Opportunities

At this globally-recognized research university, you have the chance to be part of something bigger. 

Research conducted here at MSU has improved lives globally—from developing corn cross-fertilization in the 1870s to anticancer drugs in the 1960s, and today’s innovations in climate-resilient agriculture, supply chains, and STEM education.

There are hundreds of research faculty seeking curious, dedicated students for assistance in conducting and disseminating research. Your Briggs courses give you hands-on experiences and skills. Follow your curiosity!

Here are some ways to explore:

  • Talk to a professor or academic advisor about your research interests.
  • Make use of helpful resources and workshops from the Undergraduate Research Office to find opportunities, support, and presentation tips.
  • Work with a Briggs professor on faculty-led research: opportunities are posted below.
  • Search Handshake for research opportunities: paid and unpaid.
  • Search MSU websites for research topics you are interested in. Consider what skills you have to offer, and send a brief, professional email to lead researchers (typically the Principal Investigator of a lab), inquiring if they are looking for undergraduate research assistants.
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Research Opportunities with LBC Faculty

Projects for Spring – Summer 2026

Project 1: Exploring Biology Students' Experiences with Imposter Phenomenon 

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Ariel Steele
Term(s): Spring and Summer 2026
Maximum number of research positions: 2
Expected hours/week: 10 hours per week 
Location: In-person work preferred but not required for Spring 2026; remote is acceptable for Summer 2026

This is a biology education research project focused on describing how biology graduate students experience imposter phenomenon. Imposter phenomenon is a pervasive experience with college students, and is often associated with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt within certain contexts. In this study, we interviewed biology graduate students about their experiences with imposter phenomenon and what systems of support they use to manage imposter feelings. 

Two lines of inquiry from this project include:

  1. describing who graduate students to go for support to manage their imposter feelings
  2. investigating how academic norms and expectations shape students' experiences with imposter phenomenon

Using interview data, we will work together to identify patterns in how graduate students experience imposter phenomenon and who they go to for support. Work on this project will involve reading the literature on imposter phenomenon, analyzing interview data, and presenting the findings to the broader research community. 

Project-specific qualifications or preferences: Familiarity with qualitative research methods is preferred (but not required).

Project 2: How Structure Shapes Relational Safety and Flourishing in ULA Teams

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachel Barnard
Term(s): Spring 2026 and Summer 2026
Maximum number of research positions: 1 
Expected hours/week: 10 hours per week 
Location: Either remote or in-person work is acceptable 

Each semester, approximately 40 Undergraduate Learning Assistants (ULAs) work with four Briggs chemistry faculty to support about 425 first-year students in the introductory laboratory courses LB 171L and LB 172L. This large teaching team is central to creating safe, student-centered learning environments in these courses. Each semester, roughly one-third to one-half of the ULAs are new, while others have taught these courses three or more times. Supporting this diverse team across varying leadership styles, experiences, and stages of growth requires careful planning, communication, and creative problem-solving. 

Over the past several years, Briggs chemistry faculty have developed a set of shared resources to support ULAs in their work. These include weekly meeting agendas and activities, a mid-semester student feedback cycle, a two-page document outlining reciprocal expectations within the teaching team, and, most recently, a “preamble worksheet” and ULA syllabus. 

This project explores how these resources, along with other norms and rituals of the teaching team, contribute to ULAs’ sense of relational safety and flourishing in their instructional roles. Data collected during the Fall 2025 semester from the 41 ULAs in LB 171L will serve as a foundation for this study, which aims to identify practices that best sustain a positive, growth-oriented ULA community.

Project specific qualifications or preferences: Prior experience as an Undergraduate Learning Assistant in the Lyman Briggs College, for LB 171L or LB 172L is preferred.

Eligibility 

Any student in Lyman Briggs College may apply. The student must be enrolled in LBC full-time during the semester of the award, except during summer. 

Application procedure

  1. Fill out the Undergraduate Research Support application form
  2. In the application indicate you are applying for an LBC project

For more information about funding, please visit the Research Funding page.

Project 1: Exploring Biology Students' Experiences with Imposter Phenomenon 

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Ariel Steele
Term(s): Spring and Summer 2026
Maximum number of research positions: 2
Expected hours/week: 10 hours per week 
Location: In-person work preferred but not required for Spring 2026; remote is acceptable for Summer 2026

This is a biology education research project focused on describing how biology graduate students experience imposter phenomenon. Imposter phenomenon is a pervasive experience with college students, and is often associated with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt within certain contexts. In this study, we interviewed biology graduate students about their experiences with imposter phenomenon and what systems of support they use to manage imposter feelings. 

Two lines of inquiry from this project include:

  1. describing who graduate students to go for support to manage their imposter feelings
  2. investigating how academic norms and expectations shape students' experiences with imposter phenomenon

Using interview data, we will work together to identify patterns in how graduate students experience imposter phenomenon and who they go to for support. Work on this project will involve reading the literature on imposter phenomenon, analyzing interview data, and presenting the findings to the broader research community. 

Project-specific qualifications or preferences: Familiarity with qualitative research methods is preferred (but not required).

Project 2: How Structure Shapes Relational Safety and Flourishing in ULA Teams

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachel Barnard
Term(s): Spring 2026 and Summer 2026
Maximum number of research positions: 1 
Expected hours/week: 10 hours per week 
Location: Either remote or in-person work is acceptable 

Each semester, approximately 40 Undergraduate Learning Assistants (ULAs) work with four Briggs chemistry faculty to support about 425 first-year students in the introductory laboratory courses LB 171L and LB 172L. This large teaching team is central to creating safe, student-centered learning environments in these courses. Each semester, roughly one-third to one-half of the ULAs are new, while others have taught these courses three or more times. Supporting this diverse team across varying leadership styles, experiences, and stages of growth requires careful planning, communication, and creative problem-solving. 

Over the past several years, Briggs chemistry faculty have developed a set of shared resources to support ULAs in their work. These include weekly meeting agendas and activities, a mid-semester student feedback cycle, a two-page document outlining reciprocal expectations within the teaching team, and, most recently, a “preamble worksheet” and ULA syllabus. 

This project explores how these resources, along with other norms and rituals of the teaching team, contribute to ULAs’ sense of relational safety and flourishing in their instructional roles. Data collected during the Fall 2025 semester from the 41 ULAs in LB 171L will serve as a foundation for this study, which aims to identify practices that best sustain a positive, growth-oriented ULA community.

Project specific qualifications or preferences: Prior experience as an Undergraduate Learning Assistant in the Lyman Briggs College, for LB 171L or LB 172L is preferred.

Eligibility 

Any student in Lyman Briggs College may apply. The student must be enrolled in LBC full-time during the semester of the award, except during summer. 

Application procedure

  1. Fill out the Undergraduate Research Support application form
  2. In the application indicate you are applying for an LBC project

For more information about funding, please visit the Research Funding page.

Research Opportunities from Other Organizations

Governmental and Professional Society Programs

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