What steps are involved?
1. Explore: If you're interested in becoming a research assistant, we recommend that you first look at the directed research opportunities listed below. The prerequisites for Directed Research are a minimum overall GPA of 3.0; 12 completed credits of psychology (including current term); STAT 0200, 1000, or 1100; and either PSY 0035 Research Methods, or both PSY 0036 Research Methods Lecture and PSY 0037 Research Methods Lab.
2. Apply: Once you have a list of a few opportunities that interest you, follow the directions listed under those opportunities. Some may have an application form that you can fill out to apply to work in that faculty member's lab. Some may ask that you email someone in addition to completing the application. If no application form is available, email the contact person.
3. Wait: Give it a little while—it may take a couple of weeks before you hear back from the labs that you applied to. If you don't hear back in 2-3 weeks, it is appropriate to send a follow-up email noting that you have applied but not yet heard back. Something like: Dear Dr. XX, I applied to be a directed research student in your lab on X date but have not yet heard back from you. I am writing to follow up to ask if you are accepting students at this time.
4. Interview: You will likely be asked to interview with the labs you have applied to work in. Some labs have a multi-tiered interview process in which you will first be interviewed by a graduate student or staff member, and then be interviewed by the faculty member.
5. Choose: If you have been accepted into multiple labs, you will need to choose which one to join. You may want to try to talk to other students who have been in these labs. The Psychology Advising office may also have good advice for you about this.
6. Complete: Once you accept an offer, you'll need to complete the learning agreement - in part by you and in part by the faculty advisor. PSY 1903 Learning Agreement
7. Send: Send the completed learning agreement and a transcript (unofficial is fine) to psyadvis@pitt.edu for review and to request a permission number to enroll.
8. Enroll: Use the permission number provided by the Psychology Advising Office to self-enroll.
- Dr. Bertocci: InCabs Imaging Study - FULL FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Sarah Brown: PAIRS Study (Personality, Affect, Interactions, and Risk for Suicide)
- Drs. Bylsma and Scott: FEEL Study (Feeling Emotions in Everyday Life)
- Dr. Conklin: Cue Reactivity and tDCS Research
- Dr. Eckstrand: PANDA (Parents/Peers, Adversity, and Neural circuits in Depression in Adolescence) - FULL FOR FALL 2024
- Drs. El Nokali and Rofey: The Pittsburgh Obesity, Weight, and Emotion Research (POWER) Lab
- Dr. Erickson: Neurocognitive Function in Older Adults
- Dr. Forbes: Affective Neuroscience and Developmental Psychopathology - ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Frieze: Feelings of Home, Homesickness and Belongingness on Campus
- Dr. Goldschmidt: Behavioral Investigations of Children's and Teens' Eating Lab (BITE Lab) - FULL FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Hafeman: Mood and Mind Lab - NEW OPPORTUNITY! ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Hasler: Sleep and Alcohol/Drug Use in Teens - FULL FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Hipwell: Resilience to Prenatal Stress: Implications for Offspring Health and Neurodevelopment - FULL FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Horton: Youth, Emotions, Thoughts, and Interactions (YETI) - ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Jakubowski: Relationship Influences on Sleep, Emotion, and Heart Health - FULL FOR FALL 2024 AND SPRING 2025
- Dr. Joseph: The Pittsburgh ADHD Risk in Infancy Study (PARIS) - FULL FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Kennedy: START Smart (Symptom Tracking for ADHD in Real-Time using Smartphones) & TIPS (Training Inhibitory Control using Personalized Strategies) - ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Kline: Functional Recovery After Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury - ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Levenson: Targeted Intervention for Insufficient Sleep among Typically-Developing Adolescents (TAPAS) - ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Levine: Perinatal Health and Behaviors (PHAB) - ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Low: Biobehavioral Oncology + Technology Lab - FULL FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Merlin: CHAllenges in Managing and Preventing Pain (CHAMPP) Clinical Research Center
- Dr. Morgan: Child Affect Regulation & Expression Lab (CARE) - ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Northrup: MEET (Managing Everyday Emotions Together) Study of Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder - FULL FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Pacella-LaBarbara: The Tracking Acute Post-Injury Pain (TAPP) Study - FULL FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Pecina: Translational Neuropsychopharmacology and Neuroimaging Lab (TNN Lab) - ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Pedersen: Judgement and Experiences Following Alcohol Consumption in the Moment (JAM)
- Dr. Price: The Clinical Application of Neuroscience Laboratory (CANlab)
- Dr. Radovic: Supporting Our Valued Adolescents (SOVA) - ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Rofey: Pittsburgh Obesity, Weight, and Emotion Research (POWER) Lab
- Dr. Steel: Collaborative Care and Dyadic Sleep Intervention
- Dr. Steel: Motivations of Anonymous Living Liver Donors and Double Donors
- Dr. Thurston: Women's Biobehavioral Health Laboratory
- Dr. Treble-Barna: The Pediatric Brain Injury Research Laboratory - ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2024
- Drs. Vanwoerden and Stepp: Borderline personality disorder and significant relationships across the lifespan - ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2024
- Drs. Vaughn-Coaxum and Goldstein: Life Experiences in Adolescents and the Development of Skills (LEADS) Study - FULL FOR FALL 2024
- Dr. Frances Wang: Improving assessment of impaired control over alcohol use for individuals of diverse racial and ethnic identities - FULL FOR FALL 2024