Doing Research during the Summer

meadow36 · 06-08-2008, 05:06 PM

Okay, so during the past year I have been doing some molecular biology research, and I would like to expand on it.
I would really like to continue the research during the summer. The problem is that is most labs are not going to allow high schoolers in so late.
I have some neat ideas on how to continue so I don't need a project but need an actual lab who will actually allow me to conduct those procedures with a mentor.
So my question is, how could I do this? Another problem is that I'm taking a summer course course so I will only have afternoon hours available to me.
I have two local universities, one is very prestigious,so I'm not so sure on how keen they would be on having me. Although according to my in-school mentor I have been doing very high level research. They say I should wait, but I am really anxious and can't stop thinking about it!

Thanks for any help.

BunsenBurner · 06-08-2008, 05:31 PM

meadow, I doubt any professor would be willing to simply let you in so you can work on your own things in their lab (it has something to do with safety, funding, resources, etc.). But if you show interest in the professor's current projects, s/he might be interested in you. Can you figure out which professors at those two universities are doing research similar to what you've been doing? If you get your foot in the door, work for a while, demonstrate that you are capable of doing high-level research, write a proposal and show it to the professor, then you might be allowed to work on it.

MLEVINE07 · 06-08-2008, 06:04 PM

Where have you been doing the research?

hikids · 06-08-2008, 07:41 PM

At this point I would guess it is mostly too late. Particularly if there is a program to use students. D did this for the past 2 years, and now will get paid this summer for mentoring students. So started out doing research now it has morphed into a "management" type job. This was set up some months ago by the head of the lab.

meadow36 · 06-08-2008, 10:59 PM

Thanks to everyone who responded.

I was thinking of contacting two professors at one of the universities who were also doing projects in the area I want to delve in to. Although I'm not exactly sure I would go about in writing the email. Anybody know what information one would need to include in such an email?

Although as hikids mentioned it pretty late to start contacting professors, but I'm going to try anyways since I am really passionate about research.

@MLEVINE07
I did my project through a program called the Waksman Student Scholars and unfortunately it only runs through the school year. There is a program that runs through the summer but I can't attend due to other plans. Although i'm not particularly interested in it since you can't really complete an independent project and its basically a repeat of what we do at school, nothing really new or exciting.

WayOutWestMom · 06-08-2008, 11:29 PM

I'll tell you what my D did--and she got a response or 3 and eventually an offer for a summer research volunteer position. (BTW, the response rate was quite low... I think she sent out 12-15 emails and got 3 replies--and one of those was saying thanks for asking but I have no funding for additional students.)

First, research the profs and find those whose research interests overlap your own. Address them by name.

Next Introduce yourself: I am a 10th grader at ABC School. I have been working on a research project through the XYZ Program.

Then say you're looking for summer volunteer research position.

Then tell the prof why you want to work with him/her. Ex.: I see that your current research interest area is in... I am interested in... and have done research in...

Next, tell him/her that you've done mentored research. Briefly (like in 1-2 sentences) describe your project. Briefly state your experience with the kinds of lab procedures and techniques you've done. (Again 1-2 sentences.) You may want to include your GPA and mention some relevant coursework you've taken.

List your contact info (email, phone) and offer to provide (or provide) references. (Names, emails and phone numbers.)

Close the note politely.

Customize each email so that you address each prof's research interest specifically. You don't have to rewrite everything, just the parts pertaining the specific research of each prof.
____

I will say don't be disappointed if you don't hear back. It's rather late in the year to be be looking for a position for this summer. (D started emailing in March.) Many research slots have already been filled. Also inviting a high school student into one's lab involves some hassle on the prof's part--including safety training, insurance and other liability issues, and funding.

Still, it can't hurt to ask.

hikids · 06-09-2008, 07:23 AM

Good luck, with it. You may still get something. By the way, I should have mentioned that you should hang in there. In the end my D ended up with a published paper coming out of the research she did (coauthored with the typical 8 medical folks on those sorts of articles. So if you love the research keep tryiing. It helped her.

meadow36 · 06-09-2008, 09:59 PM

once again, thanks to all who replied. I really appreciate it.

So quick question, for those who have done research around what age did you start and were allowed to work in a lab?

BunsenBurner · 06-10-2008, 03:16 PM

meadow, I know that for-profit biotech companies and many non-profit research istitutes in my area (WA) require all lab personnel to be at least 18 years old for liability reasons and to comply with the Department of Labor regulations. I'm not sure if the same holds true for the rest of the country or if it applies to university research labs.

WayOutWestMom · 06-10-2008, 04:30 PM

It doesn't apply to university laboratories and not to national governmental research labs either.

D1 spent her senior year (she had just turned 17) doing a "work experience" and project in a university-based infectious disease lab that did animal research. (Can't tell how thrilled I was when she came home the first day and announce the lab was working with the 3 H's--hanta, hepatatis and herpes. However, for liability purposes D was not able to do actual animal handling--too big of a risk of animal bites. )

Several of D2's classmates (then rising juniors) have volunteered at the local university's cancer research center over the summer. They started out doing paper shuffling and data entry, but ended up actually doing bench science.

Also our city houses of one the DOE's national research laboratories. The Lab routine hires promising math, science and computer science high school students to work there as summer interns. Summer interns have to be at least 16 and eligible for DOE security clearance.

mathmom · 06-10-2008, 07:20 PM

Most of the official lab research programs I've seen (MIT's, Rockefeller U's) are aimed at rising seniors. But I know that many students who do Intel projects start real research earlier than that.

kristin5792 · 06-10-2008, 07:28 PM

So let's recap: You did some awesome molecular biology research this school year. You really enjoyed it, you want to continue NOW, but you don't have a lab.

My opinion: You will not find a professor that will just let you use his or her lab. You will not find a lab that will just give you space. Researching nearby professors with similar interests is a very good idea. Contacting them about becoming an intern is a great idea. Even if you can't join their projects, you can at least get their opinion about yours. Chances are, you will probably have to put your actual lab time on hold. However, this doesn't mean you must stop doing the research that you like. Have you checked out pubmed.gov? Virtually all abstracts and even some full length papers and journals are published on this website. You will get lost in it for hours and it's always a good idea to learn more about your field, your topic, your subject, and your techniques. Pay attention to background information, future projections, and works cited. Are there multiple papers by the same author? This person is probably an expert in the field and would be a good resource for you. No one said you have to be in a lab with test tubes and dishes and pipettes to be doing research!

What I did: I just finished my freshman year at my university. My school runs a website for undergraduate research opportunities, so I started there. Does your local school do the same? I e-mailed a bunch of professors, got some replies, and actually only received one offer. I've been interning at my lab since October and started my project in January. It's awesome. I'm doing research and reading journals and developing new ideas over the summer by using pubmed, the internet, and some local university libraries. It's working quite well and I encourage you to do the same. Good luck!

What's your project? When are you going to college? Why research?