How do I get involved?

There are many ways to get involved with undergraduate research at Florida State University. Remember, you do not need a scientific background to explore research opportunities.

Steps that you can take to preparing for a research experience.

1. What interests you? Make a list of your interests, even though they may not all be related to your major.
2. Look for research opportunities in these areas. Visit department and college websites as a starting point.
3. Start doing some research of your own into the faculty members in your department or college, or the department in which you want to do research. See what kinds of work they are doing. See what is of interest to you. It is never too early to make contact with a professor. Plus when you have taken the time to look into their work, it is far easier to approach a professor with a specific question or observation about their work. Visit the professor’s website, and go to their office hours. If they are unable to accommodate your request, ask if they could suggest and other faculty members who may be a good match for your interests.
4. Take liberal studies courses in areas that you may be interested in doing research.
5. Talk to your academic advisor about how research is done for course credit in your department or college
6. Attend department, college, and university research presentations (invited lectures, dissertation and thesis defenses) to get an idea of the breadth of the research being done at Florida State University. Talk to other students who are doing research in the field that interests you.
7. In the sciences, look to get involved with a research lab as early as possible. Many professors need help in their labs cleaning up and organizing materials. If you do this for a couple of semesters, then you will already know the lay of the lab when you are ready to begin research

Note on Human and Animal Subjects:

There are special requirements for research projects that will involve human or animal subjects. Students who will be working with human or animal subjects should consult with their research advisor to see if approval for their project must be sought from the Institutional Review board (IRB) in the Office of Research.