Statement of Interest

Once you identify faculty who you want to work with, prepare a statement of interest tailored to the type of work you might do in their research group. Include information about yourself and how you can contribute to the research. Also include a description of your goals and what you hope to learn through the experience. The Writers Workshop and Career Services can help you craft a cohesive and compelling statement. Pro-tip: Customize your statement of interest to the individual research group you are contacting. Faculty will be more responsive to a student who is excited about the specific projects they are investigating.

Resume

Have a resume ready to go before reaching out to faculty. Your resume can include work, volunteer, and leadership experiences. If you have past research experiences or relevant course projects, include those on your resume. However, previous research experience is not required. Career Services can help you tailor your resume for finding a research position. Focus on transferable skills such as time management, team work, independence, or computational skills gained through other experiences.

Find an Opportunity on Campus: Listed Positions

Some opportunities are posted here:

Illinois Job Board
ACES Global Food Security Internship
Office of Undergraduate Research’s Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program or their Individual Position Postings.

Find an Opportunity on Campus: Not Listed

Many opportunities are not advertised and you will need to connect with potential mentors directly:

Speak with professors or TAs during office hours to discuss your interests and explore opportunities. Even if there isn’t an opening in their research groups, they might know of other research groups looking for students.

You can also reach out to faculty who you don’t have in class. Sending an email is the best way to do this. However, there are a lot of dos and don’ts to writing these emails.

Use professional language and if you have met this professor, remind them of how you know them. Avoid typos and make sure your writing is clear.
Ask for an appointment to discuss undergraduate research opportunities in their group.
Describe your interest in their research, either in the body of the email or as an attached statement of interest. Pro-tip: Do your homework first: tailor this statement to the faculty you are contacting — use the information on the research group website to inform this statement.
Let them know you are interested in meeting and learning more about their research even if they don’t have any current openings — this is a great learning opportunity and making a connection now might help find an opportunity in the future.
Get feedback from a mentor (a TA, an upperclassman, Career Services, your academic advisor, etc.) before sending the email.
The Writers Workshop has tips for how to communicate with faculty — scroll down the page to find some general advice: Emailing your professor

Find External Opportunities

As described in “How to Prepare to Be a Researcher: Investigate: Finding External Opportunities,” there are many opportunities to do research outside of the University of Illinois. If you have any questions about these opportunities, it is best to contact the program directly. Most programs have a website with contact information — don’t hesitate to send the program coordinators questions if you have them.

Here is a link to resources with tips and other things to consider as you prepare for an external opportunity.

Paid undergraduate research experiences are competitive, but don’t let that stop you from applying (and applying to several to increase your chances!). Here are some videos of past participants of various REU-like paid summer research programs talking about their experiences and why new students should consider applying:
PRECS REU (no longer running)
Illinois Physics REU
NHERI REU
CABBI RISE REU