<p>yes, it is totally OK to start looking after the school year starts. I think it even helps if you wait a little while, so you have a better feel for your other commitments, and you know how much time (and which times slots) can be devoted to work in a lab.</p>
<p>would it be much tougher to get research positions if say you were a chemistry major but want to do research in biomedical engineering?</p>