The key to getting a research position at a university is networking. You HAVE to talk to people in order to get a research position. This page has tips for that! We will add more over time.

Step 1

Find labs you are interested in, and make a spreadsheet. Do this by googling your university and the subject of your interest. For example, google “ucsd neurobiology labs”. Many labs will come up. They are named by the last name of the PI (Principal Investigator) who is in charge of the experiments being ran in the lab.

Make a list of as many labs as possible. Get creative with your googling. Record the emails you find too. If you find grad students with projects you are interested in, find their email by googling their name and add that to your list.

Step 2

Research all of the labs. In your spreadsheet, add another column. Find a publication from each person you listed. You can search on google scholar. Write down what you find interesting about their research by reading through some publications.

Step 3

Write emails to all the people on your list. Your email should contain:

1. An introduction of yourself, what year you are in
2. Why you find their research interesting. This is where you cite publications or explain what about their particular research is interesting to you.
3. A request — you want to know if they have a lab position available. Tell them how long you can commit to the lab for (most want 2 years or more). Tell them any skills you have, lab experience you have, and any other relevant info.
4. Thank you and request to schedule a time to talk about the lab.
5. Attached copies of resume.

Example email:

Good morning (use their name only if you know their pronouns (Ms/Mr etc AND their doctoral status),