Reaching Out About Research

This page gives advice for students who want to contact a professor about joining a research group as an undergraduate researcher or graduate research assistant.

Before You Email

Narrow your list to a few faculty members whose research genuinely interests you. This takes time: read websites, browse recent publications, and identify the faculty member's main research interests, applications, and methods.

Do not send form emails. Faculty can usually identify them quickly, and they rarely stand out.

Writing the Email

Use professional writing and courtesy. Keep the message brief, specific, and direct.

Good emails usually include:

• A concise statement of who you are
• Why you are interested in that specific research group
• What kind of work interests you: theory, computation, experiment, application area, methods, or tools
• Your goals for the research position
• Your CV, transcript if appropriate, and other useful application materials

Avoid:

• Flattery
• Long generic introductions
• Claims that you deeply understand papers you have only skimmed
• Questions that are already answered on the faculty member's website
• Messages focused only on how the appointment would benefit you

Reading Publications

Use publications to learn what the group does, not to show off. Browse recent papers, abstracts, and figures to understand research directions. It is fine if you do not understand everything; academic papers often take years of background to fully digest.

Be Specific

Before reaching out, be able to answer:

• Are you interested in theory, computation, experiment, or a combination?
• Do you want hands-on work, abstract modeling, code development, data analysis, or something else?
• Are your interests consistent with the group's actual work?
• Are you seeking undergraduate experience, a PhD position, a postdoc, or another role?

Research appointments should be mutually beneficial to the student and the faculty member. A focused message makes that fit easier to evaluate.