No matter your major or year, research is for everyone and anyone. Its never too late to get started in research, nor is it impossible to make the most of a bad situation.
~ The Undergraduate Research Ambassador Team
When it comes to research, the University of Arizona bolsters a wide array of options available to undergraduates in almost every department and major! Anything from STEM-related fields (i.e. chemistry, biology, engineering, etc.) to the non-STEM related fields (i.e. psychology, the arts, social sciences, humanities, etc.) has research ongoing here at the UA. So, no matter your major or year, research is everyone and anyone! As you rejoice in celebration to this fact, you may begin to wonder:
“where do I start?”
We understand that it can definitely be overwhelming at first to take in all the resources available to you for exploring how to get involved with research as an undergraduate, especially because many of the opportunities have similar-sounding acronyms (i.e. UBRP, UROC, REUs, CUREs, VIPs). But do not worry because here, we describe in-depth, two general pathways used by many undergrad students to get into research.
Pathway 1: Directed Research Under a Faculty Member
This is the most common way of getting involved with research and essentially has four parts to it as follows:
- Find a Primary Investigator (PI), Faculty Member, or Professor who does research that you are interested in!
- Email and express your interest to the faculty whose lab you’d like to work under, also asking to set up an in-person/virtual research interview.
- Do your homework on their lab, research what they do, and nail that interview!
- Wait for a decision back from faculty.
1. Finding Faculty
When it comes to finding faculty whose lab you could potential work in, its always important to keep in mind what you are interested in, and why. This first step will really entail you making a list of faculty whose research fits your own interests! This list will help you when you reach out to faculty expressing interest in their lab. We made a template for you to use to help you on your faculty journal search:
Below are some resources you can use to find faculty members to build up your list!
- The UA Researcher Database provides an amazing way to filter through faculty using keywords, locations, type of payment (i.e. credit, salary, volunteer), and even UA campuses!
- UA Departmental Research Websites are another way to search for faculty within your major or department! Once on your major’s website, look for a “research” tab. Each research tab is organized differently, but most share the key research areas + faculty doing research in those areas.
- Advisors and Professors are in-person resources that can easily provide you with access to faculty professors doing research in your department/major.
Once you’ve made your list and are confident in the reasons why you like a specific lab’s or faculty mentor’s research, now its time to email them!!
2. Communicating with Faculty
The next part, after collecting a list of people to email would to do exactly that — email! In general, if the person you are reaching out to isn’t a professor in your class or someone you know personally, there are three things you should try and include when you cold email them.
Introduction
This part is pretty simple, but be sure to include your name, major(s), year, and any other important identifying characteristics (i.e. Federal-Work Study, ASEMS scholar, McNair Scholar, etc.) in about 2-3 sentences.
Motivation
After your introduction, your next 3-5 sentences are meant to highlight your interest and motivation for wanting to do research. Be sure to read up on the literature of the lab/faculty member you are emailing to explain why their research is interesting to you.
Some guiding questions that can help you write for this part include: Why are you interested in this area of research? Why do you want to do research with this lab/faculty member specifically? What motivates you to want to do research? How would participating in research help you in your future aspirations?
Call to Action
In your closing 2-3 sentences, be very clear with what you are asking from the faculty member in question.
This big ask can be anything from asking to sit down with the faculty member to have a greater conversation about their research (and how you can contribute) to even asking about shorter-term shadowing experiences in their lab. Regardless, be clear in your ask and provide your availability for a potential meeting with your faculty mentor.
In closing, thank the faculty member for their time and include a resume/CV if you’d like. Once you are done with your email and have sent them out, the next step is simply waiting until you get a response back! If you need help with drafting your emails or want some feedback before sending them to professors, feel free to send it to our Undergraduate Research Ambassador Email at undergradresearch@arizona.edu. If you don’t get a response back from faculty immediately, that’s okay! We suggest sending a follow up email two weeks after your initial email!
3. Preparing for the Research Interviews
Once you’ve gotten responses back and have a set time and day for your upcoming interview the next step is to prepare! But how?
The best way you can prepare is: READ. Read up on the past 3-4 papers published by the lab to have a firm understanding of what they do and why you are interested in joining. While it may be difficult to read scientific articles, it is highly suggested you develop questions based on the research the lab does so you seem knowledgeable on what’s going on. While no one, including the faculty member, expects you to be an expert in their research, you should be able to hold a conversation regarding why you are interested in their general area of research. Also remember, these interviews are two-ways so as intimidating as it may be to ask questions to faculty members about their research, expectations with undergraduate researchers, or even how their mentoring style is, it will be critical in helping you determine who best fits your own needs and interests.
Pathway 2: Research Through UA Programs
The UA has a handful of unique research programs that allow for introductory and step-wise gateways into the world of academia and research. Whether you are just wanting to see what research is about, or want to really dive deep into the world of academia (for graduate/medical/professional school) purposes. Below are some highlighted UA programs that you can use to get started in research at the University of Arizona.
Introductory Research Programs
- Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) are courses specifically designed for first-year, second-year, or transfer students looking to gain an entryway into the world of research. The best part? Many CURE classes have no prerequisites! CUREs take a research question based on a faculty member’s field of study that requires many people to complete the data collection and analysis. Students in a CURE class participate in this project, helping to move novel research questions forward and advance our understanding in that field. CUREs operate on a semester-by-semester basis, meaning while one CURE may be open to students in the Fall, it may not be open the following Spring Semester. So be sure to check out CUREs Offerings Page a couple of weeks prior to the start of a new semester to see what is being offered for you to enroll yourself in!
- Vertically-Integrated Projects (VIPs) like CUREs are very interdisciplinary and allow for students to work with faculty on project teams. Students earn academic credit and can participate for multiple semesters at a time. In addition, some teams offer the option of pay (Federal Work-Study) in lieu of credit. These experiences are great for any upper classmen including sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have little to no prior research experience. For any students interested in joining a VIP team for course credit, the student must apply before they can register for the class. Students can apply early in the semester before they join their teams (for example, applying in mid-August to join a team the following spring), or as late as the first week of class. Click here to see all the different VIP Teams!
These programs are a great way for you to get involved with research here at the UA in a facultative manner while also building a network of fellow undergraduate students and an arsenal of research skills for future career pursuits!
Though these two pathways mentioned are common ways to get involved in research, if you have any questions about how you, no matter your case, can get involved, please feel free to reach out to the Undergraduate Research Ambassadors (URAs) through undergradresearch@arizona.edu or come to our drop-in hours in Bear Down Gym Third Floor! We are happy to sit down and discuss any questions you may have regarding these opportunities.
