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Get Involved

How to get involved?

Currently the Office for Undergraduate Research is developing an undergraduate research opportunities database to be piloted in the Spring of 2012. Students will be able to access, search, and apply for research opportunities at their desktop. In the meantime, if you are interested in finding a research opportunity consider doing the following:

1. Determine your interest and learn about research in your chosen field.

2. Check out the research of faculty.

  • Looks at faculty and department webpages at www.uab.edu
  • Make sure you keep a broad perspective when searching for opportunities. Don't limit yourself to just your college/department/major. Most research requires interdisciplinary skills from an array of disciplines.

3. Make a list of 4 or 5 faculty members whose research interests you.

  • Gather information about their research, such as research aims and policy considerations
  • Collect journal articles, books, presentations etc., published by the professors. If possible attend one of their lectures, performances, or productions.

4. Determine what sort of time commitment you could make- hours per week, weeks per semester/year

5. Contact the faculty members. Do this in a couple of ways:

  • Write an e-mail or letter to tell them you're interested in a directed study, co-op, volunteer research assistant, etc.
  • Be sure to identify the project and some of the information you have learned about their research
  • List your year in school, the courses you have taken, training you have acquired, goals you have
  • Ask to meet to talk more about it

6. Follow up and be reliable! Answer question honestly, have questions for them and thank them for their time.

7. After the initial visit and if successful in acquiring a research opportunity, discuss project details and related expectations. As questions such as:

  • How many hours per week will you be working?
  • Will you get academic credit?
  • What do they consider "A" performance?
  • Who will you be reporting to?
  • What will your specific duties be?
  • Is this a group project or individual project?
  • What additional books or articles do they recommend that you read?

8. Find out how to present your work at a conference or in a journal.

9. After your experience, be a role model and help others do what you've done.