Looking for an undergraduate research position? A PI’s advice
One of the greatest joys of being a PI is mentoring the next generation of scientists. At a large public university (Woohoo… Go Dawgs!), I have the amazing luxury of hearing from many enthusiastic students who want to join my lab. Unfortunately, like so many labs, we have limited space and resources. Taking on more students than we can train well would not be fair to anyone. I usually receive two or three emails a month asking about research opportunities. At the beginning of the academic year (aka. right now), that number jumps to five or six a week! It is genuinely difficult to say no to so many students who are excited about science.
Since I can’t offer everyone a position, I thought I could at least offer a little advice about the process.
Start looking early. This can be especially tricky for biochemistry majors, since many students don’t begin taking BIOC 440 until their junior year. But you do not need to wait until you have taken every advanced course before joining a lab. Training a new undergraduate often takes close to a year, so labs may be more able to invest in students who still have several years before graduation. If you are a first or second year student and are curious about research, start exploring now. You may know less than you think you need to know and that is completely okay. Learning is the point.
Apply broadly. Biochemistry majors sometimes apply only to biochemistry labs. While that may seem like the obvious fit, your research journey can begin in many different places. The truth is that laboratories across disciplines use many of the same techniques and teach many of the same underlying skills, including careful experimental design, quantitative thinking, troubleshooting, reading scientific papers, and learning how to interpret messy data. If you are ultimately interested in biochemistry, you might still build a terrific foundation in a microbiology, genetics, cell biology, chemistry, or engineering lab. Also, keep in mind that your first research experience does not have to define your entire scientific career, it just needs to help you begin.
Email broadly and keep trying. After talking with my own undergraduates (shout out to Grace and Lily!!!), I’ve realized that much of the process involves emailing PIs, then emailing more PIs… I’m sorry the process is so painful. At least in my lab, some of my earliest undergraduate hires happened because I suddenly needed an extra pair of hands and the right person happened to contact me at the right time. So yes, persistence matters. A lab that cannot take you this quarter may have an opening later… another lab you had not originally considered may turn out to be a wonderful place to start! You just never know, so apply broadly.
Write a thoughtful email.
-Tell the PI a little about yourself and let your interest in scientific research shine through! Include two or three sentences about what genuinely interests you about that particular lab and how working there might fit into your own scientific journey. You do not need to write an essay or pretend that one paper completely transformed your life. But we do like to see that the email was written for our lab and was not simply sent to 50 people without changing the name. Sorry, I know this sounds a bit vain, but it’s true… I’ve received emails addressed to other PIs and emails saying someone is really excited about my research on viruses (pssst… I do not do any research related to viruses)… It’s just hard to get excited about someone when you feel like they aren’t really excited about your research.
-Attach a resume or CV (even if it feels a little sparse or your previous experience was unrelated to research). At this stage, no one expects years of research experience.
-Finally, try not to go overboard with AI. A clear, sincere email written in your own voice goes a long way. We are not expecting perfection. We are trying to get a sense of who you are.Please don’t take silence or rejection personally. I cannot emphasize this enough. Faculty receive a lot of email, and requests from prospective undergraduates can arrive when we are teaching, writing grants, submitting papers, traveling, or dealing with small emergencies. I try to respond to everyone within a week, but sometimes I miss one (or two)…. I’m really sorry about this. Often, a rejection simply means that the lab does not have enough space, funding, time, or available mentors. It does not mean that you are not capable of doing research or are a bad fit. It may not even mean that your email was unsuccessful. Sometimes there truly is nowhere to put another person.
Apply for workstudy? Some of my colleagues have been hiring undergrads in their labs via the UW workstudy program. If you are eligible definitely check this out.
Final thoughts. So, keep going. Just keep swimming. Science is fun, frustrating, surprising, and eventually deeply rewarding. I’m sorry that it can be so difficult to get that first opportunity, especially when you are so excited and ready to begin.
To all the undergraduates starting a new academic year: you’ve got this!!! Continue to be curious, be persistent, and be open to starting somewhere unexpected!
Happy searching!
