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There are lots of opportunities to do research, both on campus and off campus. Before you view the web sites with information about research opportunities, we advise you to read through the steps to finding and getting a research position. The steps for on campus and off campus are similar.
How to become involved in research:
- How are you doing in school? Are you managing your time effectively? If you find you can not manage your current workload, adding a few hours of research each week may become an overload. If this is the case, then wait until next semester, next summer, or next year.
- Figure out what you would be interested in doing research in. Are you interested in chemistry? Biology? Electrical Engineering? Psychology? It is easier to find something once you have narrowed your search.
- Update your resume. If you need help updating your resume, then go to the career center on campus. Their web site is http://www.career.sunysb.edu/ and they have resume drop in hours listed on the web site.
- Investigate all of the resources for jobs. We have collected the job and research postings. However, this is a partial list, and you should continue to search beyond these sites. If you need additional information, you can stop by the WISE Office and we will help you find information.
- Find the web page for the department you are interested in doing research. Read over the short descriptions of the research projects different professors are doing, and see which projects are interesting to you. Be sure to understand their project as best as you can.
- If there is no web page, you can contact the department directly and ask if they have any materials on professors and their research projects.
- If you are a work-study student, look for research opportunities on the first floor of the administration building. (when you walk in, the jobs are posted on the wall to your left). You can also contact the Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment at 631-632-6840 and ask about work-study positions
- Contact the researcher and explain your interest in helping them with their research. Explain how their project is interesting to you. Ask them whether they would be interested in reviewing your resume and cover letter. Ask if they would like additional materials, such as a letter of recommendation.
If they are interested...
See if you can meet with the researcher for an interview.
Be sure to look professional for the interview, and bring a list of references including phone numbers and email addresses to the interview. After the interview, send a thank you note. This note should be sent within 3 days after the interview.If they are not interested...
Don't be discouraged. You can try again from step 4. If you can get the professor to explain why he or she turned you down, then you can work on obtaining that skill. Sometimes professors are only interested in upper-class students, or work study students.
Internships give you the opportunity to get real-world experience in science, math or engineering. If you are an engineering student, then you should contact the CEAS Internships Program at http://www.ceas.sunysb.edu.
If you are a math or science student, then you should contact the career center at http://www.career.sunysb.edu.Volunteer experience can be an excellent way to see if you are interested in a field in science math or engineering. Here are some volunteer opportunities on campus.
Stony Brook University Hospital Volunteer Program
http://www.uhmc.sunysb.edu/volunt/
