Some Specific Ways to Learn about Research Opportunities at Brown

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1. Talk to your professors! This may seem obvious, but to most students it’s not something that occurs to them in a class. (The advice here applies also to guest lecturers who can open doors to entirely new opportunities.) Professors love talking about their research, even if for only a few minutes after class or during office hours or by appointment. If you find a topic covered in your class that intrigues you, ask your professor if that’s an area that she or he is interested in. If not, it’s at least a starting point for a conversation about research opportunities, and you may get some leads to others who are doing research in related areas. Take advantage of those open hours- many professors report that the only time they see students for open hours is right before exams.

“After taking several courses in painting with Wendy Edwards, our idea for an UTRA developed naturally out of our student-teacher relationshiop. I recommend that students talk to professors in their field that excite them, and begin by simply talking to them, asking questions, and showing interest.” Claire Baker

2. Surf the web. Check departmental sites. They will often highlight research areas; these represent research “groups” within (or often across) departments. Click on those sites. Or, go from professor to professor under “faculty” links on a departmental web site. You can find out about research interests of faculty by reading their bios, descriptions of their research, or publications. Also, if something interests you, try searching for key words on the Brown web site. Check the News Bureau for the latest information about cutting edge research at Brown. If you’re interested in biology or biomedical research, consult this site belonging to Dean Marjorie Thompson. And of course, the site you're visiting now contains a wealth of information about research at Brown: a good place to start is the Directory of Research and Researchers at Brown.

“I browsed through researcher's websites on Brown's network, found research I was interested in, and contacted the professor. I met with her and then planned a summer research project based on my interests.” UTRA student

Once you have found somebody who is doing research that is of interest to you, send them an email. Be sure to include information about yourself (past research and class experiences) and why their particular project is of great interest to you. If you are using this “cold call” method, be sure to email enough professors that the statistics of a larger sample size works in your favor- in some departments only three or four emails of this type are needed- for popular labs you may need to send more.

“I did some research on the Brown website and gathered approximately 30 names of faculty with research interests or courses offered in the area I was interested in; then I sent out email explaining who I was and what I was looking for. About half of the recipients replied, and about half of the repliers offered to work with me!” Jenna Kanter, UTRA summer 04

3. Make yourself visible. Attend colloquia sponsored by departments that interest you. When you do go, make sure you are seen – don’t sit in the back. Join the departmental undergraduate group (DUG) and/or WiSE affinity group. They provide good opportunities to network, to become part of the fabric of the department, and to meet professors. Attend department functions like journal clubs and holiday parties. A number of students report meeting mentors at departmental poster sessions. (Did you notice all of those posters on the walls? Read them and find out what’s going on in the labs on that floor.) The more visible you are, the more part of the department you are, the more you will be seen as a potential partner in a future research project. There is no reason that you can’t start this “visibility strategy” early. In fact, if a DUG doesn’t exist, work with the Office of the Dean of the College and the department, and start one! If it does, take a leadership role – you will meet members of the department that way.

4. Talk to advisors— this means your first or second year advisor, or your concentration advisor. They may have an opening in their lab, or they may know somebody who does. Your peer advisors can help as well, as can your friends. Deans and Randall counselors are also good sources of information.

5. Become involved in a lab that you are interested in. This involvement can range from attending regular lab meetings to volunteering (if pay is not available) during the academic year. There are no guarantees that research funding will be available but many people who obtain UTRAs and other research support started out in this way.

“I was too late to apply for an UTRA so I worked on the department’s payroll. The following year I continued to work with him and got an UTRA for the summer between my junior and senior year.” Tyler Wilson

6. Don’t hesitate to explore research opportunities in other locales. Brown has close connections to both the Marine Biological Lab and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, both at Woods Hole in nearby Cape Cod. Research opportunities are available at these two major research centers- contact me (Dean Targan) at the Office of Undergraduate Research for details. For off-site research, it is important to check first with your concentration advisor about this, since some programs are better than others, and you will want to see how your plans for this research might fit into your overall undergraduate experience, including your future research as an undergraduate.

The National Science Foundation sponsors programs called Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) that can be concentrated in a particular research facility to become REU Sites. For a complete listing of these opportunities, check: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm

There are a variety of other external opportunities. The only drawback with these research experiences is that unless the researcher at the off-site facility has a close connection to a Brown faculty member, you may have a hard time turning your research into a senior thesis. On the other hand, not all research of this type needs to turn into a senior thesis, and this research experience may very well serve as “training” for research back on campus. Also, students working as interns doing research in industry, or doing research at another research university, often have opportunities waiting for them upon graduation.