How do I apply for research positions? When should I apply? What was your application process like? As a Research Intern at Cambridge, these are probably the questions that I’m asked most frequently. Here is my process of applying to research internships:

1. Explore labs and researchers

For example, I was interested in social psychology and behavioral economics, so I looked through a lot of universities' lists of professors and labs to identify those who researched the disciplines of my interest. I tabulated these details in a spreadsheet.

2. Make a Lab Application Tracker Spreadsheet

Create a spreadsheet with the name of the lab, the university the lab is at, the date on which you plan to email them, the date on which you plan to follow up if there is no response (usually a week to ten days later) and the lab's response to your email.

3. Make a cold email template for emailing labs

Refer to Nikita's (RA at Harvard) article about a timeline of applying for research positions and cold emails (**https://lnkd.in/dNVudimT**). Also refer to my post about the cold email template I use (Cold Email Format that got me RAships at Cambridge and LSE)

4. Email the professor/lab manager/graduate student you want to work with

Sometimes, professors and graduate students are too busy to respond. In such cases, email the lab manager and follow up accordingly.