Application

Independent Research Opportunities

Finding an Independent Research Opportunity

In addition to our formal internships, interested high school and undergraduate students may explore research opportunities by independently making arrangements with a Cleveland Clinic researcher, called a principal investigator (PI). This independent process may be the preferred option if you are unable to participate in one of our structured programs, if you would like to gain experience during the school year, or if you would like to pursue research in a scientific area not covered by one of our formal internships. To get started, please review the steps below.

• Explore our labs
  In order to find an independent research opportunity, you will need to identify a laboratory or research group you would like to work with based on your career goals and scientific interests. You can explore the wide variety of labs at Cleveland Clinic Research by looking through our departments and centers or by using the lab search tool to look for specific keywords or names of investigators. Try to identify 3-5 labs of interest as a starting point.
• Contact Principal Investigators
  Once you have identified several labs of interest, the next step is to send each PI a brief customized email to introduce yourself, explain your interest in the work of that particular lab, and share your availability to participate in research.
  
  Attached to your email, be sure to include an updated CV or resume with a list of relevant science and math courses that you have taken, your current GPA, and 2-3 academic references with contact information. Please do not list relatives or friends as references.
  
  Make sure you are prepared to convey your enthusiasm for their specific research to all the investigators who respond to your email, to conduct an interview either virtually or in person, and to provide a letter of reference from a professor in your major if you are asked to do so. Make sure that you regularly monitor your email and are ready to reply in a timely manner to any responses you receive.
  
  Please be aware that may need to email multiple PIs to find a lab that is able to accommodate an undergraduate student, but do not contact more than 3-5 PIs at a time. Keep in mind that many PIs are busy and may not respond to your email quickly. If a PI has not answered your first email within 7-10 days, you may send one follow up email. If you have not heard back after the follow up, it may be wise to move on to contacting PIs in other labs of interest.
• Make arrangements for your research opportunity
  Once you have successfully contacted a principal investigator and have agreed to join their lab, you will need to agree upon the dates of your research experience, your working hours, and any other logistics. You will also need to go through the Cleveland Clinic’s onboarding process, which can take several weeks to complete. Be sure to regularly monitor your email and promptly complete any assigned tasks or you may not be able to start your opportunity on time.

Please email [email protected] with any questions.