YNCN’s Ultimate Undergraduate Research Guide
Applying for research can be a daunting task, especially since there is no clear path. This guide goes over different ways to find research positions, from writing effective emails to professors to obtaining funding.
Why do Summer Research?
Before jumping into how to apply, it’s important to recognize why you should spend an entire summer doing research. For example, if you are interested in graduate studies, summer research is strongly advised and often mandatory to get into top graduate programs. But, if you’re not set on graduate school or are still unsure about summer research, there are other reasons for doing summer research:
- Develop and pursue a deeper interest and skill in a subject of interest
- Learn many technical skills that are widely applicable
- Build a closer work relationship with a professor
Regardless of what your end goals and interests are, summer research is obtainable and has a lot to offer.
How to find Summer Research?
Contrary to popular belief, there are multiple ways that summer research can be found. The opportunities typically fall under two categories, structured programs and cold-contacting professors. Both are great methods that should be explored for finding research!
Structured Programs
Structured programs are typically held by departments/faculties at various universities. Typically, they pair successful applicants with a research project under a professor. The projects typically provide secondary events such as weekly guest lectures, industry events, etc. Another advantage is that they assist with taking care of details such as payments and/or housing. Additionally, many of these programs are held at different universities so it’s also a great way to explore a different city! A drawback is that there can be less flexibility in what the research entails but it will still be in a subject area of interest.
Applications for these programs vary, but it typically involves submitting your resume, transcript and short response pieces. The easiest way to find these programs is to simply google them. Try googling something along the lines of ‘*insert field name* summer (undergraduate) research program’ and relevant programs from different universities should come up. For example, if you google “Robotics summer research program” you get links for programs at universities like Carnegie Melon, MIT and UBC. Be wary though, some programs are only open to students who attend that university so check before applying. The University of Toronto Engineering website also has some additional courses that you can take that involve conducting research with a professor: https://discover.engineering.utoronto.ca/experiential-learning/summer-research/.
Cold Contacting Professors
The arguably more common way of getting a research position is cold emailing professors and arranging to work for them in the summer. This option usually provides more flexibility in your role since you’re not bound to any project description. The timeline for contacting professors isn’t rigid, but professors typically hire summer students from January to mid-February. The general process for how to apply for positions is outlined below:
The rest of the article goes over each of these steps in more detail and provides tips for how to execute them effectively.
One inescapable fact of cold-emailing professors is that the response rate can be very low. For many people applying to research for the first time, response rates from professors can be as low as 5–10%. To increase your response rate, check out the steps explained below.
1. Finding Professors
The first step for applying is finding the professors that you’d be interested in working with based on their research. The easiest way to do this is to start with a field you are interested in and then look at the faculty page that corresponds to that field. For example, if you’re interested in photonics research, which would fall under ECE, google UofT ECE Professors. This should lead to a faculty directory that provides each professor’s name and often links to their websites. In the event that it doesn’t, googling their name + field will often help you find their website.
A professor’s website shows their research interests and what they’re currently working on. Do not feel like you need to understand everything that is written on the site — your goal is just to get a brief understanding of their research and whether or not it would interest you. Keep in mind that you are not bound to UofT, you’re allowed to do summer research at other universities which can be great way for expanding your network!
Keeping Track
As you start looking through a professor’s website, it can often be easy to forget names and research interests. That’s why it’s strongly recommended to have an Excel sheet or similar tracking tool to keep note of parameters such as name, email, research interests and current status. This way as you’re going through a site, you can write down the research projects and professors you are interested in without having to remember it all. Later, as you send emails out, you can keep track of your current status with them.
2. The Email
Now that you have your spreadsheet done and have a list of 20+ professors, you can start sending out emails! You should note that emailing is typically the most effective way for getting in touch with professors.
The purpose is the email is very simple: you want to get your foot in the door. The email is not intended for you to ask for a job, but to simply state your interest and try to arrange a meeting to discuss potentially working with the professor. With that in mind as your purpose, your goal is to send an email that would be worth the professor’s time to reply to. This means do:
- Send concise, short emails
- Demonstrate that you have a specific interest in X aspect of their work
- Provide a clear email title, eg. “Potential Summer Research Work”
The email you want to send should only be 4 to 6 sentences, where you briefly introduce yourself, why you’re interested in the professor’s research, and a followup closing to set up a meeting with the professor. You might also want to attach an updated version of your resume and transcript — this can save the professor from asking you for them later on.
Here’s a checklist you can follow for writing the email. Please note that this is not an all-inclusive list but just provides some suggestions for the bare minimum you should have before sending out the email.
- Address the professor directly (i.e. Dear Professor X)
- State who you are (program, year, university)
- State why you’re interested in their field at broad
- State why you’re interested in their research (personalized but not too detailed)
- Add a general statement as to why you might be a good candidate (i.e. experience, passion)
- Mention that you would like to meet (virtually!) with them to discuss summer research
- Consider attaching your resume and transcript
Remember, the purpose is to get your foot in the door and the goal is write an email that’s worth a professor’s time to reply to.
Replying and Following Up
Professors are busy people, which means they don’t always reply to emails right away. If they haven’t replied after a week’s time, it doesn’t hurt to send them a follow up email. In the email you just want to remind them that you’re still interested in meeting with them.
Now if a professor replies saying that they can’t hire you — for whatever reason — you should still send a thank you email within 24 hours. In the event that a spot opens up, you’re more likely to be re-considered if you spend the 30 seconds sending that thank you email.
The Interview
Sooner or later, you’ll finally get a reply from a professor who’s willing to meet you! There is no general structure to the ensuing interview/meeting, but there are some general features that commonly come up. Typically, the interview (whether in person or online), involves the professor talking about their research and explaining possible suitable projects. Additionally, expect some questions about your skills and/or why you’re interested in working for them.
What people may not realize is that the portion where they explain their experiments is also part of the interview. Professors are often looking to see if you are retaining the information and asking intelligent questions. The three biggest things that can carry you in an interview is asking smart questions, showing that you’re interested in the research, and demonstrating passion. Showing passion and a willingness to learn can often be more important than prior experience. So make sure to come ready to be attentive and ask good questions. And of course, be sure to thank them for their time!
3. Obtaining Funding
So the professor gets back to you after your meeting and has offered you a position! Now there’s just the detail of funding. This is typically brought up by the professor after they extend you the offer, but if not, it’s on you to ask how you’ll be getting paid. Professors often ask you to apply for fellowships/grants/awards (which are just fancy words for funding). Typically, fellowships/grants work by paying you anywhere from $3,000 — $6,000 and in some cases you might ask the professor to match the payment. The common model is $3,000 from the fellowship and $3,000 from the professor. In some cases, professors will have funding to hire you even if you don’t get a fellowship, but sometimes they don’t, so it doesn’t hurt to apply for as many as you can!
Fellowships follow two formats: student first or professor first. In the first case, you apply for a fellowship and get it before agreeing to work with a professor. This allows you to meet with professors and let them know that you already have monetary backing. The latter, which is more common, requires you to first agree to working with a professor and then apply with the professor for the fellowship.
Examples of fellowships:
- NSERC (Canada Wide)
- U of T Funding Opportunities
Hopefully you now have a clearer picture for how to successfully get a summer research position. Try talking with your TAs or other people you may know who are involved in academia. Even if you don’t do research with them, having developed research contacts can be invaluable.
Lastly, if you do get a research summer position, make sure not to treat it as just a 9–5 job — enjoy it! Definitely work hard and try to meet and surpass the expectations laid out for you but also take the time to do more than just your research. You’ll be surrounded by brilliant graduate students and professors, so be sure to talk with them and learn some of the wisdom they have to share.
If you are ever looking for more advice, check out the More Resources section below. Feel free to contact YNCN on social media or email for any other questions!
