Whether you are just learning what undergraduate research is or planning to pursue your first postgraduate research opportunity, the secret to an effective search is to identify the topic or problem you want to learn more about and the professionals you want to work with. Deadlines for applications are likely in January – February for undergraduate research but require attention in November and December. Post-graduate research opportunity deadlines can vary – some are posted in the Fall and some are posted in late Spring,once funding is clear for the next year.
Find a Research Mentor
Find a research mentor who can help you find the opportunities you may be interested in. Start with the Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships and the information below.
Learn and Reflect
When doing undergraduate research at Bucknell, learn the skills, tools and expectations, and in some cases, how to publish and present your research. Reflect on your experience to determine if you want to keep doing research and, if so, the topics that continue to interest you.
Seek Out Organizations
Seek out the organizations that may be focused on the topic of interest — they may be universities, private companies, non-profits or foundations. Use the employers section in Handshake to identify potential organizations and research resources related to your discipline, such as the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs). Your research mentor or a career coach in the Center for Career Advancement (CCA) can help you identify more ways to find potential employers.
Seek Out Advertised Opportunities
Start with Handshake but also look through professional associations for the discipline or topic you are interested in. Check with your mentor or a career coach in the CCA for assistance in finding more opportunities.
Seek Funding
Seek funding for your proposed research project. When you know enough about what problem you want to solve, you can take an alternative approach of creating a proposal for funding that can be submitted, along with your proposed mentor, through Bucknell, or it can be part of an application for funding to a fellowship or organization. Utilize your mentor and the Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships to learn more.
Finding a Research Mentor at Bucknell
by Margaret Marr, former Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships
So, you’d like to engage in co-curricular research (which includes creative projects) at Bucknell and you know you need a faculty or staff member to mentor you. How do you find that research mentor?
Network
Use your network (yes, you have one here!) to find a mentor. Let people who might be able to help you know that you are interested in doing research, including any ideas you have about what sort of research that would be. Who are those people?
- Your academic advisor — they know faculty across disciplines. So, even though you are talking to a geologist, they can help you find a poet, or a historian, for example, for you to reach out to.
- Other faculty you know. Maybe you have taken their course or they advise a club you are in. They can help. Ask them.
- Department chairs — perhaps you know you’d like to do research in a particular discipline, but aren’t sure what your options are. That department’s chair might be able to help you.
- Older students — your RA, OA or pre-orientation leader, for example, may have experience conducting research or know other students who have. Reach out to them.
- Reference librarians — subject area reference librarians are often familiar with faculty in the subjects they cover. They can also help with the research below.
Networking, and building a strong network, can help make your dreams come true. Start making connections today.
Research
The internet has lots of information that can help you. Search it. Here are some strategies:
- Search bucknell.edu — use the search function on bucknell.edu to search for the topic you want to conduct research in. Most all faculty have a page that includes information about their research interests. The subject that you are interested in might have been the subject of an article on Bucknell’s website, too, which could help you find other students and staff interested in your topic.
- Search a department’s faculty on bucknell.edu — if you are interested in conducting research in a particular discipline, you can read that department’s faculty webpages to see what their research interests are.
- Search the course catalog and schedule of classes — if Bucknell has a class that covers what you are interested in, the course instructor(s) or someone they recommend might consider serving as your mentor. Find the course instructor(s) through the schedule of classes.
- Use your internet browser to find Bucknell faculty and staff interested in your subject area.
Reach Out (after doing your research)
Now that you have identified potential research mentors, reach out — but avoid sending a generic email. Do your research first. Read the potential mentors’ recent publications. Learn about their current projects.Then send a targeted email to each one. Explain how you are familiar with their work, why it is interesting to you, what you have already done to explore that topic (relevant courses, reading, other research or internships), and then ask if they would be willing to talk with you about their work and explore the possibility of working together.
Many hundreds of students have succeeded in finding research mentors; you can too! Please let us know if the Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships can be of further assistance to you.
