Getting started in research and creative scholarship will inevitably require you to speak with faculty members. If you’re taking a course with a faculty member that you would like to speak with, you can arrange to visit with them during their scheduled office hours. If you discover a faculty member through a search of their online profile, you can attempt to reach out to them via email to schedule an appointment.
Contacting Faculty
We know that contacting a faculty member for the first time can be a little intimidating, so we have put together a UROP – sample email to faculty that you can use as a template. Regardless of which method you select, it is important to be prepared before contacting and meeting with faculty. Below is some basic guidance:
- Always be professional, courteous, and follow-through.
- Perform your due diligence and read up on the faculty member. Know their background and research interests.
- Between teaching, performing their own research, and keeping up with other commitments, faculty members are busy. So when you make appointments and commitments with them, make sure to show up or provide ample notice that you won’t be able to.
- Your time is valuable too. Between courses, studying, extra-curricular activities, and work, students are incredibly busy as well. So come prepared with specific questions and a general idea about your general goals and the amount of time that you will be able to commit to research.
During the meeting make sure to take notes and write down any key pieces of advice.
The goal for this initial meeting should be to learn more about the research they are doing and develop a relationship with them. If the meeting goes well, you can inquire with them about potential research opportunities. That said, the timing may not be right, their may not be positions available, or there may be other reasons why it's not feasible at this time. This is a fairly common outcome, so be prepared to move on to other options.
Once you find your way into a research project, it's time to explore the grant and fellowship programs available to students to support their research activities.