Undergraduate Research Assistants
The USU ACT Research Group includes an active undergraduate research assistant program. This is a great opportunity to get exposed to clinical research and explore topics such as ACT, mindfulness, clinical trials, OCD and related disorders, and technology-based interventions/methods. Our lab is highly focused on conducting and publishing research and tends to be a good fit for undergraduates who are considering graduate training and want exposure to research methods. Undergraduates who want primarily applied experiences (like exposure to therapy, counseling, and coaching) may find that other labs or opportunities are a better fit.
Our group generally offers a breadth of research opportunities that can flexibly fit varying schedules and locations for USU students (for example online studies for students not in Logan). During the COVID pandemic, we are only offering online RA opportunities and we will not ask our RAs to engage in any in-person activities to minimize risk for COVID exposure.
We understand that undergraduate students may be unsure about what they are looking for and might want to do in the future, and that’s completely fine! Past undergraduates have gone on to areas including medical school, masters programs in psychology, public health, social work, and so on, and doctoral programs in clinical psychology. We encourage students from all backgrounds to apply. If you are excited about exploring the kinds of opportunities we can offer, and can fully commit to the expectations below, then you would be a great fit for the lab.
We have high expectations for our undergraduate research assistants, and are committed to providing top-quality training and support in return.
You can learn more about our RA expectations here, but in general, we expect:
For RAs who consistently meet these expectations over time, we can offer a range of training opportunities (see details on opportunities here) that would make you a great candidate for graduate school and research work, including:
If you are interested in applying we recommend the following steps:
Our group generally offers a breadth of research opportunities that can flexibly fit varying schedules and locations for USU students (for example online studies for students not in Logan). During the COVID pandemic, we are only offering online RA opportunities and we will not ask our RAs to engage in any in-person activities to minimize risk for COVID exposure.
We understand that undergraduate students may be unsure about what they are looking for and might want to do in the future, and that’s completely fine! Past undergraduates have gone on to areas including medical school, masters programs in psychology, public health, social work, and so on, and doctoral programs in clinical psychology. We encourage students from all backgrounds to apply. If you are excited about exploring the kinds of opportunities we can offer, and can fully commit to the expectations below, then you would be a great fit for the lab.
We have high expectations for our undergraduate research assistants, and are committed to providing top-quality training and support in return.
You can learn more about our RA expectations here, but in general, we expect:
- RAs to be reliable, communicative, collaborative, and interested in learning more about our research
- RAs to be highly responsible and ethical as they conduct research
- RAs to complete assigned tasks promptly, often on a daily or near-daily basis
- RAs to commit 5-10 consistent hours to assisting the lab on a weekly basis
- RAs who want additional opportunities to proactively seek them out
- RAs to be involved with the lab for at least one year, and preferably longer
For RAs who consistently meet these expectations over time, we can offer a range of training opportunities (see details on opportunities here) that would make you a great candidate for graduate school and research work, including:
- Exposure to a range of advanced research methods
- Training in skills needed to run research studies (including data collection and analysis, research ethics)
- Training on acceptance and mindfulness-based treatment
- Opportunities to engage in presentation and publication processes
- Mentorship and guidance on applying for graduate programs
- Strong letters of recommendation (for RAs who have been highly engaged and reliable lab members for at least a year)
If you are interested in applying we recommend the following steps:
- Review the lab policies document (here) and opportunities document (here) for undergraduate research assistants
- Review the materials posted on this website to get more of a feel for the group and work being done.
- Contact the undergraduate RA coordinator, Mercedes Woolley at [email protected] with a letter of interest. This should be a 1-2 page letter that answers each of the following questions: Why do you want to be in the lab? What are you hoping to learn? What are your current post-undergrad plans? Do you have any previous experience helping with research? What kinds of experiences are you looking for? How many hours could you commit each week? How long are you interested in/available for being a part of the lab?
