Psych Scoop, 5/7/19 - Research Edition!

May 7th, 2019 - Research Edition!

The Psych Scoop is sent to all Psychology Undergraduate students and alumni every Tuesday throughout the academic school year. Share your news with psyadvis@umn.edu!

General Research Opportunities

1. Finding Psychology Research

The psychology department offers undergraduate students the unique opportunity to gain firsthand experience in the research lab of a distinguished faculty member. PSY 4/5993 is the most common way that psychology students engage in research. At least one semester of research lab experience for credit is required for psychology BS students and is highly recommended for all psychology majors. To see more information about PSY 4/5993 or instructions on how to get registered for the course once you find a position, visit our website.

2. Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Applications for Fall 2019

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program has added another opportunity for students to submit an application to be funded for research in Fall 2019. Applications will be due July 1, 2019, and here's the link for the program with further information. The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) provides all University of Minnesota undergraduates, regardless of college, major or discipline, the opportunity to partner with a faculty member on research, scholarly or creative project. UROP gives students a chance to explore academic and career interests, apply classroom learning to real-time research and prepare for a career or graduate school while working closely with a U of M faculty member. Students may work on a project of their own creation or take part in a faculty member’s existing project.

Research (for credit opportunities)

3. *Credit* Undergraduate Research Opportunity

Professor Bill Iacono’s research team is seeking an undergraduate research assistant (UGRA) to begin this summer and continue in the Fall. The UGRA will be involved with a research project using neuroimaging data from the Minnesota Center for Twin and Family Research. The UGRA will have the opportunity to gain experience performing literature searches and analyzing MRI data. We ask that UGRA’s register for 3 credits of PSY 5993 Directed Research. During the summer, UGRA’s may register for 5993 or work on a volunteer basis. UGRA’s are expected to commit to an average of 9 hours of work per week, attend research team meetings, work independently on assigned tasks, and take initiative in communicating with research team members. Ideal candidates are motivated psychology students who are planning to apply to graduate programs in psychology and who have an interest in clinical psychology, neuroscience, behavioral genetics, and/or substance use research. Please contact Victoria Oleynick at oleyn001@umn.edu, the graduate student overseeing this project, by May 3rd if interested.

4. *Credit or Volunteer* Research on Risk and Resilience RA Position

The Project Competence research group, under the direction of Dr. Ann Masten at the Institute of Child Development, is looking for research assistants! The current study takes place at People Serving People, a Minneapolis homeless shelter for families, and examines how parents support resilience in their young children. Duties for this position include: recruiting families to participate, conducting tasks with parent participants, watching the siblings of the child participant, and attending lab meeting. This is a volunteer position and requires an 8-12 hour commitment per week. Students can receive research credit for the course CPSY 4994. Preference will be given to those who are available in the summer and fall. The start date is May 2019. To apply please contact Cara Lucke at lucke124@umn.edu and Kayla Nelson at nels8814@umn.edu. Include your name, email, class year, and reasons for applying in the body of the email and "Resilience RA Position" in the subject line. Please also attach your resume.

5. *Credit or Volunteer* Research Assistant Position

The Minnesota Aging & Technology Lab (MINTECH) is currently looking for new Research Assistants. The volunteer position supports the execution of research projects in the VA Geriatric Research Education & Clinical Center (GRECC) under Dr. Adriana Seelye, which contribute to national efforts to understand cognition and daily functioning in normal aging and prodromal Alzheimer’s disease and to develop and evaluate innovative technologies for cognitive assessment and patient support. Research assistant duties include entering behavioral and neuropsychological test data into the REDCap study database, verifying accuracy of data entered, assisting the study coordinator and PI with recruiting research volunteers, determining eligibility, facilitating study enrollment, making telephone calls to research volunteers, participating in regulatory compliance (IRB, HIPAA training), and attending weekly lab meetings. There are also opportunities to learn and administer assessments to research volunteers depending on one’s interest, time commitment, and skill level. Due to the training burden, Dr. Seelye expects research assistants to commit to at least 9 hours per week to the lab (internship for credit) and to start in June or any time after. Interested parties should send a cover letter addressing qualifications, a current resume or CV that includes any relevant psychology or research methods coursework and current GPA, and a list with the names and email addresses of at least 2 references who can address the applicant's qualifications for the position. Questions should be addressed to Jessica Klinger at jklinger@umn.edu or Kurt Benckendorf at kbencken@umn.edu.

6. *Credit or Volunteer* Clinical Research Intern Positions Available

The Minnesota Center for Chemical and Mental Health is seeking clinical research interns for several projects. You must be able to commit to summer and fall semesters, at minimum, for 8-10 hours a week. Depending on qualifications, availability, and interest tasks include qualitative transcription and coding, recruitment for substance use disorder survey study with a community-based partner, and data entry at a mental health clinic in St. Louis Park. Contact Research Coordinator Jillian Wright-Martin, MPS, LADC at wrig0331@umn.edu for full details of the positions. Eligible candidates will be interviewed the week of May 20th, 2019.

7. *Credit or Volunteer* Research Lab in Psychology

A laboratory at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System is conducting a randomized clinical trial to examine the efficacy of a psychotherapy intervention in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. There is an opportunity for 2 undergraduate students to become involved with this project as a Research Lab in Psychology experience. The students will learn about the assessment of trauma and evidence-based approaches to treatment to reduce symptoms and improve functioning. Students will work as a part of a research team led by a psychologist and will be involved with study recruitment activities, participant medical, psychiatric, and cognitive screening, preparation of study materials, scoring measures, and entering data. As part of the research experience, students will attend a weekly lab meeting in which topics related to the project are discussed. In addition, students will write an APA-style paper on a related topic. All research activities are conducted at the VA Health Care System. Students must be able to commute to the VA. Students will be asked to register for research credit and to commit an average of 10 hours each week. Students must become volunteers at the hospital in order to participate in this experience. Volunteers are required to be U.S. Citizens. For more information, please send a resume to Tasha Nienow, Ph.D. at Tasha.Nienow@va.gov.

8. *Credit or Volunteer* Undergraduate Research Assistant Opportunity for this Summer

The Elison Lab for Brain and Behavioral Development is looking for undergraduate research assistants for the summer, with the possibility of continuing into the fall. The Elab focuses on behavioral and social development through the first five years of life, with many of our studies focusing on early infancy. As a research assistant in the Elab, one may expect to spend a majority of their time on data entry, coding behavioral videos, and sibsitting during visits. Elab research assistants are made up of both volunteers as well as for-credit students and the time they spend in the lab each week is flexible and can be determined by them and their supervisor. To apply, please contact Rachel Roisum at rroisum@umn.edu with the subject line "Research Assistant Position." Please include your name, major, graduation year, and reason for applying. Please also attach your resume to your email.

Research (volunteer opportunities)

9. *Volunteer* Undergraduate Research Opportunity in Child Psychiatry

We are looking for a student to volunteer in Dr. Meredith Gunlicks-Stoessel’s adolescent depression research lab for Summer 2019 and the Fall 2019 semester. Students will be working primarily on a research project that is evaluating the effectiveness of personalized interventions for adolescent depression delivered in a community mental health care setting. Responsibilities will include preparing study materials, administering data collection procedures with adolescents and parents, and data entry. Qualified candidates must be highly motivated, able to work independently, detail-oriented, and willing to develop new skills as the need arises. Excellent communication (written and oral) and interpersonal skills; organizational skills; and comfort using basic computer programs such as Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Excel, and web applications are also required. Candidates must be pursuing a degree in Psychology or related field and be willing to commit to 3-4 hours per week (hours will be 3-7pm during the week and occasional weekends). To apply, please send a cover letter including GPA and resume to Jessica Arend at arend@umn.edu.

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