Recently, we had our first Research Mentorship Program Meeting with Emory Laney Graduate School’s Association of Women in Science (AWIS). Graduate students of AWIS did a panel Q&A to answer some questions undergraduate students had about different research fields, finding a lab to join, connecting with PIs and graduate students, and more! Each graduate student came from different labs with unique perspectives and life experiences. They each gave great advice!

In case you missed it, we’ve compiled a list of the two main topics of the top: finding research labs to join and finding extra research opportunities.

Here is the advice they gave on finding research labs:

• Explore lab websites and read literature published by the lab
• Email PI with specific research interests and send a follow up email if they don’t respond within a week
• Email grad students in the lab
• Ask to attend Zoom group meetings (you can attend multiple group meetings for different labs so you get a better idea of what type of group you might want to join)

Here are some link to more research opportunities:

• SIRE Program
  • The Scholarly Inquiry and Research Experience (SIRE) Program (Formerly Research Partners Program) is a hands-on research experience designed for undergraduate students who are entering research for the first time. Students in the humanities, arts, social sciences, and sciences are connected with faculty mentors who are seeking research assistants.
• Initiative for Maximizing Student Development
  • The NIH-funded Emory Initiative for Maximizing Student Development is a reflection of our commitment to increase the diversity of the scientific workforce.   As reflected by the Emory University Strategic Plan, we seek to “promote and celebrate diversity, build supportive infrastructure and spaces, provide competitive compensation programs, support interdisciplinary and collaborative activities, and nurture respect and accountability”.  Thus our goal is to nurture all students to become competitive applicants to, and successful graduates from, high-caliber Ph.D. programs in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. 
  • The IMSD will implement a special two-year research and academic program for undergraduate scholars and new graduate fellows that is available to all students. The program will focus on multi-level mentoring, research integrity, and career preparation and planning, to foster competitive graduate school and postdoctoral applications. Stipend and travel award funding is available for students who are underrepresented (UR) in biomedical, clinical, behavioral, or natural sciences due to: race or ethnicity; disabilities; or socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.  This Initiative will foster a community of scholars and become an integral part of our multilevel mentoring system. In addition, the new mentor development programs  will have a broader impact, establishing a nurturing culture of mentoring for the entire institution.
  • Program Email: imsd [at] emory [dot] edu
• Zintellect
  • Access hundreds of research internships, fellowships, and scholarships funded by the government and private sector organizations.
• National Science Foundation
• Euro Scholars
  • EuroScholars is a unique research abroad programme for highly talented undergraduate students from US and Canadian institutions looking for an international research experience.
  • EuroScholars offers research projects at 4 internationally renowned European Research Universities in almost any discipline.

Feel free to email us (emoryasbmb [at] gmail [dot] com) for questions about research, and we’ll see you at the next Research Mentorship Program Meeting!