why would i want research experience?

If you are at all interested in the sciences, I strongly suggest that you consider doing at least one, and preferably two research experiences while an undergraduate. There are several reasons why I think a research experience is a good idea:

• It's fun. Research is interesting, exhilarating, frustrating, and exciting. A research experience can be a good way to meet some interesting people and possibly see some new parts of the world. You usually get room and board and a modest stipend. You won't get rich, but you can usually make a little money and have a good experience.

• It might turn out, of course, that research isn't fun. If so, this is a good thing to figure out sooner rather than later. There are many, many different styles of science and it might take a little while to see which, if any, are right for you. Some research is done with large teams, others almost independently. Some research is outside in the field, some is inside in a lab or office. Some research is very experimental, other is theoretical or computational. Some research is product-driven (developing a particular medicine or piece of hardware or software) and other research is more basic or fundamental. So getting one or two different sorts of research experiences can help you sample these different styles of research and help you figure out what sort of work you want to do in graduate school and beyond.

• It can help you make the most out of your subsequent classes. In the process of doing your research you will likely come to realize that you don't know all the things you need to know and don't have all the skills you wish you had. (This is normal. It happens to experienced researchers all the time.) You can then use this to help you figure out what classes to take, and how to approach them. For example, you may discover that you need to improve your writing, or your knowledge of statistics or genetics or differential equations. Having hit a wall in a research experience provides a very powerful motivation for subsequent learning.

• Having at least one research experience is very helpful for getting into most science graduate schools. I don't have any data on this, but I suspect that few applicants to PhD programs who have no research experience get accepted. Having two experiences is even better. PhDs are research degrees. Yes, you need to take classes and then usually pass some sort of comprehensive exam in your discipline. But PhDs are really about research, so admissions committees are looking to see that applicants understand this and have some research experience. A letter writer who can speak to how you did in the lab or the field is a big help.

how do I find research opportunities??

There are many, many programs designed to give undergraduates research experience. Most of these are fairly structured. A department or institute will host a bunch of students, each of whom will work on a project with a faculty mentor. There will also usually be activities and seminars that all undergraduates will participate in. The vast majority of these programs take place in the summer. Here are some thoughts on how to find them.

• The U.S. National Science Foundation funds Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs). "An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers." You can search for an REU site here. There are lots and lots to choose from.

• The NSF does not include most medical research, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health. I don't know if there is an NIH version of the REU program.

• A huge, searchable listing of summer research experiences can be found here.

• A list of summer research opportunities for physics and astronomy graduate students can be found here.

• Go the the departmental website of another college and search their resources. For example, if you are interested in chemistry, do a little googling and find the chemistry department websites for a few colleges with good undergraduate programs in chemistry. (Schools to try include Carleton, Middlebury, Amherst, Swarthmore, Haverford, etc.) Often these departments will have good lists of research opportunities. For example:
  • Haverford's Department of Biology has a good list of student resources. A few are only for Haverford students, but most are available to all.
  • Carleton College's Department of Physics and Astronomy has a good list of summer REUs and internships. (The page says 2008, but it's actually for 2010.)
  • Carleton's Biology Department has a good list, too.
  • Barnard has a huge and well organized list covering multiple scientific fields.
  Don't rely on only these. There are many other good lists of resources out there.

• There are announcements of opportunities emailed out via COA email from time to time. If you are interested in working at either The Jackson Lab or MDIBL, contact Chris Petersen.

• I would recommend against doing generic google searches for internships. You'll turn up a lot of stuff, but it might not be the most efficient use of your time.

• Talk to faculty member(s) in the sciences and see what they recommend.

• If you are not a U.S. citizen finding a research experience in the U.S. can be a lot harder. Many, but not all, internships are limited to U.S. citizens. However, there are some other opportunities out there. Start searching early, and talk to faculty for help and advice.

applying for research internships

• You should probably apply to between 5 and 10 internships. Some are fairly competitive, so you want to be sure to apply to a bunch.

• Work with a faculty member to help you prepare your research statement and CV. We can offer valuable advice.

• The application process can be a pain, since the applications aren't quite standard. Programs will often want slightly different things in their applications. So brace yourself.

• Talk to other students who have gotten research experiences and ask them for advice.

• Work with the writing center, especially if you are an English language learner or struggle with writing. A poorly written application will almost surely be unsuccessful. Your application does not need to be a great piece of literature, but it does need to read ok and be grammatically correct.