Library
Student toolkit
The unwritten rules of getting into research, written down.
1. Find labs that are funded
Funded labs can take students. Search NIH RePORTER for your university and a topic you care about. Every result is an active grant with a named lead researcher. That list is your list of people to write to.
2. Read before you write
Pick one recent paper from the lab. Read the abstract, the figures, and the last paragraph of the introduction. Our guide: how to read your first journal article.
3. Send a short email
Four sentences: who you are, which paper you read and what caught your attention, what you are asking for, and when you are free. Our guide: how to email a professor when you have no connections.
4. Ask about pay early
Ask whether the position is paid before you accept it. If it is not, ask whether the lab can nominate you for a campus research fund. Then apply to us for the rest.
5. Apply to programs that pay
The paid programs directory lists national programs with stipends. Many summer deadlines fall between December and March.
6. Use free books and free data
7. Keep a record
Keep a lab notebook, save your code, and write down what you did each week. It becomes your poster, your paper, and the first paragraph of every application you write afterward.
For companies and foundations
Fund a student researcher
Your gift pays for rent, a stipend, books, or a journal fee. It goes to a student who has the position and lacks the money to take it.