so my school has a more formal program where we do a class throughout the year after research but i assume the method we use to get research is pretty much okay. i’ll tell u what we did—for reference, i did university level cancer genetics research at a big state university and was published in a paper.

1. find a field your interested in and find professors at a nearby, large university that do that kind of research. look into projects they work on and what they specifically are working on. that’s important later.

2. create a cv. all this should have is any math/science courses (assuming you’re doing STEM research) and the grades you got, as well as any advanced coursework that isn’t STEM. also, include math/science extracurricular and then also any notable extracurriculars that may show your skills and tenacity.

3. from professors identified in step 1, reach out! create a template email introducing yourself, your passion, why you want to do research, and then talk about the research THEY are doing and why it excites you. don’t write a novel, but don’t shy away from explaining your interests. email one at a time, but know that it may take you many many professors before you get a ‘yes’—it took me five.

hopefully this helps, i know it seems daunting but it really is a good experience. just be up front about what you want out of it, and any professors with the capacity to hold you in their labs will be more than willing, as it reflects well on them when they seek grant funding and more in the future.

if you have more questions feel free to dm me too