Getting Started in Research

Identify Potential Research Projects and Mentors

Research projects can either be faculty-initiated or student-initiated:

• Working on a faculty-initiated project gives you the chance to help a faculty member on a research project. You can find a list of open research positions for north and south campus students on this Research Positions webpage. We also recommend that you ask your professors and TAs about available research opportunities and search departmental websites for current research projects you can join, as not all professors advertise their positions at the link above.
• Working on a student-initiated project gives you the chance to pursue a project of your own design under the guidance of a faculty mentor. To find a faculty mentor, you might ask professors with whom you have taken courses in your area of interest. You can also look at faculty bios on UCLA departmental websites in order to identify faculty who are conducting research in your proposed area. We recommend that you identify several potential faculty mentors to whom you could propose your project.

Before contacting potential faculty mentors, try familiarizing yourself with their most recent publications. If a potential faculty mentor has written a recent book, consider checking it out of the library. If a potential mentor has recent articles, try finding them through UCLA library databases.

• Who is eligible to serve as an SRP 99 mentor? All Assistant, Associate, and full Professors who hold teaching positions at UCLA (including in the professional schools) are eligible to serve as faculty mentors for SRP 99 contract courses. Adjunct Professors and Lecturers may be able to serve as faculty mentors with special permission, which our office can help you navigate. Graduate students and post-docs cannot serve as faculty mentors.

Contacting Potential Faculty Mentors

Send a clear and concise email to your potential faculty mentor with the following points:

• Name and major/department affiliation
• Purpose for contacting them (i.e. research as an SRP 99 student)
• Why their research interests you and how your research interests relate to their work
• Your contact information (email, phone)

Explore sample e-mails regarding assisting with a faculty project or working on a project you initiated.

As an attachment to your email, include your resume or curriculum vitae (CV). A CV is similar to a resume, but is specific to your academic career. Your CV should include:

• Relevant coursework and skills (including language and computer skills)
• Work and leadership experience
• Honors, awards, and distinctions

Review this sample CV. You can find additional resources for writing your resume or CV on the Career Center resumes and cover letters help page.

You may need to reach out to multiple faculty mentors before you find one who will work with you. You may also need to talk to your undergraduate advisors or SAOs to learn more about research and potential mentors in your department.

You and your potential mentor might arrange an interview or meeting to discuss the potential SRP 99 project. Make sure you are on time for the interview or meeting, bring your CV along, and prepare possible research topics and questions.

The Research Contract

Once a faculty member agrees to mentor your research, you must:

• Step 1: Create an SRP 99 contract
• Step 2: Enroll in an SRP 99 contract

Your complete contract signed by your mentor is due by 4:30 p.m. on Friday of the second week of each quarter.

For complete instructions on SRP-99 contract creation and enrollment, visit SRP 99 contract.

If you are interested in an upper-division research course instead of an SRP 99 course, read the information on this page.