Step 1: Identify your Research Interests
• List the general research areas that interest you
• Navigate the engineering department websites to help you pinpoint different research areas.
• Don't limit yourself to your major! Grainger Engineering departmental webpages are listed below, but you can also search outside of engineering.
Aerospace Engineering
Agricultural & Biological Engineering
Bioengineering
Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Computer Science
Electrical & Computer Engineering
Industrial & Enterprise Systems Engineering
Materials Science & Engineering
Mechanical Science & Engineering
Nuclear, Plasma, & Radiological Engineering
Physics
Step 2: Talk to People in your Network
• Ask peers who already have mentors or are working in research labs for advice on how to get involved in research
• Talk to professors you have or had courses with; they may have information about opportunities to join their research group or another professor's group
• Talk to graduate students, such as past or current TAs
Step 3: Gather Materials and Prepare
• Put together a resume. Visit the UIUC Career Center Website for tips on how to craft an effective resume.
• List the courses you have taken that would be relevant to doing research in your area of interest
• List the courses you plan to take in the next two semesters
• List your skills that could be useful to the research lab
Step 4: Identify professors whose research aligns with your interest(s)
• Check out our faculty research matrices to get a glimpse of the faculty in each engineering department and what research area(s) they are apart of
• Utilize the web: get to know the professors in your department/program and visit their research group websites
• Know professors' research interests and areas of expertise
• Take note of who to contact about joining the lab
Step 4: Identify professors whose research aligns with your interest(s)
• Check out our faculty research matrices to get a glimpse of the faculty in each engineering department and what research area(s) they are apart of
• Utilize the web: get to know the professors in your department/program and visit their research group websites
• Know professors' research interests and areas of expertise
• Take note of who to contact about joining the lab
Step 5: Contact professors
• Send an email expressing your interest of working their research group.
• This email should include the following: major, year, relevant courses, skills, interests, goals, etc.
• Be sure to relate their research to your own interests, inform them if you are applying to an undergraduate research program, and attach your completed resume
• Keep the email concise
• You can also stop by during a professor's office hours
• Follow up with an email or a visit to their office if you have not received a reply
Three Possible Outcomes
1. You do not receive a response.
• Remember that faculty are very busy and might not have had the time to respond to your email
• Send a follow-up email at least a week after sending the original email
2. You are told "no."
• This is more common than you may think
• Move on to contacting another professor - all you need is one "yes"
3. You are asked for an interview.
• Prepare in advance by reviewing the same ideas you put in the email
• Generate a short list of questions
• If the interview is in-person, bring a printed copy of your resume
• After the interview, send a "thank you" email to demonstrate your interest
