Remote Volunteer Research Assistants

For an overview of lab values and policies, please refer to the POIS lab manual.

The POIS Lab welcomes undergraduate students seeking to gain research experience before applying to graduate school. As a research assistant (RA), you will have opportunities to contribute to various stages of research, from study design to manuscript writing.

If you’re interested in working in our lab, please see our RA Application Form for more information.

FAQs

  • The POIS Lab is a psychology research lab in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences directed by Dr. Clarissa Ong. We primarily study how to make treatment more effective and accessible for people from diverse backgrounds. Currently, we are running a randomized controlled trial testing the effects of an online self-help program for perfectionism.

  • You can work as an RA for course credit (PSYC 491; 10 hours/week) or on a volunteer basis (5-10 hours/week). There are no paid RA positions available at the moment. RA responsibilities include scheduling and running participants, assisting with IRB applications, helping with recruitment, lab adminstrative tasks (e.g., organizing reference library), and potentially contributing to manuscripts depending on level of readiness. Most of these tasks can be done remotely, so you will not need to work in the lab, though a workspace is available if you need it. 

  • RAs are expected to work for the agreed upon amount of time (e.g., 10 hours/week) for at least two semesters. You may need to be available in the evenings and weekends to run study participants. 

  • At minimum, RAs should be interested in psychological treatment research broadly and preferably in how/why treatment works. RAs also need to be detail-oriented (e.g., able to catch careless mistakes in work), responsible (e.g., complete tasks assigned to you), effective at communicating (e.g., ask for help when you need it), and independent (e.g., able to work without constant supervision). It is preferred that RAs are interested in attending grad school in psychology and have completed coursework in statistics and research methods.

  • Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and RAs can start as early as this fall. If you're planning to register for PSYC 491, the position will start in spring 2025. If you appear to be a good fit for the POIS Lab based on your application, we'll email you within 2 weeks to schedule a brief interview (15-30 min). After the interview, we'll let you know if you're accepted as an RA for the POIS Lab.