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HOW TO PREPARE FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

Some questions to ask yourself as you plan your research are:

• What subjects am I interested in and passionate about?
• How much time can I commit to research?
• Will I need financial support to conduct research throughout the summer and academic year?
• What do I want to gain from my research experience?
• How can I best prepare myself academically and professionally to do research?
• What courses should I take that will complement the work I do?
• What safety courses will I need to take to do research in my field or lab?

The better you plan your academic coursework, the better you will be able to organize your time for research. Whatever your future professional and academic plans are, gaining experience in research will enhance your application and your preparedness for more self-directed research.

Once you have evaluated your research interests and organized your time, the next step is finding a faculty mentor. As part of a collaborative research team, you will need to find the right position both for you and your potential research lab.

You can also enroll in RES PRC 97XD: Research Unwrapped: Introduction to Research in Sciences. This introductory course will help you understand what research means and provide guidance in how to find a research position.

JOIN A STUDENT RESEARCH ORGANIZATION/CLUB

Visit the Student Organizations, Leadership, & Engagement (SOLE) website. There are over one hundred registered student organizations involved in research!

Getting involved in research can be done in various ways. Joining a student research organization/club can be a great starting point, as they provide opportunities to engage with ongoing projects and connect with research activities on campus.

BiochemAse

BiochemASE is the Biochemistry Association for Student Enrichment at UCLA. They assist Biochemistry undergraduates in navigating the UCLA experience and provide networking opportunities, career information, research exposure, tips for class scheduling and a student mentor for additional support.

Bruin Beans Health Club

Bruin Beans Health Club (BBHC) is composed of undergraduates and recent alumni working with nephrologists at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA CORE Kidney to improve healthcare delivery to patients with kidney disease by implementing CORE values of Clinical Excellence, Outreach, Research, and Education.

Building Heroes Project at UCLA

Building Heroes Project at UCLA aims to provide the underserved population with the knowledge to recognize and intervene when a medical emergency arises. Students will gain important field research experience by collecting data from the underserved community for a longitudinal research study.

Clinical and Translational Science Institute-Research Associate Program

The CTSI (Clinical Translational Science Institution) Research Associates Program (RAP) is a pilot program that provides undergraduates exposure to hospital based medicine as well as clinical research. As a research associate, RAP members play a key role in the implementation and maintenance of research protocols in their respective study locations (e.g. the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), under Pulmonary and Critical Care Physicians at RRH). You are given the opportunity to make rounds with the medical team, observe common procedures, and experience didactic teaching sessions during the course of the research day.

CNS (Clinical Neurogenomics Students)

CNS students work alongside medical staff and researchers to help in the effort to bank patient samples from the UCLA Neurology Clinic at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center. The mission of the organization is to provide valuable experience in a healthcare setting to undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in the field.  Specifically, the program is designed to give students the opportunity to interact with patients while learning more about research, neurology, and genomics. 

Collaboration in Undergraduate Research Enrichment at UCLA

CURE at UCLA is an organization of undergraduate researchers who are dedicated to improving the undergraduate research experience. CURE aims to provide students with the resources and mentorship that they need to succeed through the implementation of an internal curriculum and external workshops. CURE integrates resources and information from student organizations, faculty, and the Undergraduate Research Center to provide students with a comprehensive and cohesive guide to approaching undergraduate research. 

Design Build Fly at UCLA

Design Build Fly (DBF) at UCLA is an engineering club dedicated to researching, designing, manufacturing, and flying remote-controlled airplanes. Club members bring together their collective knowledge and abilities to construct a plane to fit specifications outlined by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) for the Design Build Fly competition every spring.

Institute of Neuro Innovation @ UCLA

A nonprofit research and philanthropy foundation. Develops and implements pioneering methods in applied neuroscience to alleviate suffering and enhance lives. Through research and innovation, students capture the novel synergies between traditional and nontraditional modalities to enrich the quality of people’s lives, within and beyond the boundaries of healthcare.

PhD and Undergraduate Life Scientists in Academic Research

The PhD and Undergraduate Life Scientists in Academic Research (PULSAR) organization strives to build a sense of community in which undergraduates can connect and present their research in the life sciences with others with the direction of graduate student mentors.

Research Associates Program (CTSI-RAP)

(CTSI-RAP) provides undergraduate UCLA students with the opportunity to gain exposure to hospital-based medicine as well as clinical research in an academic medical center. The program also builds a stronger support infrastructure for the research initiatives of UCLA faculty physicians and investigators. Research associates play a key role in the implementation and integrity of research protocols in which they are involved. They are also given the opportunity to make rounds with medical teams, observe common procedures, and experience didactic teaching sessions during the course of their research days. The unique blend of first-hand clinical experience and scientific research gives alumni a unique advantage in public healthcare.

Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Association

The Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Association shines a spotlight on the work of undergraduate students working in interdisciplinary research. By hosting monthly seminars, providing peer mentorship, and running an annual poster research symposium, the Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Association provides the space for UCLA’s undergraduate researchers from across disciplines to build community in research.

Medical Friends

Medical Friends offers pre-med students mentorship with upperclassman and in addition holds weekly interactive workshops meant to educate pre-med students on various topics, including but not limited to finding a research lab, pursuing volunteer opportunities, picking the path of medicine that suits you, etc.

Stroke Force Program

In the Stroke Force program, undergraduates are involved in double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter research projects investigating the efficacy of various drugs and procedures applied to the patients that arrive in the UCLA Emergency Room with onset of acute ischemic stroke. Students serve as research associates and work alongside neurologists during code strokes.

Student Members of the American Chemical Society, UCLA Chapter

SMACS aims to foster a social community of chemists interested in research, outreach, professional development, and careers in the field of chemistry. Weekly meetings involving professional & academic development, guest speakers, mentorship, service events, and socials relating to the field of chemistry.

The Bruin Blood Initiative

The Bruin Blood Initiative is a student-run organization whose mission is to promote awareness of blood related issues at both UCLA and throughout LA. In partnering with community leaders and groups, the Bruin Blood Initiative strives to achieve its goals through researching, educating, and outreaching to the community population.

TransferMed

TransferMed is a Pre-Health organization at UCLA dedicated to supporting transfer students in securing opportunities such as clinical exposure, research, and interactive learning excursions. TransferMed also exposes students to additional academic resources, both on and off-campus while providing essential guidance on timelines for healthcare and post-graduate education. 

Uncrewed Aerial Systems at UCLA

Uncrewed Aerial Systems is all about designing aerial robots. Specifically, the team of UCLA students designs, manufactures, and tests custom drones for accomplishing a series of mission objectives, for various research and competition purposes. UAS@UCLA complements the undergraduate engineering education at UCLA by offering the chance to gain hands-on experience on a complex engineering project. This project requires members to not only think outside the box of their major, but also learn collaboration and management skills through experience.

Undergraduate Journal of Psychology at UCLA 

An annual publication of collaborative efforts between undergraduate students at UCLA and other universities, The Undergraduate Journal of Psychology at UCLA aims to promote and disseminate student excellence in psychological research. The organization intends to serve the undergraduate community at large by making the publication process more accessible and highlighting the interesting and relevant nature of the study of psychology. 

International Urban Sustainability Student Corps

IUSSC is an environmental/sustainability think-tank at UCLA. They aim to provide unique and policy-driven solutions to some of Los Angeles’s greatest sustainability issues by extensively researching the policies and infrastructure of both Los Angeles and foreign cities.  After a year of research, they travel out of Los Angeles to gain first-hand exposure to other unique cities, produce a research paper with our results, and record the whole process for other UCLA students.

STEP 3. CONTACT FACULTY & APPLY TO RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

If you have identified a research opportunity on the Undergraduate Research Portal, follow the application instructions in the listing.

If you are contacting faculty directly, we recommend emailing them a cover letter and CV. For general guidance on writing a professional and well-formatted email, refer to this video.

Your cover letter will comprise the body of your email and should clearly & concisely:

• Introduce yourself
• Explain your interest and enthusiasm in their research
• Identify your goals and how working with them will help you progress towards those goals
• Request an interview to further discuss a potential research opportunity (include your general availability and a potential start date)
• Include your contact information (email & phone)

As an attachment to your email, include your curriculum vitae (CV). A CV is similar to a resume but is a more comprehensive document outlining your qualifications. Be sure to include:

• Relevant coursework – you may want to include a short description of techniques/concepts mastered.
• Relevant work history & experience
• Leadership experience (on/off campus) that demonstrates organizational skills, independent thinking, etc.)
• Honors, awards or distinctions (include name of award, granting college/department, and monetary value if appropriate)

Anticipate that at this stage, your CV should be 1-2 pages in length. For help refining your CV or cover letter, we recommend students visit the UCLA Writing Center or UCLA Career Center . Both centers offer appointments where professionals can meet one-on-one students. UCLA students can also

If you don’t hear back from a specific faculty you emailed or research opportunity you applied to, send a polite follow-up email 1-2 weeks after your initial email. You should not drop-in to a faculty’s lab or office unannounced.

Click here to view a sample cover letter.

Click here to view a sample CV.

Click here to use VMOCK, an online resume tool. 

These resources are provided as examples and need not be utilized as templates. There are many ways to create an effective cover letter and CV. We encourage you to explore various approaches in order to develop materials that present your unique background and skill sets most effectively.

UCLA Career Center Resources for CVs and Cover Letters:

• UCLA Career Guide: Resumes & Cover Letters Chapter (CV template, p. 9)
• CV vs. Resume: At the undergraduate level CV’s and resumes are very similar except as noted in this chart.
• Active Verb List: Craft compelling experience descriptions that demonstrate your skills and accomplishments.

STEP 4. PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW

If you are invited to interview, make sure you are on time and that you have questions to ask regarding the research project and the laboratory environment, such as:

• Who will be supervising and training me?
• How is the project structured?
• What techniques and equipment will I be using?
• What safety training(s) do I need to complete?
• What is the expected time commitment? Are hours flexible during exam season?
• How long or short term of a commitment would be expected of me? (e.g. quarter-to-quarter, 1 year minimum, etc.)
• Are there any additional obligations (e.g. lab meetings) that I would be expected to attend?
• How many people are currently working in the lab?

APPLY FOR RESEARCH PROGRAMS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Various departments across the university offer research programs that provide academic, financial, and professional support for student researchers. The Undergraduate Research Center – Sciences currently offers ten programs ranging from one quarter to two years, with scholarships ranging from $300-$21,000 per student. The URC-Sciences awards $800,000+ in undergraduate research scholarships annually! Browse our current programs under the “Programs and Scholarships” tab in the main menu bar.