Paid Summer Research Opportunities for Undergraduates

Summary

The CoCoDev Lab and Brown Dog Lab are offering paid research opportunities for undergraduates in summer 2025, with options for both Brown University students and students at other colleges and universities in the US.

The CoCoDev Lab and Brown Dog Lab are offering two exciting opportunities in summer 2025, with options for both Brown University students and students at other colleges and universities in the US. Research assistants will contribute to all aspects of research in one of our two labs, from recruitment of participants to data analysis. These positions will take place in person at our lab on the Brown University campus in Providence, Rhode Island.

Below are separate position descriptions for each lab. If you are interested in working with children, proceed to “Research Assistant – Computational Cognitive Development Lab.” If you are interested in working with dogs, proceed to “Research Assistant – Brown Dog Lab.”

 

Research Assistant – Computational Cognitive Development Lab (CoCoDev):

Our lab conducts cognitive development research on a variety of topics within children’s thinking and learning, with a particular focus on how young children learn about categories such as colors and animals, how they understand cause and effect relationships, and on how they learn socially (both from and about other people). Our research takes the form of short, interactive games that are designed to be fun and engaging to children. We record children’s actions when interacting with others, toys and puzzles, and the choices they make, to learn more about their understanding of the world. As an undergraduate researcher, you will have the opportunity to participate in all aspects of research in the lab.

Primary responsibilities include:

  • Recruiting and scheduling child participants (aged 17 months to 9 years) via phone, email, and in person at off-site locations, such as the Roger Williams Park Zoo and Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River;
  • Assisting with conducting in-person behavioral experiments with children;
  • Coding and transcribing data; and
  • Contributing to our lab’s participant newsletter and social media pages.

Requirements:

  • Commitment of approximately 30 hours per week to work in the lab, including regular evening and weekend availability (as this is when families are most often able to participate);
  • Previous experience working with children, either in a research or non-research capacity; and
  • Previous coursework in psychology, development, and/or cognition.

Preferred qualifications:

  • Previous recruiting or customer service experience;
  • Experience with statistics, programming, or web design; and
  • Access to a computer and stable internet connection capable of running online experiments via Zoom.

 

Research Assistant – Brown Dog Lab:

Our canine cognition research explores dogs’ learning and reasoning abilities. We investigate dogs’ learning in a variety of contexts including dogs’ physical problem-solving abilities (e.g., how to get treats out of puzzles) and their understanding of social information (e.g., following a pointing gesture or learning from a demonstration). Our research takes the form of short, interactive games and training exercises that are designed to be fun and engaging to dogs. We record dogs’ actions when interacting with people, toys, and puzzles, and the choices they make, to learn more about their understanding of the world. As an undergraduate researcher, you will have the opportunity to participate in all aspects of research in the lab.

Responsibilities include:

  • Recruiting dogs and their owners via phone, email, and in person;
  • Conducting virtual and in-person behavioral experiments with dogs and their owners;
  • Coding and transcribing data; and
  • Contributing to our lab’s participant newsletter and social media pages.

Requirements:

  • Commitment of approximately 30 hours per week to work in the lab, including regular evening and weekend availability (as this is when dogs and their owners are most often able to participate);
  • Previous experience interacting with dogs, either formally or informally; and
  • Previous coursework in psychology, animal behavior, and/or comparative cognition.

Preferred qualifications:

  • Previous experience working with dogs, either in a research or non-research setting;
  • Previous recruiting or customer service experience;
  • Previous research experience;
  • Experience with statistics, programming, or web design; and
  • Access to a computer and stable internet connection capable of running online experiments via Zoom.

 

For additional details on eligibility requirements and instructions on how to apply, proceed to the section that applies to you. Brown University students should see “Option 1: UTRA.” Undergraduates at all other colleges and universities should see “Option 2: SR-EIP via the Leadership Alliance.”

 

Option 1: UTRA 

Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards (UTRAs) provide undergraduate students from all disciplines in their first through fourth year unique opportunities to collaborate with faculty on research and teaching projects.

Eligibility criteria:

  • You must be actively enrolled at Brown University as an undergraduate.
  • You must be enrolled during both the Spring 2025 and Fall 2025 semesters, and must not be on a leave of absence during those semesters.
  • You must not have previously collaborated with Dr. Daphna Buchsbaum on research or curriculum development for longer than one semester.*
  • See the UTRA Student Collaborator Guide and SPRINT Fellowship page for more detailed information on eligibility.

How to apply:

The application deadline is 11:59 PM EST on Sunday, February 2, 2025. 

For more information on how to apply, visit the UTRA website.

* Brown undergraduates who have already completed an UTRA with our lab are eligible and encouraged to apply for an Advanced UTRA for Summer 2025. Please see the Advanced UTRA page for additional details, and email manager-buchsbaum@brown.edu with your interest and any questions.

 

Option 2: SR-EIP via the Leadership Alliance

The Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP) is a paid summer internship that provides undergraduate students with training and mentorship in the principles underlying the conduct of research and prepares them to pursue competitive applications to PhD or MD-PhD programs. Recipients will spend 8-10 weeks in Providence, RI (from June 2 – August 1, 2025), and will be provided with a stipend, housing, and travel expenses from Brown University.

Eligibility criteria:

  • You must be a US citizen or non-citizen national, or permanent resident in possession of an alien registration receipt card (I-551).
  • You must be enrolled in a college or university in the United States as an undergraduate.
  • Good academic standing, with a GPA of at least 3.0.
  • Committed interest to pursue graduate study toward a PhD or MD-PhD.
  • You must have completed at least two semesters of undergraduate study and have at least one semester remaining by the start of the summer program.
  • See the Leadership Alliance website for more detailed information on eligibility requirements.

How to apply:

  • Complete the Leadership Alliance application form online, and indicate your interest in either the Computational Cognitive Development Lab or the Brown Dog Lab. You will be asked to include unofficial transcripts and two letters of recommendation.

The application deadline is Monday, February 3, 2025. 

For more information on how to apply, visit the Leadership Alliance SR-EIP website.