Carnegie Mellon University

Relationships Lab

 

 

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Becoming a Research Assistant

 

 

Undergraduate students are invited to apply for research assistant positions in the Relationships Lab.  We have an average of 10-12 undergraduate research assistants working in the lab throughout the year for credit in one of two courses:

 

Research in Psychology (Psy 85-805)

 

Research Training in Social Psychology (Psy 85-198)

 

 

Students may register for these courses for the fall, spring, or summer sessions.  See below for more information.

 

 

 

 

Who should consider becoming a RA?

 

·        Students who are interested in gaining research experience

·        Students who are considering going to graduate school in Psychology

·        Students who are considering a career in research

·        Students who might want to eventually do an honors thesis in social psychology

 

 

What qualifications must RAs have?

 

·        Students must be motivated, reliable, and committed to being a part of the research team

·        It is not necessary to have prior research experience (we will train you)

·        Students must be performing well in their other courses

·        Students must be able to work in the lab for a minimum of 6-9 hours per week.

 

 

When and how long can students work in the lab?

 

·        Students are welcome to join the lab from the time they are freshmen

·        Students may join the lab for one semester or for two or more semesters

·        Some students have remained in the lab throughout their entire college education

·        Preference will be given to those students who anticipate joining for at least 2 semesters

·        Students who have worked in the lab will be given priority for conducting honors theses in their senior year

 

 

What do research assistants do in the lab?

 

·        RAs work in the lab as research apprentices

·        This means that RAs get actual, hands-on experience by assisting with ongoing projects in the lab

·        RAs assist with one or more of the following:

o       experimenting and data collection

o       coding of videotapes (behavioral observation)

o       data entry and data management

o       study design and material preparation

o       background research and library work

o       data analyses

o       presenting of research

o       attending lab meetings to discuss projects and related research

 

 

How do I join the lab?

 

·        Complete an application, which can be downloaded here

·        Contact Nataliya Rozinskiy (the lab manager) to schedule an interview

o       Email:   nrozinsk@andrew.cmu.edu

o       Phone:  412.268.8109

 

 

What other resources are available to undergraduate RAs?

 

·        RAs may apply for Small Undergraduate Research Grants

·        RAs may apply for Undergraduate Research Summer Fellowships

·        RAs may present their research at the Meeting of the Minds, the undergrad research symposium

·        Information about these opportunities may be found here:  http://www.cmu.edu/uro/