<p>Do you have to be a senior or a junior in order to be involved in a research?
Can a freshman join after a couple of semesters?</p>
<p>bumpbumpbump</p>
<p>bumpbumpbump</p>
<p>Plenty of research to go around. You have to go look for it though. Talk to your advisor. Look up research being done in your department and read about it. Find one that interests you, read the latest research papers and go see the head of the research. They will find something for you. Register for a paid RUE (research underg ed) for next summer by march of your freshman year. Persevere.</p>
<p>PSU is all about the undergrad research. I was able to secure a paying research job in my first choice of lab fall of my freshmen year. I have been there since.</p>
<p>The pay is nice and I have a high chance of being published at least once over the next 4 years. </p>
<p>The jobs dont search for you though. Take initative and search them out. Send out emails to profs in labs that are of interest to you. Do the reading. Act interested and ask questions.</p>
<p>REU-- Research Experiences for Undergraduates
[nsf.gov</a> - Funding - Research Experiences for Undergraduates - US National Science Foundation (NSF)](<a href=“Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) | NSF - National Science Foundation”>http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5517&from=fund)
They require application, not registration. Some are quite competitive to get into.</p>
<p>I would just go around and ask professors. Thatll be your best bet for getting involved in research early.</p>