Non-Traditional Ways to Get Involved With Research

Within undergraduate research, students typically focus on applying to established programs, such as REUs and Oberlin’s summer research fellowships. These programs are similar to jobs and their hiring processes. Students view a program listing that outlines the work, hours, pay, and duration, they apply with a personal statement, resume, and letter of recommendation, they may be selected for an interview, and they receive an offer or rejection letter.

Research programs provide structure and protection for students. They enable students to achieve their research goals through an established schedule and support system, and they may also compensate students through stipends, housing, and meals. 

That being said, research programs don’t always work out for students. For example, many REUs are not open to international students. Additionally, a student may be unable to complete the application due to a lack of time, resources, and support. Research programs are also very competitive, especially for underclassmen, so an applicant may be unsuccessful during that cycle. 

It’s natural to feel disappointed over such circumstances and outcomes, but you can still get involved with undergraduate research by informally connecting with faculty members at Oberlin or otherwise. One option is to send a cold email. In the email, your goal is to introduce yourself to the faculty member, express your interest in their research, and gauge their ability and willingness to mentor you.

 

Here are some tips to help you stand out:

1. Do your research. Read about the faculty member ahead of time through their faculty biographies, personal websites, and/or Google Scholar pages. Is their work interesting to you? Can you see yourself doing it for at least a semester?   

2. Be specific. Tailor the email to the faculty member. Bring up their interests and papers, and highlight the ones you’re drawn to and why. Do not send multiple people the same exact email–they can tell.

3. Be open. Be transparent about your current experience level. Share any interests, skills, or past experiences that are related to their research. Express how the experience will support your academic and professional journey. 

4. Be persistent. Faculty members are busy, so your email may slip through the cracks. If you don’t receive a response, follow up after a week. You may also get some rejections, so it’s important to contact multiple faculty members to increase your chances of getting a position.

In general, it’s best for every email you send to be unique, but here’s an email that worked well for me!

 

Subject: Interest in Your Research

Body:

Dear Professor X,

I hope you're doing well! I am a third-year student studying mathematics and computer science, and I spoke to Professor Y earlier today about my desire to merge these fields with neuroscience, so he suggested your lab. 

I read through your faculty bio and skimmed your publications, and your work is really interesting! I especially like that you incorporate dynamical systems and stochastic processes into your work. I conduct human-computer interaction and engineering research at Cornell University, so I haven't been able to incorporate my math major into my research just yet. I'm particularly interested in dynamical systems, and I was hoping to find a way to work with them this semester.

Would you be willing to meet with me to discuss your work further? I don't know if you're looking for a new research intern or not, but I would still love to meet you and learn more about your work! 

Best regards,

Tanisha Shende

 

My email is not perfect by any means, but you can draw inspiration from its format and content. I stated my academic background and how I found the faculty member, I was transparent about my familiarity with their research, I was specific with my interests and goals, and I made a concrete request for a meeting. Faculty members are busy, so it’s best to keep emails concise and to end with a question or action item, so there’s a clear way to continue the interaction. Cold emailing can be daunting, but it can never hurt to try, especially if you express genuine interest and explain how you can contribute. In this example, I don’t have a neuroscience background, but I landed a research position in a computational neuroscience lab by focusing on my programming and mathematical skills.

Please note that positions that arise from cold emailing may not be paid. If that’s the case, you may be able to receive academic credit for your work or funding from the Career Exploration and Development center (e.g. Summer Experience Funding and Internship+). Some faculty members believe strongly in compensating students for their work, so if they’re unable to do so, they may like that you can receive external support. No matter what, you need to think carefully about what this arrangement will look like. If you can’t secure funding or credit, is this the best option for you? Even if the faculty member is willing to mentor you, would this be an environment and relationship you can thrive within? Consider talking to other students in the lab. You deserve to feel fulfilled and empowered in your lab.

Cold emailing doesn’t always work out, and that’s okay! It’s tricky because neither you nor the faculty member know each other well, so what you can do is become more connected to the field and the people within it. Building connections may not guarantee you a position, but it can make you more established and increase your chances of getting a position later on. You can start networking at Oberlin with faculty members–speak to professors during office hours, attend talks and social events, and reach out to people you find interesting! 

For example, I’ve built connections with my mathematics professors by talking to them during office hours, asking them for advice, and keeping in touch after the class ended. Last semester, the department put together a picnic, and I talked to several professors there about academic and personal topics. I even met one of my mathematics mentors through cold emailing! I reached out about an organization she runs, and during our relationship, I brought up my interest in mathematics research. She was incredibly supportive, and through our talks, she gave me advice, recommended REUs, Winter Term projects, and conferences to me, and said she’ll try to create a research opportunity for me herself. 

You can also look beyond Oberlin. Maybe you read a research paper or attended a talk by an external faculty member, and you want to build a relationship with them. Or maybe you know you want to go into a certain field or work at a certain university or organization–you can look for people with related interests through OberLink and LinkedIn. Once you have someone in mind, you can send them an email asking for an informational interview. These are informal conversations where you can ask questions about their work and field, receive advice and connections, and, if they’re open to it, gain a mentor. You can meet regularly and keep them posted on your life and accomplishments, and in turn, they can keep you in mind for any opportunities that may arise. 

For more structured support, you can join a mentorship program that will pair you with an upperclassman, faculty member, or professional. For example, I participated in the Google Computer Science Research Mentorship Program last year, and I am still in contact with my mentor and others I’ve met through the program. These mentors gave me a lot of information about industry research, and the referrals and connections I gained may help me transition from academic research to industry research. Additionally, earlier this year, I attended the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence through the Undergraduate Consortium program, which I heard about through the Google program’s newsletter. As a UC scholar, I regularly met with a faculty member to finetune my independent research, I gained a network of peers and mentors, and I attended a significant conference in my field. 

Attending conferences is a great way to learn more about your field, build connections, and find research positions. Influential academics are there with the purpose of socializing and learning more about other attendees, so cold messages may be more effective. For example, I attended a talk on machine learning and multi-agent systems, and I was so interested in the research that I messaged the presenter and asked to grab coffee. During our chat, I brought up my ideas, and she offered me a research position on the spot, which led to me working with Columbia University and Hunter College on my independent research. More generally, if people recognize you from conferences, or if you’re able to reference specific talks and shared memories, you’ll stand out to them more.

It can be difficult to break into undergraduate research at first, so if you are initially unsuccessful, it’s important to be strategic and patient. Don’t worry if things don’t immediately work out for you. Attending conferences, finding mentors, and building connections will open the door to new opportunities, but more implicitly, they’ll turn you into a confident, wise, and mature academic before you even realize it. 

Finally, all of this can be intimidating, but please do not sell yourself short! It’s okay if you’ve never done research before. Everyone has unique experiences and skill sets that they can transfer to new contexts. If you’ve researched anything for a class or for fun, you can talk about that! If you’ve worked on a project, research or otherwise, for a long time, mention it! Research is about the subject area, but it’s also about organization, persistence, critical thinking, and creativity. I’m sure that you, as an Oberlin student, have what it takes to persist in research.

Find an appointment with Tanisha here.