Finding a Lab

The first step to becoming a researcher is finding the most appropriate lab. Most students start their search by reading over faculty research projects and selecting the few which fascinate you. Below is a restricted list of research opportunities available through Temple University as well as summer programs offered by other institutions. A good start would be to skim over Temple Undergraduate research opportunity and familiarize yourself with what faculty are conducting research you want to be a member of. Once you have selected a handful - you will need to email the instructors your resume; details for that can be found below the list of research labs.

Find an undergraduate guide to research here which includes several key concepts to consider when narrowing your search.

Once you have determined the labs that interest you - you will need to formulate the perfect email. Your initial email will typically need to have a brief introduction of yourself, your interests, your skill-sets, your resume and what you hope to receive from your research. It is a good idea if you skim some of the lab's recent publications to get an idea of their work and mention why you are interested in studying these topics in your email. Details to help you curate the perfect email are found in the buttons below.

Attached to every good email is a resume which highlights all your previous experience and skills. A resume should be limited to a page (two at most) and an easy, organized format is key. Below are resources great to have you start drafting your resume. It is important to have your resume looked over - Temple University has several advisors and resources available to students.

Adapted from a document by Dr. Richard Steinman, director of the University of Pittsburgh's MSTP Program, on choosing a research mentor. Keep in mind that the expectations and requirements for a good PhD

• How to search

  • department webpages. best if PI has her/his own website

  • word-of-mouth: ask students and faculty you know

• Things to look into before meeting with PI

  • does their work genuinely interest you? are they asking important questions

  • publication record: important to have a balance of quality and quantity

  • funding status: what type of projects are funded and does this lab have financial stability to support graduate students and post-docs who could mentor and help you?

• Things to consider and ask about when meeting with PI

  • Can you describe the best mentee that you ever had? How did you prefer to interact? What do you think was the key to their success?

  • where did former students end up?

  • does the mentor encourage/support students to present their work nationally? internationally?

  • Lab composition

    • any grad students? only grad students? only post-docs/techs?

    • who will teach you the necessary methods, review your data, and troubleshoot most directly with you?

  • Projects

    • What type of projects would you get to be part of or come up with? What would be your role?

  • What type of interaction would you get to have with the mentor? How often would you meet and who would you report to about your work in the lab?

• Things to think about after the meeting

  • If you can, reach out to current and former students about the lab

  • Do not disclose what they tell you to others unless they give explicit permission.

    • how much is the PI actually in lab and interacting with the lab members?

    • how often do students meet with the mentor?

    • what is the PI's mentoring style?

    • what is the lab culture?