Joining a Research Lab as an Undergraduate
There is no doubt we are currently living through difficult times. No matter the country in which you reside, the news is not particularly uplifting. Due to the current events that are occurring, it initially felt wrong to start this website/passion project. However, the team at Rooted in STEM and I are too excited and want to start sharing our stories and information with you!
This blog post will focus on how to join a research laboratory at your home institution by sharing my experience. Of course, there are many ways to find a lab you will love, but this is simply how I did it.
I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Biology at San Diego State University (SDSU) and like most freshmen in STEM, taking the required courses, while living away from home for the first time, was a big adjustment. Freshmen and sophomore year are typically filled with prerequisite courses that are challenging and time consuming. Among the student body (this is not a term that SDSU used), the courses during the first two years were often known as “weeder courses” because of the rigor required to pass. This was common in the prerequisites for impacted majors (which is most of STEM) in order to “weed out” those who were not serious about succeeding in the degree. Therefore, my first two years were academically loaded, and I felt like I barely had enough time to do assignments, study, stay healthy, and maintain a social life.
However, I knew that completing my courses was not going to be enough in helping me decide which route I wanted to go into after my undergraduate degree. In the spring semester of my second year, I started looking into SDSU’s biology department’s research laboratories. I had several tabs with different lab websites opened for weeks until I decided to email the professor/PI (Principal Investigator) of my favorite lab. I got an email reply a couple of days later and, to my surprise, the PI wanted to meet. I was SO excited because prior to receiving that email reply, I was nervous to reach out to a professor who I had never met, and who had never even heard of me.
Before meeting with the PI, I did my homework. I read everything I could find about their research (even though most of the scientific articles were too complicated to understand at the time) and even watched some YouTube videos they had up on their website. I took down notes and brought them to the meeting. I think it was crucial to show up to the meeting having some understanding of the research the lab was doing.
After the meeting, the PI and I discussed beginning my involvement in the fall of my junior year. When I started, I had a PhD student mentor me. I learned the basics of the lab and then got hands on experience in experimental design. I am not going to go into the specifics of what I learned while in lab (because that is an entire blog post worth on content), but I will say that it was essential for me to gain experience in a lab while balancing my full coursework and life which includes but is not limited to: relationships, friendships, and my physical and emotional wellbeing. Joining a lab allowed me to grow as a scientist through applying knowledge from my courses in real experiments.
Therefore, I have created a checklist to help any undergraduate join a research lab! *
Go to your departments website and find the list of current faculty members (make sure the PI you’re interested in is not retired. SDSU’s biology website needs some updating in this area). http://www.bio.sdsu.edu/faculty/faculty.html
Read about the different research each faculty member is interested in. Typically, each lab will have a website that has their research interests, publications, and contact information.
Oftentimes, a lab website will have a “join us” tab. Find out how to proceed. Usually you need to send an email to the PI, but double check.
If an email is required, send it! Check out the email template below.
If a meeting is arranged, make sure to be prepared to discuss the research they conduct (even if you don’t understand it all, it’s important that you try). Make sure you ask any questions that you may have about joining the lab.
Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t work out the first time! Sometimes labs are at their peak capacity and can’t take on more undergraduates. Try another lab (or ask about availability in the future to apply again)!
*Note that the link included is specific to SDSU’s biology department.
Inquiry Email Template:
Hello [professor’s name],
My name is [your full name], I am [what year are you in] at [your home institution] as a [your major] student. I have been looking at your lab's website and I am really interested in the research you and your team are doing. I'm particularly interested in how you study the [what part of their research interests you]. I am writing to you to ask if there are any undergraduate positions in your lab starting the [the semester/quarter you want to begin].
[Mention briefly any research experience you may have. If you have none, maybe mention specifics that you have learned in your introduction level lab courses. Don’t undersell yourself! Professors want someone who will be excited to learn, apply information they've learned in their coursework and don’t expect you to come in knowing the techniques required for their specific research!]
I have attached my unofficial transcript and my resume to this email * in case you would like more information. If you have any follow-up questions, I would love to answer them! Thank you for your time!
Sincerely,
[your full name]
* Make sure you actually attach what you said you attached. In this case, I recommend an unofficial transcript and a resume.
