Information for Prospective Volunteer Undergraduate Research Assistants
Being part of an active research team requires a strong degree of commitment and affords many valuable opportunities. The following information is provided to help you make an informed decision as to whether the activities of this research team will be a good match for your interests and goals. The CEPICA Research Group is most appropriate for undergraduate students planning to pursue graduate training in clinical child psychology or related fields (pediatric psychology, school psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, etc.). Your interests in research and clinical work should be closely related to the team's
objectives and
current projects. We hope to include as many interested students as possible in this mentored opportunity; regrettably, however, our team cannot always accommodate all students who would like to participate. As a result, we use a simple application procedure (see form below) to select students who appear to be the best prepared to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by working with our team.
What’s In It For You: Participating on an active research team affords many learning opportunities, and is indispensable for students hoping to pursue graduate training in psychology and many other related fields. Sustained, productive research experience is one of the most important factors considered by admissions committees at most psychology Ph.D. programs. Reliable, motivated participation on the team will also help you earn strong letters of recommendation for graduate school, internships, or employment if you so request. Opportunities will be available for you to help submit research for presentation at psychology conferences and, if warranted by your contributions, to participate as a co-author on manuscripts submitted for publication in scholarly journals. The potential benefits of your participation also include: increased preparation for research requirements in graduate school, networking opportunities with students and faculty with similar professional interests, the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge and expertise in selected areas of research, and the development of relationships with students and faculty who care about your progress. You should know that one of my most important objectives and sources of satisfaction will be helping you achieve your professional goals.
What Will Be Expected Of You: You should be able to commit to working on the team for at least two semesters. You are strongly encouraged to register for 2-3 hours of research credit (Psych 492R; I will need to sign your add card). You need to be able to attend our regular research lab meetings, Mondays at 3:00 in the "Johnson House" (the building on 900 East across the street from Wasatch Elementary and directly east of the ROTC building on BYU campus). The time commitment you should expect to set aside should be similar to that of a 2-3 credit hour class (6-9 hours per week on average); arrangements to work more or fewer hours may be made on an individual basis. Whatever the arranged time commitment, you should expect that some weeks the workload may be light, whereas other weeks may be much heavier than average if we are up against important deadlines.
You are expected to be self-motivated, conscientious, and completely reliable (do what you say you will do, or let me know if you feel you are in over your head). You are expected to work well in a team setting and to demonstrate good interpersonal skills. We also expect you to be an optimistic and enjoyable person to work with! You should be good at paying close attention to detail. You need to be able to accurately manage tedious tasks for extended periods of time (literature searches, reading and summarizing articles, data entry, data auditing, securing articles for our research library, etc.); 90% of the research process is not particularly exciting. Other possible activities may include training new team members, conducting statistical analyses of data, collaborating with professionals in the community (such as personnel at mental health facilities, hospitals, or schools), recruiting research participants, administering study measures to children and parents, developing grant proposals, working with Institutional Review Boards, traveling to conferences to present our research, and helping to write manuscripts. Research skills improve with experience--you can expect that opportunities, rewards, and responsibilities will increase the longer you prove your worth to the team. Paid RA positions are often available for reliable and conscientious team veterans who demonstrate strong leadership and management abilities.
If you believe the activities of this team are a good match for your interests, and that you can meet the expectations and qualifications described above, please complete the application form below. Thank you for your interest in the CEPICA Research Group.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
