Managing Student Requests for Research Positions

BIDMC is an exciting place to conduct research, and there are often students that reach out to Department contacts, individual PIs/Labs, and/or OSEE directly to inquire about opportunities to conduct research.

OSEE has developed a centralized process to manage student requests for research opportunities, and to support PIs/Research Labs interest in hiring the students that reach out for potential opportunities.

The process steps are outlined below. You can also download a PDF document of these steps here

  1. There are multiple scenarios involving student requests for research opportunities:
    • Scenario 1- Student reaches out to the OSEE directly
    • Scenario 2- Research contact receive a direct request from a student for a research opportunity and decide to hire the student
    • Scenario 3- Research contact receive a direct request from a student for a research opportunity from a student and are not interested in or able to hire the student, but want to connect them to other, potential opportunities
    • Scenario 4- BILH or other contact external to BIDMC research receives a direct request for a research opportunity from a student and want to connect them to other, potential opportunities

Steps 2-4 below are attributed to scenarios 1, 3, and 4. Scenario 2 begins at step 5.

  1. OSEE and/or contact requests that student complete official Student Requests- BIDMC Research Experiences form, and emails CV to the BIDMC Office of Student Engagement (OSEE)
    • Please note that the OSEE will only take action on requests submitted using this form
  2. The OSEE reaches out to PI/Department contacts that matches student interest to inquire about availability and/or general interest in speaking with the student candidate.
  3. If PI has interest in connecting with student candidate, the OSEE creates an introduction via email.
  1. PI/Department contact emails the OSEE if there is interest in hiring the student candidate for a research opportunity, and shares the following information:
    • Research Student Position
    • A brief description of the project that the student will be supporting
    • Students’ supervisor/mentor (name and title)
    • If the student is a minor (reminder, student must be at least 16 years of age to conduct research at BIDMC)
    • Dates of Experience
  1. OSEE sends student an official offer letter to student to review and sign once this information is provided
  2. Once student returns signed offer letter, OSEE begins onboarding operations with PI/Department contact, following the streamlined research student onboarding process