other positions. She received her BS from UNC Charlotte in German Studies.

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What is exactly meant by "research experience" in grad application?

I'm confused by what the term "research experience" actually means in a PhD application. The following examples come into my mind:

• working as research assistant with university professor
• publishing research papers in conferences
• work in R&D division of company (industry research)

Do all examples of the list above count as research experience? Or which ones do? If so, what are they?

Which ones are more important and provide competitive advantage for getting accepted to good university?

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• 3 I can confirm that RA experience and published work counted as research experience when I applied to my PhD. –  user7112 Commented Jan 11, 2014 at 11:28

3 Answers 3

I would say all of those count as "research experience". Which ones will be most valued depends on the nature of the program you're applying to, and the exact nature of the work you did. In general, though, the more independent your work was, the better, and the more generic it was, the worse. So if you were a research assistant but all you did was photocopy documents, that will not earn you many points. If you were a research assistant who, e.g., conducted experiments, did fieldwork, participated in lab meetings, whatever, those will be worth more. If you actually contributed to the writing of papers or presentation at conferences, even better.

As a rule of thumb, the more that what you did was something other people could not have done (i.e., it required your special expertise, not just "more hands'), the "better" it is.

Most of the applicants for PhD positions (after bachelor, different for master) don't have much research experience or have even written a paper as first author, more common would be poster at a conference. So if you have to show something here over average, list it in your application.

As professors get sometimes over 100 applications for PhD positions, more importantly list in bullet points what you experience handling distinct scientific methods is (technical terminus and usage time, e.g. electron microscopy on biological objects for one year or matlab scripting on neural networks for 6 months) . As soon as you have worked for several weeks with a distinct technique, list it as research experience (name - object - duration)

This profile of your expertise is in the end to my experience more important to a professor/distinct position than a higher number of posters/papers of a distinct candidate, because it depends more on your team/advisor/co-workers if you publish before PhD a lot

It means during your undergraduate or after your undergraduate or in masters (if you are going for a PhD program), what did you do that counts as research.

In PhD application, the committee is looking for whether you already have warmed up for research or not because PhD is about taking a problem and doing research which only you could have done.

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Why Research Experience Is Important For Grad School Apps

GRE scores, GPA, transcripts, letters of recommendation, quality of undergrad school, admission essay / personal statement, research, and even where you live can all impact your admission chances. Some of those factors are completely beyond your control and others are somewhat controllable.

But, there is one factor that can greatly improve your chances of being accepted, and you can completely control it. That factor is research experience.

Research experience is not required to apply to graduate school. But, it has become increasingly more popular, to the point where if you don’t have a project, it hurts your chances.

Research can be especially beneficial for fields that are constantly adapting like science and technology, but it may not be as important for constant fields like mathematics. But, it can still improve your chances. Follow these tips to produce a strong research project:

Become a research assistant: Just about every student applying has a research project, and it’s painfully obvious when students are submitting one just for the sake of having it. But, as a research assistant, you will work with others (mostly professors, possibly other undergrad/grad students) and have more resources. You will also be held accountable for the outcome of the project, which can create better results.

If you assist in completing a great research project, you may even be asked to join in on another project. Ultimately, becoming a research assistant shows a genuine commitment and interest, as opposed to doing research because you heard it can help your chances. Not to mention, you might get paid for it.

Collaborate: Technically, it could look better on your application if you create a great research project with strong, practical findings all by yourself. But, this is probably your first try at research. So, partner with others. At the very least, you should work with one professor. But, if you can find a group of 3-5 people you can craft a better, more significant project. Most grad schools would rather see a great group research project than a mediocre sole project. It also shows grad schools that you can work well in groups, which is a major bonus.

Start early: Start making contacts with professors as early as your freshman year of undergrad because it might take a few years to put together your project. A lot of students complete their first research project during their freshman/sophomore years, and then supplement it with additional projects. Imagine being able to tell a grad school that you have been researching a certain topic for the past 3-4 years.

Choose a relevant topic: If your project can actually impact the industry you’re writing about, you’re going to have one of if not the best projects in the entire applicant pool. It’s very difficult to create a project of that caliber. But, make sure yours is important to your industry.

Spend time writing: You may have been living with this project for over six months and know everything about it. But, the grad schools you’re applying to won’t; so make sure you are clear and concise. They have hundreds of other projects to read too; so they probably won’t spend extra time trying to figure out what yours is about. Consider the following structure to help your readers understand your project as quickly as possible:

1. Abstract section : State your hypothesis and how it could impact current industrial operations. Make sure you include completed works by other researchers and how your research builds off theirs or differs from theirs. That will help your reader better understand both your project and the current industrial state.

2. Introduction: Briefly state your basic findings and what factors you considered to reach those findings. Again, mention how your project works with existing research in chemistry, biology, etc. Briefly state how you set up your experiment and direct your reader to further sections for more information. Chances are, the admissions group will not read past your “Abstract” and “Introduction” section; so make sure they can understand the gist of your entire project through those sections.

3. Model: Write about how you set up the project, what your independent/dependent variables were and what you deem to be a significant result. You want to exhaust all possible confounding variables that may affect your outcome, which can enhance your credibility. Try to have multiple tests to reach the same conclusion, adding more support. This section can be a little bit longer than the previous two because you want to fully explain how you scientifically tried to prove or disprove your hypotheses. You do not need to state your findings in this section.

4. Solution/findings: This section seems basic, but it is not. You should state the most plausible outcome of your research; however, do not try to prove it as fact. You simply want to state the likelihood of your results, and you need to list all possible outcomes. You can’t just write, “based on our model, it is fair to conclude that ___________.” Most research does not state absolutes. At best, it states what can be “inferred” or “assumed” from the experiment. Again, you need to list any confounding factors that may have affected your outcome and write a paragraph about each. Include models, graphs and charts. We offer incredible sciences tutors who have extensive research experience and could help you. 

You’re not going to do perfect research during undergrad. In fact, very few can actually create perfect research. You just need to be as objective as possible.   

6. Conclusion: Restate your hypothesis, how you tried to prove or disprove it (model) and what you found. This section should be fairly brief, but you need to include the industrial implications of your research. Answer this question: why is this important?

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Taylor’s Table Talk: Undergraduate research experience is inaccessible

Undergraduate research experience is optional for many graduate programs’ admissions. However, according to the University of California, “Quality undergraduate research experience strongly enhances your competitiveness for graduate school,” and increases the likelihood of admission. Furthermore, research experiences in undergraduate and graduate programs can lead to career opportunities later. 

Though undergraduate students may be interested in pursuing research, the opportunities are slim and inaccessible. In my year of undergraduate research experience, I have faced four barriers to pursuing research opportunities.

First, finding a faculty mentor can be difficult. Sometimes, the student’s research interests may not align with the interests of the faculty in their department or college. The same issue applies to STEM students finding a laboratory with projects that align with their pursuits. Vanderbilt University recommends some strategies for connecting with a faculty mentor for undergraduate research including connecting with course professors, researching the research interests of the department’s faculty, and seeking advice from other undergraduate and graduate students. Ohio University’s website has a full list of departments and schools with faculty pages, which can aid the mentor search.

Once students find a faculty mentor or lab that aligns with their interests, the next issue is obtaining funding for the research and publishing process. According to a study by Shekhar Neema of the Armed Forces Medical College and Laxmisha Chandrashekar of the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, funding “is required” to account for the “expenses and smooth execution” often required in research. The expenses can be daunting for undergraduate students. 

 According to an article by Richard Van Noorden, publishing in an open-access academic journal can cost on average $1,350 to $2,900 per article, depending on the selectivity and content of the journal. The funding to cover the publishing expenses alone is often only available to faculty and doctoral students.

Journals can be picky with whose research they allow for submission and acceptance to their collection. Journals often hesitate to accept undergraduate research unless connected to an established researcher because of concerns for depth and quality. However, there are academic journals that accept and feature undergraduate research. These journals may also have lower costs to account for an undergraduate’s inexperience with fundraising. The Council on Undergraduate Research created a page for institutions to advertise journals catered to undergraduate students.

Finally, research opportunities at academic institutions may only be available for particular groups of students. For example, some faculty and laboratories will only accept graduate research assistants.

Another example is Ohio University’s Honors Research Apprenticeship Program , available only to Honors Tutorial College students. I was one of the lucky few to receive an apprenticeship in the summer of 2023, which allowed me to develop research strategies with a faculty member and establish myself as an undergraduate researcher. 

Though I was grateful for the experience and the doors it opened for my research, I am saddened to know the same opportunity is not available to equally passionate students outside the Honors Tutorial College. The inaccessibility of research experiences like these may limit the opportunities of undergraduate students in future programs and careers.

Taylor Orcutt is a junior studying journalism. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post . Want to talk more about it? Let Taylor know by tweeting her @TaylorOrcutt .

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Does research experience help as much as internships in getting a dev position?

I'm a Junior in CS, have yet to hear back from any of my summer internship applications, but I was recently accepted into a research program at my university.

If I end up not getting an internship this summer, but stay in the research program and work on application topics (i.e. travelling salesman program), will companies still be interested in me?

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Popular weight loss drug may help treat severe sleep apnea, new research finds

A popular obesity drug may help treat a dangerous disorder in which people struggle to breathe while they sleep,  a new study  finds.

Tirzepatide, the medication in the weight loss drug Zepbound and also the diabetes treatment Mounjaro, appeared to reduce the severity of sleep apnea along with reducing weight and improving blood pressure and other health measures in patients with obesity who took the drug for a year.

Eli Lilly and Co., the drug’s maker who paid for the research, has asked the Food and Drug Administration to expand use of the drug to treat moderate to severe sleep apnea, in which people stop and start breathing during sleep, a spokesperson said Friday. A decision is expected by the end of the year.

But an outside expert cautioned  in an editorial  that more research will be needed to tell if the drug can be used as “a sole treatment” for obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when tissue in the throat relaxes and collapses during sleep, fully or partially blocking the airway. It affects an estimated 20 million Americans and can cause short-term issues such as snoring, brain fog and daytime sleepiness but also severe long-term issues such as heart disease, dementia and early death.

The research, published Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at a medical meeting, included nearly 500 people diagnosed with obesity and sleep apnea. Half of them used what’s typically known as a CPAP machine that feeds oxygen through a mask to keep airways open during sleep. The other group included people for whom a CPAP machine had failed or wasn’t tolerated.

The study found that patients in both groups who got weekly injections of tirzepatide reduced the number of episodes per hour in which their breathing slowed or stopped completely during sleep by about half to nearly 60%, compared to about 10% in people who got a dummy drug

On average, patients who took tirzepatide also lost between 18% and 20% of their body weight and showed improvements in blood pressure and a condition in which blood oxygen drops during sleep. Patients also reported better sleep and fewer sleep disturbances, the study found.

The new research shows that tirzepatide is “a more effective knife in the drawer,” for treating sleep apnea, said lead author Dr. Atul Malhotra, a sleep medicine specialist at the University of California, San Diego.

In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Sanjay Patel, a sleep medicine specialist at the University of Pittsburgh, cautioned that whether tirzepatide can treat sleep apnea in real-world patients “remains unclear” because of the way improvement is measured. He also noted that cost and access remain obstacles to using tirzepatide and that the addition of the drug as a treatment could exacerbate racial and other disparities in addressing sleep apnea.

Dr. Paul Peppard, a sleep medicine researcher at the University of Wisconsin who was not involved in the study, said losing weight has long been recommended as a way to reduce the severity of sleep apnea by expanding lung capacity, reducing fat in the airways and improving oxygen usage. While diet and exercise can spur weight loss and reduce the consequences of the disorder, the ongoing obesity epidemic in the U.S. proves that shedding pounds is difficult for many people, he said. In such cases, medications such as tirzepatide can help.

“I expect that these drugs could be used a a tool to treat many of the established outcomes of obesity,” Peppard said.

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How to expand the reach of research.

June 25, 2024

From a funders perspective on Open Access to the potential of AI in science communication – Dr. Beth Montague-Hellen , Head of Library & Information Services at The Francis Crick Institute , and Dr. Sarah Wettstadt , a science communication expert and Co-Founder of the SciComm Society , shared their thoughts on the accessibility of science. As a continuation of the Karger in Conversation (KIC ) discussion, the answers provide an overview of the trends and innovations that are redefining scientific communication.

Funders played a pivotal role in the KIC conversation as key players in financing research and setting mandates that researchers must adhere to. With recent developments, such as the Gates Foundation’s green policy, which appears to be influencing the trajectory of Open Access in the U.S., it was only natural that one of the questions would focus on their perception of open access.

When addressing how funders view the quality of open access versus paywalled journals and the ethical concerns in translating research for public consumption, especially in health sciences, Dr. Beth Montague-Hellen provided some insightful responses.

She highlighted the shifting landscape of open access and its reception among funders, noting that from her experience, f unders typically do not discriminate between open access and paywalled journals based on quality, recognizing excellence in both . Instead, their focus is on content accessibility: “ funders want research to have a wide reach ”. They are keen on ensuring that research reaches not only academic circles but also allied professionals and the interested public. Whether through Gold or Diamond OA models or traditional subscription journals that offer public repository access, the goal is to broaden the reach of research .

Maintaining Quality Standards in Research

She also addressed concerns about ethics and integrity in research translation and dissemination, particularly in open access contexts. She emphasized the collective responsibility of researchers, institutions, and publishers in maintaining quality standards : “ Researchers need to be aware of issues and of best practices and institutions should be providing training, but also hiring experts who can investigate any breaches. Publishers also need to step up here, it is their reputation as well as the researchers on the line when something goes wrong, so it is in their best interests .”

Discussing the integration of Open Science features like data and protocols, Dr. Montague-Hellen, a self-proclaimed “ big advocate for ensuring that the whole research landscape is as open as we can make it ,” admits that making data open is important, however depending on the subject area, the data might or might not be of interest to stakeholders outside of the research circle. On the subject of who should be in charge of this cumbersome task, she is in favor of a holistic approach, however difficult it may be, noting that “ Funders often put policies in place asking for a holistically open environment, but unless publishers and institutions are helping to facilitate this it can be a really hard task for researchers ” who very often are not aware of services put in place by their own institutions and librarians.

AI and Evolving Research Communication

Dr. Sarah Wettstadt offered her vision on how research communication might evolve with the integration of digital natives into the field. She sees social media as a vital tool for educational purposes, suggesting that researchers, universities, and publishers should leverage formats like “ media, videos, and short clips to distribute research in short bite-sized formats ”.

She also highlighted the need for training in creative science communication , helping researchers to comfortably engage with broader audiences through interviews, podcasts, and other media. Dr. Wettstadt believes that AI has a significant role to play in making scientific content more accessible by breaking down complex jargon and explaining concepts to non-specialist audiences.

Adding to this perspective, Dr. Montague-Hellen shared her enthusiasm for the potential of AI in science communication, noting that people are already using generative AI tools like ChatGPT to find and synthesize information in a way that is similar to using Google Scholar or Wikipedia. These are all “ tools that many in the information sector will fight against, but which will be used by students, researchers and the public anyway. ” Dr. Montague-Hellen is particularly excited about using AI to create user-friendly abstracts, collate resources, and translate research, thus democratizing access to scientific knowledge: “ I think translation is a big area where we could be using AI to level the playing field – in the future rather than publishing being dominated by English we could create a landscape where people could both read and write in their native language ”. This aligns well with Dr. Wettstadt’s vision of using AI to simplify scientific communication and make it more universally accessible.

The Next Steps in Open Access and Science Communication

The  “ Karger in Conversation ” Breaking Boundaries – Is Open Access Truly Open to All? panel illustrated the dynamic interplay among open access, ethical considerations, AI technology, and evolving communication strategies in the dissemination of scientific research and made clear that wider access won’t be achieved passively . It will take funding, focus and a collective effort, but it is a critical goal in the future research landscape.

If you are interested in learning more about how science communication services can enhance the impact of your personal or institutional research, whether you are a researcher or part of an open access team or library, please visit our dedicated page on Outreach Services.

Key Take Aways

• Funders focus on broad research accessibility, not discriminating between open access and paywalled journals. Researchers, institutions, and publishers share a collective responsibility to maintain quality standards and ethical practices in research dissemination.
• There is a need for training in creative science communication to engage with broader audiences.
• AI and social media crucial for modernizing research communication and simplifying scientific content. Achieving wider access and effective communication in research needs a collaborative, technology-driven effort.

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Summer internships lead to research wins

For students like Tiffany Roach, Daniel Capelluto's research lab provided a place free of distractions with an academic family and mentorship to help students stay focused and have the best chances of being successful.

• Jenise L. Jacques

24 Jun 2024

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The spirit Tiffany Roach found as a summer intern in one of Virginia Tech's research labs helped bring her future into focus.

As part of the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, the  Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program  offers a 10-week summer research internship during which students both internal and external to Virginia Tech are matched with a faculty member in the areas of research they are interested in pursuing. In addition to a monthly stipend, the program also provides a housing and meal plan.

“Daniel’s lab is a beautiful example of what it means to be a mentor and how collaboration can improve discovery,” Roach said of the Protein Signaling Domains Laboratory  led by Daniel Capelluto, associate professor of biological sciences.

Roach was a candidate for the summer research internship as the university she attended as an undergraduate did not offer STEM research opportunities.

Without the summer internship experience, Roach said she would have never envisioned that she would be working on projects that have profound implications for health and helping humans. “The professional development seminars, graduation exam prep class, and genuine desire to encourage and support me helped smooth the way for a productive summer in research and successful graduate school applications,” Roach said.

The Capelluto lab was also the perfect intersection of molecular work that uncovered potential mechanisms for disease, while the summer internship served as a catalyst by providing a platform and support group that made it possible.

Inspiring research

“The research itself was also a point of inspiration for me, as my interests and passion were in molecular mechanisms and how something in the cell worked,” Roach said. “I loved working and thinking on the molecular level, but also felt this need to be involved in human health research.”

Upon returning to her home university after the summer in 2016 to complete her undergraduate degree, Roach knew that wanted to attend Virginia Tech for graduate school. In 2018, she was accepted and found herself back in her happy place as a lab assistant in Capelluto's lab. 

For Roach, pursuing the STEM field was also deeply personal. After watching her father lose the battle with cancer, she was not satisfied with the “there is nothing more we can do” response from doctors. 

“It bothered me that we didn’t have the knowledge necessary to keep fighting, so I knew I wanted to study science and contribute to our understanding of how the body and disease works,” she said.

Now six years later, Roach has successfully defended a Ph.D. in biological sciences  while also helping Capelluto’s research team better understand dysentery, a gastrointestinal disease. The latter effort recently was bolstered by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.

Better understanding dysentery – an unresolved disease caused by a bacterial infection – was one of the lingering questions for Roach and Capelluto, researchers both affiliated with the Fralin Life Sciences Institute . Its symptoms include diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and stomach pain.

To help advance their research, the NSF awarded a $840,000 grant to the team. Capelluto, who will serve as principal investigator, will partner with Anne Brown, associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry  who specializes in computational modeling, and Carla Finkielstein, professor of biological sciences and director of the Molecular Diagnostics Lab at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC who will use molecular tools to study how the protein TOM1 works under different cell settings.

Breakthroughs in disease research

According to Roach, previous research conveyed that Shigella, a type of bacteria, can infect a human cell more easily by shutting down the cell’s ability to degrade cell surface receptors, but it did not expand on the mechanism of how this actually happens. 

“Our research uncovers how the degradative process is shut down, which is essential knowledge to then design a way to prevent or fix this invasion strategy,” Roach said. “Furthermore, we are unveiling a strategy that other bacteria may be using as well, so this research is providing the foundational stones for major breakthroughs in disease research for the future.”

Cells are dynamic and have the ability to modify protein functions based on their necessities. 

“One such process, known as ubiquitination, can lead to multiple outcomes, by not only changing protein function, but also their ability to be relocated or integrated within a cellular compartment,” Capelluto said.

Roach likens the relationship between TOM1 binding to ubiquitin with that of making responsible choices for one's own health.

“This is what we should be doing in a healthy environment when we're doing our job properly and taking care of our body, but then when the bacterium enters, it knows our weaknesses, such as the temptation of cookies and treats when the afternoon slump hits,” Roach said. “So in a similar sense, the bacteria is producing a different metabolite that then draws — or hijacks — TOM1 away from its job. And it's binding to that rather than ubiquitin.” 

Accelerating summer undergraduate experience

With the new NSF funding comes the opportunity to bring in a new intern from Bennett College to engage in research this summer under the auspices of the newly formed AccelerateSTEM program.

By creating the AccelerateSTEM program, Capelluto's idea was to expand upon the summer undergraduate research internship by allowing the opportunity for students -- including its first student Simidele Rogers -- to stay at Virginia Tech and continue her research during the full academic year. 

Following the completion of the summer internship, Rogers will have the opportunity to continue her research in Capelluto’s lab while concurrently taking online courses from her home institutions until graduation. During the following fall semester, she plans to apply for a one-year accelerated master’s degree at Virginia Tech.

Rogers will continue working in Capelluto’s lab through her senior year and then complete the one-year master’s degree training program offered through Virginia Tech.

“Programs such as AccelerateSTEM open up opportunities for students at historically Black colleges and universities to have access to state-of- the-art labs, world-renowned faculty mentors and possibly consider graduate education at Virginia Tech,” said Monica Hunter, director of the Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program.

Bennett College and Virginia Tech are part of the Virginia-North Carolina Alliance for Minority Participation, a NSF-funded grant that supports STEM students as well as encourages undergraduate research and attendance in graduate or professional school post undergraduate. Capelluto will collaborate with Shenna Shearin, assistant professor of chemistry at Bennett College.

Lindsey Haugh

• Biochemistry
• Biological Sciences
• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• College of Science
• Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
• Fralin Life Sciences Institute
• Graduate Education
• Graduate Research
• Inclusion and Diversity
• Molecular Diagnostics Lab
• National Science Foundation
• Reduce Inequalities
• Undergraduate Academic Affairs
• Undergraduate Research

Related Content

Overall Canada Customer Experience Quality Drops To A Historic Low

Pete Jacques , Principal Analyst

Forrester has just released the results from its annual Customer Experience Index (CX Index™) rankings. Unfortunately, Canadian consumer perceptions of CX quality have dropped for an unprecedented third year in a row and are now at their lowest point since the inception of the CX Index. What’s more, performance dropped in all three dimensions of Forrester’s CX Index score — effectiveness, ease, and emotion — that measure CX quality.

Here are a few additional details on how brands performed:

• Declines at the brand level were broader and steeper than ever. An unprecedented 59% of brands significantly declined, which more than doubles the previous record of 27% that was set in 2017. The result is another year of declines in the proportion of companies with CX Index scores in the good category and an increase in the proportion of those with scores in the OK and poor categories.
• Industry-level declines were also broader and steeper than ever. Eight industry averages declined, beating the previous record of six set in 2023. Only one industry this year improved: luxury auto manufacturers.
• Effectiveness and ease hit new lows, while emotional quality languished. In 2024, the average effectiveness of experiences fell by 6 percentage points (to 56%) and the average ease fell by 5 percentage points (to 60%). Brands also struggled to connect emotionally.
• A new crop of elites took the lead. Elite brands are those that score in the top 5% across industries. In 2024, five of the six elites are new. Only PetSmart maintained its elite status from 2023 — the other brands had statistically significant losses that dropped them below the elite threshold.

For a detailed analysis of each brand’s ranking and for insights into key drivers of the CX Index scores and rankings, read the full report, The Canada Customer Experience Index Rankings, 2024 , or schedule a call with us.

If you are a Forrester Decisions client and want more details, please contact your account team. If your brand is included in our study, we can provide a detailed readout. If your brand is not included, we can still offer valuable insights that will help you improve your CX.

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• Customer Experience Quality In The US Falls To An All-Time Low
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Use Journey Maps To Kick-Start A CX Transformation

This complimentary guide will show you how to leverage customer journey maps to spur investment and interest in cx, as well as boost performance., that’s a wrap for cx summit north america: now, the hard work begins, cx summit north america day 2: achieving boundless experiences through alignment, get the insights at work newsletter, help us improve.

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Searching for choice and control: Western Australian service provider experiences of health, housing and migration

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Elizabeth Connor, Krysten Blackford, Kahlia McCausland, Roanna Lobo, Gemma Crawford, Searching for choice and control: Western Australian service provider experiences of health, housing and migration, Health Promotion International , Volume 39, Issue 3, June 2024, daae066, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daae066

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This research aimed to inform approaches to increase access to secure housing and improve mental health outcomes for migrants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (hereafter migrants) who are generally invisible in health and social policy and service provision in Western Australia. We used semi-structured, in-depth interviews ( n  = 11) and interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore service provider experiences and perspectives of issues impacting service provision and the needs of migrants in this context. Five superordinate themes reveal complex experiences for both service providers and the migrants with whom they work. Findings reflect tensions between contemporary notions of choice and control and a social service system that is difficult to navigate, reflects systemic racism and appears to rely heavily on the non-government sector. Insights have important and practical implications for health promotion policy, practice and research. Recommendations include improvements to housing access, provision, funding and policies; addressing service barriers via staff training and more accessible community resources; and co-design and community outreach approaches.

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