<p>"How about being an unpaid/uncredited research assistant? "</p>
<p>Talk to the primary investigator and see just how much work needs to be done in order to be one of the minor authors on the papers. Some primary investigators are much more generous about sharing authorship than others. It also depends on the field, and even on the journal where the research is published. If the student is an undergraduate, being uncredited for publication may not be so critical if Dr. Famous is known for his/her glowing and effective letters of recommendation at the time of grad school application.</p>