Fall and Spring Opportunities 

For Boston College undergraduate students

As a research assistant (RA), responsibilities include participant recruitment, help running studies both in the lab and potentially outdoor spaces, debriefing parents, data entry and video coding. Research assistants will work closely with other team members and will be supervised by the Cooperation Lab’s director and lab coordinator. RAs are expected to work 8-10 hours a week and will ideally be able to offer some evening and weekend availability. Email lmcooperation@gmail.com prior to the start of the semester to inquire about position availability.

Volunteer RA

Any motivated and genuinely interested scholar is welcome to volunteer as an RA. We ask that you are able to commit at least 8 hours or more.

Earn credit as an RA

This is for Boston College students during Fall and Spring semesters. Please provide proper documentations to earn credit.

Spring 2025 semester

We are seeking new RAs for the Spring 2025 semester! Please check back for the application link toward the end of the Fall 2024 semester. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Please check back later in the fall if you are interested in working as an RA in the Cooperation Lab for the Spring 2025 semester, or email us in the spring if you are interested in summer opportunities with the lab.

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site:

Developing Social Minds

If you’re interested in our summer internship, please consider whether you are eligible for funding through our REU grant. For more information about the Boston College REU Summer Internship Program and eligibility criteria, click here.

Cooperation Lab Summer Internship Program

Each summer, we run a full time research internship that is open to students from Boston College and other institutions. 

The Cooperation Lab at Boston College directed by Dr. Katherine McAuliffe is seeking motivated, reliable, and enthusiastic summer research assistants for our Summer Internship. Research in the lab focuses on the development of cooperative abilities in children.

Internship Description 

Summer research assistants (RAs) will gain experience with all stages of the research process, including recruiting families, collecting data, analyzing data, and discussing results. Each summer RA will be paired with a graduate student, post-doctoral fellow, or lab coordinator mentor for the duration of the summer, and have a main project.

In addition, RAs will attend weekly lab meetings with other undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, the principal investigator, and lab coordinators to discuss ongoing and key research in the field of psychology. Intermittent professional development and other seminars will also occur, such as data analysis workshops (e.g., R) and panels on applying to graduate school. 

This internship will take place in-person on Boston College’s campus.

Eligibility and requirements 

Research assistants are asked to commit approximately 35 - 40 hours per week to research in the lab and should expect to test outdoors and on weekends. The start date for positions is early June. Depending on student circumstances, accommodations may be made for particular academic schedules. Positions will last for 10 weeks, with the internship ending early/mid August.

**FUNDING**

We have another application for eligible students to receive funding through a NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates grant. Priority will be given to those from underrepresented minority groups and who have had little or no research experience. Those who identify with a historically under-represented group (e.g., Hispanics or Latinos, Blacks or African Americans, and American Indians or Alaska Natives; first generation college students; members of the LGBTQ+ community; veterans) are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information on the funding and eligibility criteria, click on this ad. To be considered for one of these stipends, you must fill out the separate online application which can be found on the ad, and is also linked here. When completing the REU application, you should select the Cooperation Lab as your primary choice if you are most interested in working with us; however, we encourage you to explore the other developmental lab options as well. If you are unsure whether you fit the eligibility criteria, feel free to fill out both applications and/or email us and we will be happy to provide further guidance. 

If you do not believe you fit the eligibility criteria for the NSF grant funding, or would still be interested in participating in the Cooperation Lab over the summer without this funding, please complete the steps listed below. Accepted students are encouraged to seek funding from their home institution or from outside organizations, however this is not necessary for participation in the internship. We will provide any assistance necessary for students seeking funding elsewhere, including providing documentation and descriptions of our internship as well as reviewing drafts. Please note that all RAs, regardless of their source of funding, will be part of the same vibrant community of researchers. 

To apply, please:

1) Complete our online application: https://forms.gle/49EgTXrBXrrccZX7A. Please note that you will be asked to upload your CV/resume as part of the application.

Note: This form asks for the contact information for one recommender. Recommenders for a select number of candidates will be contacted and asked to provide a formal letter of recommendation at a later date. The contact information is all that is needed at this stage.

We welcome any questions at lmcooperation@gmail.com. 

The deadline to submit materials is March 15, 2023 at 5pm EST.

We are not accepting applications at this time. Check back in the spring for similar opportunities with the Cooperation Lab for Summer 2025!

Other Opportunities 

Undergraduate Research Fellowship

Boston College offers funding to undergraduates with academic  promise and the opportunity to immerse themselves in research guided by a faculty advisor.