<p>This site lists the Summer REU programs at or affiliated with UMass Aherst for 2010. The programs are typically competitive. You submit an application with your transcripts, letters of recommendation, and essay and they pick from among the applications. REUs typically pay about $400/week and provide housing if you don’t live in the local area.</p>
<p>[UMass</a> Amherst: Research: Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement](<a href=“http://www.umass.edu/research/reu.html]UMass”>http://www.umass.edu/research/reu.html)</p>
<p>You should contact the department that you will be majoring in to see what research opportunities they have and what the process is for getting involved during the regular semester if that’s what you want.</p>
<p>At research universities, professors do research and they teach courses. In many cases, professors spend quite a bit more time doing research work than teaching. They are essentially managers where they manage grad students that do research and teach undergraduates. The research work may bring in a lot of money to the university that helps it to reduce instructional costs to undergraduates. It can also provide jobs and research experience for undergraduate and graduate students. It can, of course, reduce the quality of teaching as you have less access to the professor as he or she has another priority. Sometimes professors make quite a bit more than what their university pays them for doing research and consulting.</p>
<p>There often isn’t a process for getting research work as an undergraduate. One of my nieces did research work at Amherst in her freshman year during the regular semester, has done research during the summer at her school and is doing research at Harvard this summer. I think that she just talked to a professor and they worked something out.</p>
<p>A girl at my son’s school has had research experience for a few years as an undergrad - her adviser brings in a ton of grant money and is always looking for students to do research.</p>
<p>Sometimes high-school kids score research work at a local university through parent or teacher connections. Those are usually unpaid though.</p>