Getting Involved in Research

If you are interested in getting involved in research in Prof. Downs’ lab, please contact us! There are many ways to be involved.

Our undergraduate lab members often start out as research assistants working for class credit, including the SURA program over the summer, to help with a variety of research tasks. More advanced students who have had some experience in our lab (or others’ labs) can pursue their own research projects for independent study credit or for a senior thesis. All of our undergraduate lab members, along with PhD students who work with Prof. Downs, meet regularly in lab meetings to learn about one another’s projects, collaborate on interesting ideas, and provide support for one another. Please complete the form to indicate your interest, any experience you may already have, including relevant courses that you may have taken, and the kind of research experience that you are looking for. Even if you are not yet sure if our lab is the right fit for you, feel free to complete this form so that we can talk about your interests.

For summer opportunities, please complete the form by April 1^st so that we can make our decisions and let you know by April 15^th about whether we have a space for you in the lab. For fall, please complete the form by August 5^th for a decision by August 20^th, and for spring please complete by December 1^st for a decision by December 15th.

Complete the application for the Center for Risk Perception and Communication Research Lab