Navigating Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate research at Cornell rarely follows a single path. This roadmap will help you prepare for research, find opportunities, connect with potential mentors, and determine how to structure and fund your experience.
Office of Inclusive Excellence Scholar working in a lab

The Undergraduate Research Roadmap

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

Step Four

Step One: Preparing for Research

The process of finding undergraduate research opportunities focuses on identifying options that align with your interests, goals, and availability. Taking a little time to think through what you’re looking for will help you focus your search, write stronger outreach emails, and choose a research group that’s a good fit.

Questions to Ask As You Explore Research Opportunities

Before you can find and secure a research position that will provide you with the skills and experiences you need, you must figure out: what do you want to gain from doing research? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you to focus your search as you look for research groups to join, prepare to approach faculty research mentors, and answer questions when you interview with faculty or research groups.

Writing or speaking out loud are effective ways to turn nebulous ideas into concrete thoughts. Write down or speak your answers to these questions.

  • Am I Ready for Research?

    • Have you completed at least one semester at Cornell?
    • Are you comfortable with your academic load and confident that adding an additional responsibility will not significantly impact your academic performance?
    • Do you have six to 10 hours available during the work week in at least two-hour time blocks between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
    • Are you able to commit to a consistent, weekly schedule for at least one semester?
    • Are you excited to do research?

  • Why do you want to do research?

    • Do you expect research to prepare you for a particular career path or is it part of your exploration?
    • What are three to six skills you want to gain or improve during your research experience? Think broadly. Consider engineering or scientific skills, communication, teamwork, and leadership.
    • Are there technical skills you would like to learn?
    • Are there specific topics or areas of study that you are interested in exploring? Thinking about your favorite ideas from courses can be a good way to start.

  • Are you interested in applied or basic research?

    • Applied research has immediate implications for the world we live in. Applied research can be right for you if you need to know why a topic is useful in order for you to be interested in learning about it.
    • Basic research may or may not have applications. If it does have applications, they may be either in the short term or very distant future. Basic research may be right for you if you are interested in learning about a topic for the sake of expanding your knowledge or deepening our understanding of the world.

  • Are you able to commit an appropriate amount of time to get involved in research?

    • How many hours do you want to commit to research each week?
    • Do you have blocks of time available? If so, for how many hours and when?
    • Are you able to commit to a research group for an entire semester (before you decide to continue or not)?

  • How are you interested in being compensated for your research?

    • Pay
    • Course credit (and consider graded or S/U)
    • Volunteering

Research for Credit, Pay, or Volunteer

Undergraduate research experiences vary from student to student. Understanding the differences between volunteering, earning academic credit, and paid research can help you choose the option that best fits your goals.

  • Research for Credit

    Students may earn credit for research in most engineering departments, but enrollment follows specific rules and timelines.

    Learn more about when and how to enroll, how research credit relates to pay, and how to balance research with your course load.

  • Paid Research

    Many students receive wages through faculty grants, Federal Work Study, research grants, or scholar programs. Funding availability differs by research group. After joining a research group, you will discuss available funding options with your faculty mentor.

    Explore the funding opportunities available to undergraduate researchers at Duffield Engineering.

  • Research Volunteering

    Many students begin research by volunteering, particularly when joining a research group mid-semester makes enrolling for credit impractical. It’s a low-barrier way to get started and demonstrate reliability to a potential mentor. However, formalizing the experience through credit or pay creates a structured agreement between student and faculty that often leads to a more substantive experience for everyone involved.

Step Two: Finding Research Opportunities

Step Three: Connecting with Potential Research Mentors

Once you’ve identified research groups that interest you, the next step is reaching out to faculty. Most undergraduate researchers find positions through direct outreach, so a thoughtful, personalized message can make a strong first impression.

  • Prepare Before You Reach Out

    • Read the researcher’s website or the abstract of one or more papers.
    • Create or update your resume. Refer to Cornell Career Services for support, if needed.

  • Writing Your First Email

    Send an introductory message expressing your interest in their research.

    1. Start with a professional greeting (Dear Dr. or Professor X).
    2. Introduce yourself with your name, class year, and major.
    3. Explain why you are interested in their research – be specific! Generic emails do not get much attention.
    4. Mass emailing faculty does not work.
    5. Share why you are a good fit for the research group by providing more information about yourself. Describe your experiences (non-research experiences are great!).
    6. Emails should be concise; limit yourself to one to three paragraphs.
    7. End with a question. Ask to meet to discuss their research or getting involved in their field.

  • What if You Don’t Hear Back?

    • Send a follow-up message in 10 to 14 days.
    • Connect with a graduate student or post-doc in the group to ask their advice.
    • Visit faculty during their office hours.
    • Remember: It’s okay to contact multiple faculty members at the same time. Consider making it a goal to contact two to three faculty members per week.

Need feedback on your outreach?

Before sending your email, ask someone to review it.

  • Ask for feedback from an advisor, professor, TA, or peer with whom you are most comfortable.

  • Schedule an appointment on Chatter with Engineering Advising or the Cornell Career Services.

  • Email or speak with your faculty advisor, professor, and current undergraduate researchers.

Tobias Hanrath and Anjali Asthagiri work in the lab

  • Meeting with Potential Faculty Mentors

    A meeting with a prospective faculty mentor is a two-way conversation. You’re learning about the research group while the mentor is learning about you. Your goal isn’t simply to join. It’s to find an environment where you’ll learn, contribute, and thrive.

Preparing for the Meeting

Before you meet with your prospective mentor, be sure you can articulate why you’re interested in their work specifically and research in general. Practice saying it out loud.

  • Questions You May be Asked

    • Describe your previous professional experiences. This could be jobs, previous research (not required!), volunteering, or participation in teams or clubs.
    • How do you balance academics with participation in other activities?
    • How do you respond to conflict, stress, or uncomfortable situations?
    • Give an example of when you learned something independently.
    • Why are you interested in this research group?
    • What are your career goals? (It’s OK to be undecided!)

Prepare a list of questions to ask the mentor(s). These can be about research or the lab structure (e.g., what do undergrads do each day?). Only ask questions you’re sincerely curious about. Here are a few example questions to ask a prospective mentor that have been adapted from the National Institute of Health.

  • Example Questions to Ask Current Research Group Members

    • What are the faculty’s expectations of undergraduates
    • What is a typical day like in this research group?
    • How often do you meet with the faculty mentor? What are the meetings like? If you do not meet regularly with the faculty, who do you meet with?
    • Do the faculty and other mentors answer email or other communications from members of the group?
    • How was your orientation and initial training handled? Who helped you in the process?
    • What happens when the faculty mentor gets frustrated?
    • What happens when people in the group make mistakes? What happens when the faculty makes mistakes?
    • What do you enjoy about working in the research group? What don’t you enjoy?
    • Does the faculty and others respect the undergraduates in the group? Do they listen to them and offer constructive feedback?
    • How does the faculty mentor deal with conflict between group members?
    • How many hours per week do people typically work? Do people have flexibility in setting their schedules?

Lastly, be prepared to talk about time commitment. Bring your schedule. You do not need to understand technical details of their research or have read several of their papers.

“What’s most exciting about my research is that I get to see the quantum devices take shape, from a simple substrate to a complete device. I enjoy learning about all the steps that allow me to get to that final result. Cornell offers me the opportunities I need in the environment that I want. ”

Aloyse Maille ’27
Aloyse, an undergraduate student, gathers supplies in the Cornell Nanoscale Facility clean room.

Step Four: Apply for Credit, or Find Funding

Once you’ve found a research opportunity, discuss with your faculty mentor how the experience will be structured. Depending on the research group, your goals, and available funding, you may participate for academic credit, for pay, or as a volunteer.

Get in Touch

Questions about undergraduate research? We’re here to help.