Research is an important part of your Master’s education at New York University and as such you are probably very interested in finding a good lab to complete the research portion of your degree.
The Biology Department faculty (as well as other faculty around NYU and outside) are very much interested in accepting qualified MS students in their labs. However, they receive many emails each day asking for research positions.
The most important tip we can give is to treat this process professionally! Being offered a research position is indeed a privilege not a guarantee.
Below are some suggestions that may help you be more effective as you inquire about research opportunities:
Send the faculty member an original email (no form letters please) explaining who you are. Let them know you are a Master’s student in the Department of Biology and that you are interested in working on a research project in their lab, and would like to meet with them to discuss this prospect.
Next outline WHY you are interested in their particular lab and their particular research. Don’t simply say that you want to do research! Do a little background work. Look at the faculty member’s webpage. Read their research statement, and possibly some of their recent publications. Talk to other MS students in their lab if you can. Explain in the email why you want to do research with them. You could mention that you found a certain pub very interesting, and that is why you would like to work on a project in their lab.
Then cover some logistics. Mention that you plan to take Research credits, and that you would like to write your MS thesis on your laboratory results under his/her mentorship.
If you have had previous research experience, mention the specific type of projects and/or techniques you have performed.
You may also want to indicate your current NYU GPA and your undergrad GPA.
Attach a copy of your master’s program transcript (an unofficial copy is fine) or your undergrad transcript if you are a new MS student.
Always attach a resume to the email as well and be sure it includes any past research experience.
Follow up might include a phone call, or a phone message indicating that you recently sent an email to inquire about the possibility of a research position as a Master’s student in the Biology department, and were following up on that email.
If in the event that there are no available positions in the labs you contacted, please see the Director of Graduate Studies, Master Program about other possibilities.
M.S. Research Opportunities
Research courses are: Laboratory in Molecular Biology III and IV (BIOL-GA 1123,1124) for Recombinant DNA Technology track students, Directed Individual Research in oral Biology (BIOL-GA 3350,3351) for oral biology track students, and Research (BIOL-GA 3303,3304) for all other students.
The course grade is recommended by the professor/mentor/lab PI based on Effort (60%), Project knowledge (20%), and Quality of Lab presentation/progress report/lab notebook (20%). For each of these, as well as for the final grade, a letter grade is given as follows: A (Excellent), A- (Very good), B+ (Good), B (Average), B- (Below Average.)