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CHAPTER 2

Finding the Right Research Position for You

2.1 SOCIETAL IMPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY

Engineers help to shape the world and our personal experiences in it. Engineering design and research impacts nearly every aspect of our lives: the indoor plumbing and sanitary systems we take for granted, the transportation vehicles and networks we utilize to move about our communities and the world, the structures we live and work in, our communication and entertainment systems, the power production and distribution networks we rely on, and the medications and devices that keep us healthy, just to name a few. Engineers also have the ability to address the grand challenges that face society and improve the human condition by doing so. These challenges exist throughout the array of human experience, from ensuring a stable food supply and clean drinking water for the world’s population, to the further development of artificial intelligence and treatment of neurological disease by reverse engineering the brain.

It is an exciting and important moment in human history for engineers. The world depends on us, both to maintain our current standard of living and to innovate in new and unprecedented ways to bring us into a better future. We have the capability and the responsibility.

ASSIGNMENT 2-1:INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT – YOUR ENGINEERING GRAND CHALLENGE

Read the National Academy of Engineering’s “Grand Challenges for Engineering” list¹ and identify the challenge most closely related to your research interests. Summarize the challenge and describe the ways in which research in your field of study have already impacted this topic and how you imagine future research can make an impact on this challenge topic.

2.2 IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH PROJECT

Sometime students think that in order to engage in research you have to come up with the idea yourself at the very start. This is quite a challenge if you are new to a field and have little prior experience with research. Identifying a research project that you can undertake usually involves a very different process. Experienced researchers are often looking for students to help them with new and ongoing research projects. So, what you are actually seeking is a match between your interests and existing research projects that are available.

Student Perspective

“[R]esearch never really ‘ends.’ What I mean by this is that even when a group gets a paper published on an experiment it doesn’t end there. Frequently, the group continues to do research on the same topic using the ideas and results from their last paper. I guess this does make sense to me, but again it was something I never really thought about. In some way, I suppose I assumed that after one project was finished, they would look for something new and exciting. But, once an experiment is completed, there is almost always further research to be done to learn even more about the topic.”

Whether you are an undergraduate student or a graduate student, you should enter into a research project that meshes well with your interests. Don’t just take on a project for the money or because it is the first one offered to you. Cast your net wide and look for a variety of projects that might fit your interests as well as a research mentor who would be a good match for your personality and needs. After you find the right research project to pursue, your intrinsic interest will motivate you through the difficult parts and ultimately help you to be more successful.

In order to identify research projects and mentors that are a good fit, first identify the areas of engineering that interest you. Explore your options by reading about current research in those areas and talking to people who have experience with ongoing research. Utilize a variety of sources including websites and recently published journal papers. As you begin to identify individual faculty members you might be able to work with, try to engage in face-to-face or email conversations with these potential research mentors. It is easy to be energized by someone’s enthusiasm for their work, but don’t fixate on the first thing you learn about. Look broadly and determine what options might be available to you. Even if you are entering a summer research opportunity, rather than a new degree program, often there are choices of projects available to you and faculty mentors within the program that you can identify as your top choices.

Some people stumble across the perfect research position immediately, but often students need to make some effort to both identify potential research mentors and find ones who are willing to add you to their research group. Often available research funding can be a barrier. If you are an undergraduate student looking for research experience, you might choose to do this work for credit rather than pay. That option may open additional opportunities that would otherwise not be possible. Graduate students frequently have the challenge of finding a good match between their interests and the funding available for a research assistantship. If you have obtained a fellowship, this becomes less of an issue, but most students will need to find support either as a research assistant or a teaching assistant.

Consider these strategies if you are having difficulty obtaining a research position.

• Cast a wide net so that you don’t limit your options too severely up front.

• Be as flexible with your research interests as is reasonable.

• Consult with faculty you have taken classes from; ask about openings they may know of or colleagues they would recommend.

• Seek out new faculty (e.g., assistant professors) who may be looking to grow their research group.

• Identify research centers or facilitates that may have positions available.

After you have explored what is available to you, some introspection will be called for. If you find that you have developed a keen interest that is not represented at your institution, you may have to consider making a change. As an undergraduate, you can consider looking for summer research opportunities elsewhere, transferring to another institution, and/or pursuing your later graduate studies at an institution with a better fit with your interests. As a graduate student, hopefully you will have taken on this exploration while looking for the right graduate school for you, but, if you find yourself at an institution where your interests are not represented, you have to make some decisions. Stay or go elsewhere? Some programs allow for a “coursework only” Master’s degree that you can finish up more quickly so that you can move on to another institution sooner. If you can find a research project peripherally related to your interests, you might want to consider pursuing this for your Master’s degree research and then make a change when you begin your Ph.D. or first industry position. This is not as unusual as you might think. I have known many students who have made a significant change after their Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Their prior experience is not a waste, they will be able carry their skills and knowledge forward and may be able to use them in unanticipated ways.

Some students find themselves paralyzed at having to choose which research project they will take on. If you find research areas at your institution that excite you—which is often the case—you may find that you have more options that you expected. The important thing to remember is that it does not have to be a decision you are married to forever. Although it is likely that your research career will be related to the general area of study you are currently pursuing, it is also likely that your research career will be long and varied. The research I did as an undergraduate was in the same basic field as my graduate work, but not thoroughly connected to it. Also, the specific research I did for my master’s degree was different from my Ph.D. (and different from what I do now as a faculty member). You can choose to stay in the same area or you can use the skills you have learned in related areas. You will find that much of what you gain in both your coursework and research experience is transferable and can be used in other areas of engineering application.

There are often opportunities to move around and try new things as you progress in your studies and career. Technology also moves quickly, so even if you begin your career in a particular specialty area, it is likely that you will have to learn and expand your expertise over time. Outside of academia, change is even more common—switching between companies or organizations, working in different positions—and often require different competencies and your own personal career management.² Most researchers, even faculty researchers, change their research focus over the course of their careers even if they stay at the same institution.

Who your research mentor will be is as important as the topic of your research project. Research mentor fit is often overlooked, but as Megan Poorman, GradHacker blogger, points out: “Choose your mentor wisely: this is the biggest factor in your job satisfaction and degree progress. Your advisor sets the tone for the lab and can either help or hinder your professional development and your research progress. Find someone with whom you can communicate and who will be on your side, looking out for your best interests. I would choose the mentor over the research project. Obviously, you should be excited about the research, but projects change and morph over time, your mentor likely will not. Choose wisely.³”

A Research Mentor Who Wants You to Succeed

Some of the proudest moments in my professional life have been because of the success of my students, either currenter or former. When they give a fantastic research presentation, earn a prestigious award, win a fellowship, get their dream job, or achieve the promotion that they were seeking, I feel great pride. I hope that in some way I have helped them to make these successes for themselves. Although I have been described variously as sympathetic, supportive, and demanding as a research mentor, these are consistent descriptions, given that my goal is to figure out the needs of each of my students and help them to be their best and achieve their goals. But when it comes right down to it, each individual is their own person figuring out who they are and who they want to be. You need to find the right research mentor for you who will help you be your best and work towards your goals.

Consider some of the following questions when you are interacting with potential research mentors.

• How much time and attention do you need and does it match with the potential research mentor’s availability?

• Does this individual provide the following to their research students:

– constructive feedback?

– assistance in setting realistic goals?

– feedback about expectations?

– information about funding opportunities?

– professional development opportunities and connections?

– aid with the job search?

• Do you need someone who will be encouraging and nurturing or are you more comfortable with a higher level of autonomy and independence?

• Do more experienced students and the graduates from the research mentor’s group develop professional independence and transition to the status of junior colleague?

• If you are interested in a particular career outcome after your degree, will this mentor be able to support this interest and help to launch you on this trajectory?

Even when you find the “perfect fit,” it is important to realize that you will need to develop other mentors beyond your primary research mentor throughout your research experience. The pool of possible mentors is large and includes other faculty members, research staff members, postdoctoral researchers, as well as other students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Student Perspective

“Other goals that might help me to become an independent researcher include making sure to seek the advice of the experienced researchers and research mentors I may work with in the future, and staying honest with myself about who I am and what I want. Taking guidance from mentors and forming close relationships with them seems to me to be one of the main ways people find their place in the research world. Mentors know how the research world works and can give good advice to young researchers on what steps to take to get where they ultimately want to be. This is where the second goal is important. I want to remain conscientious about where my path leads me and to make sure at all times that I am not being funneled into an area or profession that will be unfulfilling. I don’t want to look back in my middle ages and wonder what happened.”

ASSIGNMENT 2-2:GROUP ACTIVITY – RESEARCH INTERVIEWS WITH OTHER STUDENTS

Overview: This activity will give you the opportunity to find out about the research that others are interested in and express your own interests about research. The objectives for this activity depend on your prior experience.

1. For students with research experience: you will have the opportunity to practice your communication skills in the context of the research you are conducting and reflect on the progress you have made as a researcher.

2. For students inexperienced with research: the interviews will give you the opportunity to learn more about the kinds of research being undertaken on your campus. The in-class interview activity should also help to increase your comfort level when talking to potential faculty research mentors outside of class.

Preparation: be sure take time to think about the following in preparation for the interviews.

For students inexperienced with research:

• Brainstorm questions that you might ask. (Note: you will be doing more than one interview and you will be conducting interviews with students having different levels of research experience.)

• Some suggested started questions might include the following:

– What is your area of research?

– How did you get involved with the research are you are currently working in?

– Has your research experience been what you expected?

– Have you run into any stumbling blocks in your research? How did you overcome them?

– What approaches would you suggest for finding a research project?

• You will need to listen actively and do your best to ask probing follow-up questions based upon hearing the initial response.

For students experienced with research:

• Consider the starter questions posed above and what you feel would be the most valuable information to discuss with a student inexperienced with research.

• Use the strategies discussed in Chapter 7 to organize your thoughts.

ASSIGNMENT 2-3:INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT – PROFESSIONALISM IN EMAIL INTERACTIONS

There will be many occasions throughout your research career where you will need to initiate contact with someone via email. This is an important opportunity for you to make a good first impression by displaying professionalism in your email communications. It can be a big mistake to approach this initial interaction casually or sloppily.

Write precisely and clearly so that your meaning is understood. It is not appropriate to include emoticons or emoji, but you want to be sure that your message comes across with the right tone. Don’t use humor or sarcasm. Check your spelling and grammar. Err on the side of formality. The person reading the email will make a lot of assumptions about you based on the limited information that the email contains. You want to ensure these assumptions are as positive as possible.

The message should begin with a salutation. “Dear Prof. Smith” is appropriate, “Hey” is not. State your request up front. Tell the person who you are and why you are making this request. Indicate how you would like to follow up (e.g., “I would appreciate it if we could set up a meeting. I am available….”, or “Thank you in advance for your reply.”) Your message should include enough information to be clear, but not be so long that it will not be read.

At the bottom of your message you should have a signature block with your contact information. Something simple like the following will suffice:

Ima N. Gineer

Undergraduate Student, Engineering Mechanics Program

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Cell: 999-999-9999

Your assignment is to compose an email to a faculty member using the above guidance. This message should do one of the following.

• Request an opportunity to meet and discuss the research being undertaken in their research group.

• Identify a research question related to a published journal article that you have read and request guidance on what additional follow up reading might help you to answer your question.

• Inquire about the availability of a research position.

• Pose a question about an area of content of a course you are currently taking and request their guidance.

• Inquire about an interesting course that you anticipate they will teach in the future.

ASSIGNMENT 2-4:INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT – CONVERSATIONS WITH POTENTIAL FACULTY RESEARCH MENTORS

STEP 1: Identify five faculty members you will contact about research projects. In addition to identifying their name and research interests, find their contact information, including email address, phone number, and office hours.

STEP 2: Summarize the area of research that each faculty member specializes in. Look for a recent news article, webpage summary, or journal publication to give yourself a bit more background about their work. Note that often faculty research interests change over time although web pages may not be revised frequently, but this information will at least provide you with some relevant background about their research interests.

STEP 3: Draft an email of introduction. Use professional language, including the appropriate salutation (e.g., Dear Prof. Smith). Consider attaching a resume showing your prior work experience—even if your work experience is not research-related, it shows that you can hold a job and perform it reliably. Indicate in your message how you will follow up with contacting them (e.g., I plan to visit your office hours next week so that I can learn more about your current research interests). After using spell check, send your emails.

STEP 4: Follow through with your follow up! Ideally you should talk to the faculty members you have contacted either in person or by phone. Come to the conversation prepared to do the following:

• Describe what you find interesting about the research they have done.

• Discuss your experience and interests.

• Ask about their current research and future research interests.

• Specify what you are hoping for as a result of the conversation.

2.3 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES

If you want to learn about research, it is a great idea to start early while you are an undergraduate student. There are many advantages to doing research as an undergraduate—you can learn about the process of research to determine if this is something you are interested in doing more of, you can try out a particular research area to see if it is something you would like to pursue further, and you can gain some basic research experiences that will be to your advantage when you apply to graduate programs.

Student Perspective

“This experience [as an undergraduate researcher] was a valuable one. It taught me a lot about myself and what I really wanted to do and was interested in. It also gave me a great look at one style of lab organization in terms of people and project roles within the group. I was able to work on and realize the importance of networking and general looking out for myself in research.”

The types of research positions available for undergraduates on university campuses vary. They range from “bottle washer” positions to those that involve doing an independent research project. Often it is the case that a research position is a combination of different tasks at a variety of levels, from glamorous to tedious. (Someone must wash the glassware, right?) Undergraduates are often hired into research labs to help out with some of the work that might be a little bit more routine, but these are still great research opportunities because it allows you to learn about the work taking place in that research group and gives you the potential to work your way up, and take on more responsibility, as you prove yourself to be capable and dependable. Additionally, undergraduate research is usually a bit lower stress and forgiving of failure.

Student Perspective

“I think one of the main expectations that the group has for me is that I’m not afraid of failure. By this, I mean that the project I’m working on has never been done the way they are asking me to do it. Because I am not a Ph.D. or Master’s student, I am the perfect person to conduct the experiment because I don’t have any pressure to produce publishable results and I’ll be able to focus more on the research at hand. Although they do have high hopes for the project I’m working on, I won’t have the pressure that the typical Ph.D. or Master’s student would have. So, I guess my biggest goal for my project is to produce results that the group can do something with. But, also to be optimistic if they don’t always turn out as I had hoped.”

Many undergraduates find meaningful research experiences on their home campus. There are a variety of different ways to connect in with research, and a variety of ways that you can go about getting compensated beyond the experience you will gain. You can look for jobs that are paid positions. These range from entry-level positions that pay minimum wage to more high-paying positions that use your technical skills. This may begin as a part-time job, where you are assisting with day-to-day needs in a laboratory and grow into a research experience as you develop your skills and show initiative. Or, you may have the opportunity to conduct research for credit. For instance, as an independent study project under the supervision of a faculty member. Some campuses also offer scholarship or fellowship opportunities connected to research. Often these kinds of opportunities will allow you to propose a specific research project with a research mentor and apply for some funding to complete that research activity. If you have a research area(s) in mind that you would like to get experience with, you might be able to find a research group working in that area that would be willing to let you attend group meetings and/or spend time shadowing a graduate student. Your academic advisor will be able to give you information about the options available to you on your campus and how to go about pursuing them.

In all of these cases, you need to be able to devote enough time to do the research to make it worthwhile for both you and your research mentor. I suggest that you need to devote at least 10 hours per week so that you can spend enough time to become competent and productive. That also means putting in time every week in order to make research progress. In a paid position you will be paid by the hour. If you are getting course credit the expectation is usually a minimum of 45 hours per semester credit. If you assume a standard length semester and three credits of research, this would be roughly equivalent to 10 hours per week. At the end of the semester you will likely need to produce some kind of document, like a report or poster, which summarizes your research project and the progress that you have made.

Now the question is how to find a research position. The first thing you want to do, before you start sending emails and knocking on doors, is to figure out what kind of research is of most interest to you. Take a look at what kind of research is being conducted on your campus. The websites of faculty members, research groups, and research centers can provide useful information, but keep in mind that the research projects that are actively being conducted may not be represented on the website yet. Although the projects being discussed on the website may not be ongoing, it should still give you a flavor for the type of research being done in that research group.

The next task is to prepare yourself: put together a professional-looking resume. If you don’t know where to start, the career services office will likely have helpful information, and possibly even workshops to assist you in creating a resume to highlight your experiences and skills. You also need to be prepared to talk to a faculty member about your research interests, as well as your background and capabilities. You should not just show up and say “Hi, I want a job.” You need to be able to articulate your interest in the research area that faculty member is engaged in, and talk about the qualities and capabilities that you could bring to the research group. You may not think you have much to talk about without prior research experience, but you may have qualities like dependability, skills that you have developed through hobbies, and background that you have obtained in courses, that you can speak about.

It is likely, however, that having access to these kinds of opportunities will require some persistence on your part. Research positions for undergraduates on most campuses are relatively rare. If you throw up your hands and give up at the first obstacle, you will be unlikely to find the sort of experience that you are interested in. This is also good preparation for doing research, because doing research will require persistence and the ability to work your way around the roadblocks that appear.

There are a variety of strategies that you could employ and you should begin with the one you feel most comfortable with.

• One way to initiate contact is to send an email of introduction with your resume as an attachment. Even if you don’t hear back from the faculty member right away, you can then follow up during the faculty member’s office hours.

• You can talk to your academic advisor to find out if they have a suggestion for who may have research openings that you can apply for.

• You may have friends and classmates who are already involved in research. You can talk to them about whether there are openings in their research group, and if they would make an introduction to their research mentor on your behalf.

• You can talk to professors you have taken classes from and have done well in. They might have a research opening, or they might be able to suggest who would.

• Use your network. Talk to people about your interests and what you would like to do. You never know, the person you see on the bus every day, or the person you know from your soccer club, might be just the contact you were looking for!

Expect that it will take more than one contact attempt with a prospective research mentor, as well as more than one potential research mentor on your contact list.

Student Perspective

“I tried once again to reach this professor through email, but realized that I’d have to try for an in-person meeting if I was going to get anywhere. I quickly learned that this professor was extremely busy. I spent a lot of time that semester waiting in the hallway to meet with him. After more than a month of rescheduled or missed meetings, I got an interview and soon began work … I think the clearest lesson I learned during the process of getting [a research position] was that sometimes you have to be a little impertinent to get noticed.”

An alternative or additional way to gain research experience as an undergraduate is to apply for a summer undergraduate research program. These are often called research experiences for undergraduates, but they have various titles and are offered by a number of different organizations. For instance, the National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsors numerous research experiences for undergraduate (REU) programs around the country, mainly based at university campuses. Several national laboratories offer summer research opportunities, such as the Sandia National Lab Summer Internships and the NIST Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). There are also a few international opportunities to do research such as the DAAD Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE) that sponsors U.S. student to go to Germany for research opportunities. In your conversations with your academic advisor and professors, you can ask about summer opportunities that they might know of at other campuses and institutions.

These summer programs are almost always paid opportunities and there is usually some coverage for living expenses. The quality of the research experience can vary, so you will want to be sure that the ones you are applying to provide authentic experiences in research. Look into the range of different things that might be available to you. If you are persistent about seeking them out, you are likely to find a really great research position.

Regardless of the specifics of the position, and how it is compensated, you should approach it in a professional manner. Once you obtain a research position you need to be responsible with how you conduct yourself and how you take on the work. Ideally, you will also show initiative by thinking creatively and innovatively about the details of the project. As you exhibit these traits within a research setting, you be given more responsibility as time goes on. If your contributions are not noticed, then you need to point them out and ask for more responsibility so that you can show what you are capable of contributing. Research shows that that being proactive is directly linked to career success and satisfaction.⁴

Sometimes You Don’t Have to Make a Choice

One of my undergraduate advisees, who is already engaged in an extensive on-campus research experience, is now thinking about the tradeoffs between gaining more research experience in a different area through a summer research program vs. studying abroad. It’s a tough choice, but my main piece of advice is that she may not need to choose. It may be possible for all of it to happen, just over a larger time span than she originally imagined.

It is easier, and more common, to study abroad as an undergraduate than as a graduate student. However, it is possible to put off study abroad without giving up the opportunity all together. I spent a semester in Australia as a graduate student, but I had to independently organize it rather than join an orchestrated program with multiple students. There are pluses and minuses to the differences in those experiences, but both will give you an opportunity to immerse yourself in another culture.

Summer research experiences can be a great way to get experience with another area of research and another institution. If there is a specific area of research you are interested in exploring a bit more prior to graduate school, you can look for a program at a different institution that would provide you with an experience related to your interests.

The other consideration may be money. Summer research programs usually pay several thousand dollars and sometimes provide you with a place to live. Study abroad programs are generally something you must fund yourself as an undergraduate student. (There are some exceptions, with a few scholarships that are available, and funding opportunities for graduate students to do research abroad.)

2.4 THE GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICATION PROCESS

2.4.1 IS GRADUATE SCHOOL RIGHT FOR YOU?

Graduate school is an excellent way to continue your education, deepen your engineering skills, and open yourself to other career opportunities. However, graduate school should not be viewed as simply an extension of your undergraduate studies. In most cases, earning a Master’s degree or Ph.D. will take more than a few extra classes. Particularly for the Ph.D., it takes an interest in and serious commitment to research. When considering applying to graduate school, examine your motivations. Because you are not sure what to do next, don’t want to venture into the “real world” yet, or think the job market is tough are NOT good reasons to go to graduate school. In fact, these unsuitable motivations will likely show in your graduate school application materials and make it very difficult for you to get accepted.

That being said, I encourage all of my advisees with good GPAs to seriously consider graduate studies. Maybe it is not something they are interested in embarking on right away, but it should be kept in mind in the coming years. Of engineers holding a B.S. degree, 40% go on to get a Master’s degree and 9% go on for a Ph.D.⁵ Many companies will consider whether or not someone has an advanced degree at hiring and/or promotion. Some companies will even provide funding for courses and/or a graduate degree.

Once you have decided to consider graduate studies, then you need to decide if you want to apply to get a Master’s degree (often called terminal Master’s) or to a Ph.D. program where you will likely complete a master’s degree on your way to your Ph.D. It is alright to not be 100% certain of your goals at the point of application, but you should represent yourself honestly and indicate how strong your desire is to continue on for a Ph.D. In many programs this can be a deciding factor for entry and for funding, so you should try to choose programs to apply to that will be a good fit for your goals.

Going Corporate

After I completed my Master’s degree, I began working in industry (which I really enjoyed). As I learned more about the company and the engineering positions available, I realized that I was keenly interested in research and development. My main motivation for returning to graduate school was that the jobs that I was most interested in obtaining in the future required a Ph.D. This was a strong motivation to go back to graduate school. It turned out later on that I found teaching and research to be my passions, so I never did go back for that industry dream job that I had my eye on. Sometimes my path has not been a linear one, but all the experiences I gained along the way have been valuable.

ASSIGNMENT 2-5:GROUP ACTIVITY – GRADUATE SCHOOL FIT

In small groups, brainstorm about what qualities are important for being successful at graduate-level research. Share these with the class.

In small groups, discuss why you might pursue graduate studies immediately after completing the B.S. degree or wait 2–5 years; advantages and disadvantages of both. Share these with the class.

ASSIGNMENT 2-6:INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT – GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICATION EXPERIENCE

Identify a current graduate student in the field of study you are interested in pursuing. Talk to that person about their experience in applying to graduate schools.

2.4.2 THE GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICATION PACKET

Understanding the main components of the graduate school application packet, well in advance of when you plan to apply, will help you to build the strongest application possible. The main pieces of most application packets will be information from your undergraduate institution, such as your grade point average (GPA) and transcript, your Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (if required), and letters of recommendation. You will also need to write one or two essays for the application where you will commonly be asked to describe experiences that make you well suited for this graduate program and your long-term goals related to the pursuit of this advanced degree.

Nearly all graduate school application will require letters of recommendation (usually three, sometimes four). These are important because they are often the best predictor of whether or not an applicant will be successful in a particular graduate program. Some of these letters will be written by faculty members—ideally ones who have interacted with you on a research project, a student organization/team, or as an instructor (ideally in more than one class). It is also relevant to ask a supervisor or manager from a current or prior work experience even if it is not specifically engineering related (they can speak to issues such as reliability and initiative). You may also have some more extensive involvement in a volunteer activity. A letter from someone in authority in that organization might also prove useful.

Help your recommenders write you the best letter possible. Give them plenty of advance notice and a reminder when the deadline is a few weeks away. Provide them with materials to refer to such as your resume and/or your application essay(s). Remind them explicitly how you have interacted previously (e.g., “As you may recall, I took Advanced Mechanics of Materials from you last Fall semester and my team completed a design project on…”). Provide them with a list of items you would like them to address in your letter (e.g., “I am hoping you can speak to the work I did in the lab over the last several years, especially the project where I refurbished the testing equipment and developed new protocols for operation. In addition to working in the lab 15 hours a week, I was also a member of the Marching Band and maintained a 3.5 GPA.”).

ASSIGNMENT 2-7:INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT – GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Identify a graduate program that you would like to apply to and determine the deadline for application and the application materials you will be required to submit.

Look for requirements such as minimum GPA and GRE test scores (usually just general, but some programs require a specialty exam). Determine what documents (e.g., transcripts), essay(s), and letters of recommendation will be needed. Read the instructions to determine if there are any specific expectations for what should be addressed in the essay(s), and if your resume should also be included in your application materials.

2.4.3 THE APPLICATION TIMELINE

A common timeline for the graduate school application process.

Summer/Early Fall

• Identify some graduate programs that you are interested in applying to and identify the application requirements and deadlines. Determine whether or not the GRE General Test and GRE Subject Test are required (although the General Test is usually expected, the Subject Test is not common for most engineering graduate programs).

• In preparing for the GRE General Test, I do not generally recommend spending money on a preparation course. Your score will be close to its maximum if you take a few practice exams to familiarize yourself with the test format and the way in which questions are posed. Educational Testing Service (ETS) offers free practice tests and software which you can use to emulate the actual test environment (see http://www.ets.org/gre).

• By the end of October you should have taken the GRE (although it is available year-round).

Mid Fall

• Identify and contact people who will provide you with letters of recommendation (see above for ideas about who you should consider asking for a letter).

• Finalize the list of programs you will apply to. Identify faculty members in each of these programs whose research you find interesting and initiate contact with them by email or phone.

• Begin preparing your applications. Look for graduate school application workshops and/or a faculty member who will read over your application materials for you and provide you with feedback.

Late Fall/Early Winter

• Complete your applications and submit them BEFORE the published deadline. Often, the review of applications begins prior to the cutoff deadline and you would like your application to receive the fullest consideration.

• Thank your recommenders for taking the time to write letters of recommendation for your applications. Send a brief note of appreciation—ideally in an “old fashioned” thank-you card, or at the very least via email.

Winter

• Follow up with faculty members in the programs that you have applied to. Contact only those who you are keenly interested in working with, but be persistent in attempting to get through to them. If your email message does not get a response, then make a phone call. Also, consider asking your letter writers if they know any of the individuals you have identified and ask if they would be wiling to write an email of introduction for you.

• Many departments offer a visit weekend for prospective graduate students. Ask the department student services coordinator or faculty you have been in contact with if there would be an opportunity for you to visit the campus and meet with faculty and students. Often, some or all of the travel costs are paid for, but, even if they are not, you should make your best effort to attend.

Late Winter

• Attend prospective graduate student visit weekends that you have been invited to. Meet with faculty and graduate students and gather as much information as possible. It is a two-way interview: you are trying to present yourself in the best possible light and you are trying to determine if this graduate program is a good fit for you. See the list of “Questions to Ask Yourself and Others” below.

Spring

• Consider the offers that you have received. Note that some programs make separate offers for admission and funding, so be certain that you understand the implications of each offer.

• YOU CAN ONLY SAY YES to one. Nearly all universities in the U.S. are members of the Council of Graduate Schools and honor the April 15th resolution.⁶ This means that students should not be obligated to respond to an offer prior to April 15th. This gives each student an opportunity to see all offers available to them prior to making a commitment. Additionally, this means that you can only accept one offer. A student who accepts an offer has made a commitment and should not accept any other offer without getting a written release.

• Inform your advisor and recommenders of your decision so that they know where you are going next. Provide them with an email address contact that will be yours for the long term if your current student account will close after your graduation. Keep in touch periodically over the coming years—ideally more frequently than when you need another letter of recommendation for a fellowship or job application.

Many programs also accept students mid-year. Look at the deadlines and talk to faculty in those programs to determine when you should have your application submitted. From there you can adjust the timing discussed above.

In parallel to the graduate school application process you should also consider applying for graduate school fellowships. Also, unless you are independently wealthy or have a particular aversion to teaching, you should check all of the above if the application asks if you are interested in being considered for a teaching assistantship (TA), research assistantship (RA), and fellowship.

2.4.4 VISITING A GRADUATE PROGRAM YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND

To make a well-informed decision, you should ideally visit the university and interact with the faculty and graduate students there. Many graduate programs organize visit weekends in the late winter/early spring. These are a great opportunity that you should try to take advantage of, if at all possible. You will have access to faculty and students on the visit and you will be able to see the facilities, campus, and community. Some programs invite only students that they have accepted into the program. Others will invite admissible students they would like to consider for funding offers.

If the programs you are interested in do not plan a visit weekend, you can arrange to visit on your own. The best point of initial contact would be the staff member in charge of the graduate program (e.g., program coordinator) or the faculty director of graduate studies (e.g., chair of the graduate studies committee). If you can’t visit then you should make arrangements to set up virtual or phone conversations with the director of graduate studies and other faculty members you may be interested in working with.

You should think of a visit weekend like an interview. You are being interviewed, but you are also interviewing them. Everyone involved should be trying to determine if there is a good fit. Although you would not be expected to wear a suit, do present yourself professionally (business casual attire is usually appropriate). Be ready to present your experience and background clearly and succinctly. If you have engaged in undergraduate research, you may want to print out a few slides or have a copy of a research paper you wrote in order to share your prior experience more effectively.

Do your homework before you go on the visit. Learn as much about the university and faculty in the program as you can. If you are interested in working with a particular research mentor, become familiar with their recent research publications. Prepare questions that will help you determine if this is the right fit for you (see the list below).

“Questions to Ask Yourself and Others While Considering a Graduate Program”

This is a broad list of questions. Some of these questions are intended for you to answer yourself. Others you can find the answer to by exploring the university website. Some are questions you should ask of the faculty you speak with. Others you should ask of graduate students who are already in the program.

Overarching Questions to Ask Yourself

Am I most interested in experimental, computational, or theoretical research?

Would I rather be in an established group or do research with a more junior faculty member?

How much time and attention do I expect to get from my thesis advisor/research mentor?

Am I interested in interdisciplinary research and does this position fit with those interests?

Are the other students in the research group people that I can get along with?

School/City/Lifestyle

Is the campus a safe place? What safety programs are available (i.e., emergency phones, campus escorts)?

Is housing easy/difficult to find?

What are living expenses like?

Is there a reliable mass transit system?

Are there bike paths for commuting to campus?

What kinds of entertainment are available?

Will I be able to pursue the recreational activities I am interested in?

Do I feel comfortable in this community/area of the country?

Can I see myself living here for the next ∼5 years?

Program/General Atmosphere

What is the reputation of the program?

How is the quality of the teaching?

Are the required and elective courses ones that I am interested in taking? How frequently are they offered?

Are graduate students happy here?

How is the rapport among students, staff, and faculty?

How is the atmosphere for women and underrepresented minority students?

What is the office space policy for new graduate students?

Are the labs and facilities broadly accessible? How do I get trained to use these facilities?

Do faculty members collaborate on research or work separately? Is collaborative research encouraged and supported?

Funding/Financial Aid

Do I need to find/choose a thesis advisor before accepting an offer to join the program or do I have the opportunity to spend a semester or two on campus before I decide?

How do I apply for a teaching and/or research assistantship?

What fellowship opportunities are available from the program/university? Am I automatically considered for these opportunities or do I need to apply?

Is a tuition waiver included in my funding offer?

Is health insurance included in my funding offer?

What are the vacation/sick leave/family leave policies?

What is the stipend level? Do students live easily on this amount?

Does the funding continue through the summer months?

If I am offered an assistantship appointment, what are the work expectations?

What are the responsibilities associated with a teaching assistantship (TA)?

Is there training for new TAs?

How is my performance evaluated?

Who is my supervisor?

Who do I talk to if I need help with a problem in the classroom?

Research Mentor/Thesis Advisor

How stable is his/her research funding?

Does the advisor have tenure? If not, what is the tenure rate at this institution?

What is the advisor’s reputation in the department?

How do the advisor’s current students feel about working with this person?

Does the advisor treat students respectfully?

Does the advisor stand up for his/her students when a political situation arises?

Does the advisor give a lot of supervision or are students expected to work more independently?

How is one’s thesis topic determined?

How is authorship handled on journal publications?

Will the research require traveling or working remotely?

How long does it usually take for the advisor’s students to graduate?

Are there opportunities available to attend a conference or two each year?

Where have previous students gotten jobs?

2.4.5 GETTING ACCEPTED INTO A GRADUATE PROGRAM

Different programs will handle graduate applications differently. However, there is likely a committee that determines an applicant’s overall fit for the program and selects the best applicants for broader circulation among the faculty members in the graduate program. For large programs and Master’s programs that do not have funding associated with them, it is more likely to be a decision made at the committee level. For a Ph.D. program there is more match-making required because you will need to have an interest in the research taking place in a faculty members lab and they will need to have funding to support you as a research assistantship.

In many graduate programs there needs to be at least one faculty member who is interested in taking you on as an advisee in order for your application to progress. There are always exceptions though. Some programs have fellowship and teaching assistantship support that allows them to bring in more students without the promise of a research assistantship. And, students who have received a large external fellowship have more flexibility because they can often work with the faculty member of their choice without as much concern over the availability of funding for the research. I’ll note, however, that the fellowships do not generally cover research expenses, so even a fully supported fellow is not “free” for the faculty research mentor. They will need to have the necessary funds to cover the expenses of the research and the time to provide research mentoring.

Getting Paid to Learn

Unlike some other disciplines, engineers are frequently given the opportunity to earn a stipend while doing research that will directly benefit their own degree progress. When I occasionally hear it taken for granted and expected that their education should be completely paid for, I shake my head in wonder at the entitled attitude of this individual. Having served in graduate school administration, I am able to state definitively that in many other fields of study graduate students must fund their education by working positions that have no bearing on their research progress and their work may not even be connected to their disciplinary expertise. In fact, having to pay for one’s education in such away usually extends time to graduation dramatically.

As noted above, at some institutions your acceptance into the graduate program may be separate from an offer of assistantship funding. Be certain to understand the details of your particular situation before accepting an offer.

2.5 FUNDING OF RESEARCH

2.5.1 U.S. MODEL OF RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES

Students often come with misconceptions about where and how research funding is obtained. What students rarely appreciate is that research funding is very difficult to obtain. In most cases the funding for research (including a research assistantship) was obtained through a hard-fought and competitive proposal process. It is likely that their research mentor has spent an enormous amount of time and intellectual energy writing multiple proposals, of which only a subset is actually funded. The vast majority of research proposals that are written and submitted for consideration are rejected without being funded. Therefore, being supported on a research assistantship funded by a research grant is a privilege not an entitlement.

Student Perspective

“The thing I found most surprising about how research is conducted is the method by which most funding is procured and the overall attitude of researchers toward that source. When I first started learning about academic research, I expected budgets from research institutions to pay a large percentage of research costs. I believed that these budgets were heavily subsidized by student tuition and the earnings from previous research achievements at those institutions. This is not typically the case. Grants from the federal government are the single largest source of funding for the majority of universities and fields. Whether the funding is from a government agency such as NASA or the DOE, or from the Department of Defense, the money still comes from the American tax payer.”

Grant funding may come from a federal source (such as the National Science Foundation or National Institutes of Health) or a private foundation (such as the American Heart Association or the Petroleum Research Fund). Research contracts are also a common funding source as well, and commonly come from federal sources (such as the Air Force Office of Scientific Research) or a private company (both small and large). Depending both on the source of the funding and the specific type of funding there may be very well-defined timelines and deliverables associated with the research. Some funding may require monthly, quarterly, annually, and/or final reporting associated with the project progress and outcomes. In other words, research funding comes with strings attached.

Given the overall framework of funding, I suggest to graduate students that they should treat their assistantship as professional employment. If you have an assistantship, you are being paid for your engineering skills through both the stipend (i.e., paycheck) and tuition (i.e., waiver of tuition). If you were working in industry, you would be expected to treat the job professionally, put in your best effort, and achieve regular progress. The same is expected in your graduate research.

2.5.2 FUNDING YOUR GRADUATE STUDIES

For graduate students in engineering, and particularly students pursuing a Ph.D. program, graduate school is usually paid for by a fellowship, a research assistantship, or a teaching assistantship.

Student Perspective

“I believed that you still had to spend lots of money to attend grad school. I am extremely pleased to know that through applying for fellowships and with how most engineering departments work, pretty much everything from living expenses to tuition and lab funding is potentially covered.”

Fellowships come in many shapes and sizes. Some universities have fellowships to provide and others are available through external programs. A fellowship may provide a “full ride” that pays for all of your tuition and stipend expenses (for one or more years), or it may simply be a supplement to other types of assistantship funding. A full fellowship gives you a huge advantage because a potential research mentor does not need to find as much funding to support you. No graduate student is truly “free” because the research mentor must have the time to interact with you and be able to support other research expenses especially for experimental work, but it is much easier for a research mentor to take on a fellowship student than to find funding for an assistantship.

Fellowships provided by a university are usually ones that you are automatically considered for when you apply to the graduate program. The best way to ensure that you have a good chance at being considered for one of these is to have the best graduate school application possible and to submit it early. Do not wait until the deadline!! Many fellowship and assistantship opportunities will already be gone if your application is in the last batch of applicants to be considered.

There are also a variety of fellowships that you can apply for yourself as a senior undergraduate or a first-year graduate student. Your academic advisor or research mentor will be able to point you toward ones that might be a good fit for you, but you should consider looking into some of the following:

Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship

Hertz Foundation’s Graduate Fellowship

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRF)

National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program (NDSEG)

National Defense Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship

NIH Kirschstein-NRSA Individual Predoctoral Fellowship

Tau Beta Pi Association Graduate Fellowship in Engineering

As you progress through your graduate studies there are also additional fellowships available at later stages, particularly dissertation fellowships that are designed to help students finish up their Ph.D. program.

There are two basic types of support provided through universities that will fund your graduate studies. There were some variations on the specific titles depending on the institution, but many intuitions use the names research assistantship (RA) and teaching assistantship (TA). These assistantships usually provide for both tuition and a stipend for your living expenses. In return, you will be working on a research project or by teaching undergraduate students.

In many cases, research assistantships have a great deal of overlap with the research you will ultimately use for your thesis or dissertation. So, you are getting paid to do the research you would have needed to do anyway. Although the RA position may have a percentage appointment or certain number of hours associated with it, you will likely need to spend more time than what you are paid for in order to complete your degree in a timely manner. A good way to think about it is that you need to do a certain amount of research in order to earn your degree, and you are lucky enough to get paid for a portion of it!

As discussed above, there is more match-making needed in this case because you will need to be highly qualified, find a good fit between your research interests and a faculty member’s research program, and have this match up with available funding support. Once you have identified schools that you are interested in attending, you also need to look at the research interests of the faculty members and contact them about the availability of funding. If they have an RA position available and you are a good match, then they may make you an offer!

In some cases graduate students may be brought into a degree program and initially funded by a teaching assistantship. In other cases, the TA opportunities may come later in the graduate experience and something that you do after you have progressed in your degree program. The type of work that a TA would do depends on the specific position and may include grading, holding office hours to answer student questions, running a discussion section, or teaching the lecture component of a course. Regardless of the position, there will be an instructor or faculty member in charge of the course, and you may also be working with other TAs on the same course.

Teaching assistantships, although excellent skill building opportunities, will not be as directly related to your degree progress. If you are interested in an academic career path, the opportunity to be a TA can help you gain invaluable experience. Even if you are not interested in being a faculty member some day, teaching a subject provides an opportunity for you to deepen your own understanding of it. If you are in front of a classroom for a portion of your TA work you will also be able to hone your presentation and explanation skills. Employers of every type appreciate these skills.

For students planning to pursue a Master’s degree only, the funding opportunities are fewer. Sometimes RA and TA positions are available, but if you do not intend to continue on for a Ph.D. it is more likely that you will be paying tuition for the degree. Regardless, the investment in a Master’s degree should pay off. On average, your salary will be higher,⁷ your lifetime earnings with a M.S. vs. a B.S. are higher, and the unemployment rate is lower.⁸ Employers are also increasingly requiring a Master’s degree.⁹

Finally, there are student loans. Generally speaking, if you have student loans coming into graduate school, you will be able to defer your payment of them while you continue your studies. It’s also often possible to get student loans for graduate studies to support the cost or supplement funding you have from the university.¹⁰

2.5.3 FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS

As mentioned in the previous section, fellowships come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from a “full ride” to a small supplement. However, there are a number of commonalities in the application process for those you would need to apply to yourself. This happens independent of the university you are applying to or attending, so you will need to manage those deadlines in addition to graduate school application deadlines. Look into these opportunities early. Although the deadlines vary quite a bit, many of them are due BEFORE the standard graduate school application deadlines.

As you look into each fellowship opportunity, carefully read the eligibility criteria. You will not want to waste time on an application where you do not meet the basic criteria or where you are not a good fit. Keep in mind that in some cases you will be applying as a senior undergraduate and in others as first year graduate student. Some fellowship competitions allow you to apply in more than one year as well.

Don’t try to do this all on your own, without feedback. You will have a much higher likelihood of being successful if you plan ahead and seek out guidance. Determine if there is help available on your campus that will guide you in the fellowship application process. If there are workshops offered, seek these out and attend. There may be one-on-one help available if your campus has a writing center. You may also be able to seek feedback on portions of your application from an academic advisor or faculty member willing to read the essay portions. You should also use your network to find out if you know someone who has been successful in getting one of these fellowships. Being able to look at a successful fellowships packet will give you a model to emulate.

In addition to the fellowships available for your studies, there are also often small pockets of money that can help to defray other costs. Keep an eye out for other opportunities along the way, such as travel grants and other supplemental funding. Then later in your graduate studies, when you become a dissertator, look at fellowship opportunities again. Although there are not as many options as there are at the beginning of your graduate studies, in many fields there are dissertator fellowships that you can apply to which will help speed up your degree completion.

2.6 UNDERSTANDING THE ORGANIZATION OF YOUR RESEARCH GROUP

After you have joined a research group (or even while you are in the process of determining if a research group is a good fit for you), it is important to understand how the group is organized.

There will be research projects underway—some ramping up, some ongoing, and others winding down. You will be involved in at least one in detail, but you should also understand the basic themes of the other topics that your colleagues within the research group are engaging with. Having the basic framework of the research topics will allow you to sort and process additional information that you pick up in research group meetings, conversations with other research group members, and interactions with your research mentor.

Student Perspective

“My research group … usually meets on a weekly basis to give updates on progress and get advice on how to proceed if we have a problem. I find this to be very beneficial because it helps me get a feel for what everyone else in my group is working on. Although it is hard to follow a lot of the time, it’s good to learn what their projects are…”

Initially these interactions, particularly in research group meetings, may seem like a waste of time because nearly everything that is discussed is going over your head. But it is important to persist and try to follow as much of the information being exchanged as possible. You can also connect with one of the other more experienced students afterward to ask then to help you fill in some of the gaps. With time, you will be able, not only to understand more of what is being discussed, but also help provide useful feedback and ideas to the group yourself. Just keep in mind that it takes time to come up to speed, but you will make progress if you set goals for yourself that sometimes feel like a stretch.

Student Perspective

“Where I used to attend group meetings with glazed over eyes, I am now able [to] see what the other people are actually doing. However, I am usually not able to contribute too much because I still lack a significant amount of knowledge. Therefore, my main goal in the coming year is to be able to talk more in group meetings and provide the other group members with some helpful comments.”

Student Perspective

“I think the most crucial element in my development during these meetings was that with every passing week, I felt more and more comfortable with the research, eventually to the point where I could try to suggest explanations and various solutions to problems in conjunction with the same inputs from the other members of the meeting. Having my ideas considered in a setting with three other people with considerably more experience in the field was very rewarding. The collaborative effort of people from different backgrounds to develop solutions to a problem or explanations for a phenomenon has become one of my favorite elements of research.”

You may be paid to do research (for instance as a research assistant or as hourly pay) or you may be doing research for credit. Either way, it is likely that there is some type of funding supporting your salary and/or the purchases of resources that you need to conduct the research. You should understand what the funding source is for the research you are pursuing. It may be a federal grant, an industry contract, institutional funds that your research mentor has at their disposal, or some other mechanism. There may be multiple funding mechanisms supporting the various projects and people involved in the research group.

As a member of a research group, you also need to get to know the others engaged in the research group aside from your research mentor. Research groups come in many different sizes, from the small tight-knit groups to large international collaborations. There may be undergraduate researchers, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, scientists, and faculty members. Your research group may also be collaborating with other research groups. These people may be working directly with you, using similar or complementary techniques, sharing research space with you, or they may be working at a different location or on a project that does not overlap with yours. Regardless, it is important to know who the research group members are and how they are connected to the work you are undertaking.

ASSIGNMENT 2-8:INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT – MAP THE ORGANIZATION OF YOUR RESEARCH GROUP

Create a visual depiction, or map, of the research you are currently working in (or planning to join). Talk with your research mentor and other lab members to understand what projects are underway, who are the people involved, and how the research is funded. You might depict one or more of the following.

• A diagram of the funded projects showing how they are interrelated, who is working on each, and what funding supports each person/project.

• For a highly collaborative group: this would include how the group collaborates with other individual researchers, research groups, and institutions across the ongoing projects.

• For an experimental group: the layout of physical lab space, how the experiments are organized, who utilizes on each piece of equipment, and how they projects/people are funded.

• For a computational group: the research projects that the group has going on and connections between the projects, people, and software being used/developed.

¹National Academy of Engineering, “NAE Grand Challenges for Engineering,” http://www.engineeringchallenges.org.

²Seibert, S. E., Kraimer, M. L., and Crant, J. M., 2001. What do proactive people do? A longitudinal model linking proactive personality and career success. Personnel Psychology, 54(4), 845–874.

³Poorman, M., 2019. GradHacker, “Hacking Grad School,” Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/hacking-grad-school.

⁴Seibert, S. E., Kraimer, M. L., and Crant, J. M., 2001. What do proactive people do? A longitudinal model linking proactive personality and career success. Personnel Psychology, 54(4), 845–874.

⁵National Academies Press, Understanding the Educational and Career Pathways of Engineers, 2018. https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25284/understanding-the-educational-and-career-pathways-of-engineers.

⁶Council of Graduate Schools, “April 15 Resolution: Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Assistants,” http://cgsnet.org/april-15-resolution.

⁷Doubleday, J., 2013. Earnings Gap Narrows, but College Education Still Pays, Report Says, Chronicle of Higher Education, October 7.

⁸Council of Graduate Schools, 2013. “Open Doors with a Doctorate.”

⁹Council of Graduate Schools, 2013. “Why Should I Get a Master’s Degree.”

¹⁰Council of Graduate Schools, 2013. “Financing Graduate Education.”