Become a Research Assistant

    How to Apply for a Research Assistant Position
  • If you are interested in pursuing a graduate career in psychology or a related field, working as a research assistant can provide experience and opportunities that may help you along this path. The longer you participate in the lab the more opportunities you will have to expand your work experience through greater responsibility in the lab, which will help you to build a solid background in psychological research.
  • RA Requirements: All volunteers are expected to contribute an average of 5 hours a week in the lab for at least two semesters. Participating in the lab for at least two semesters ensures that you gain a richer experience and allows you to take on more complex tasks that require more training. The lab hours include participation in a one hour weekly or bi-weekly lab meeting and any other activities related to the lab. Schedules are flexible and we will schedule your work hours at your convenience where possible.
  • Duties: The lab is operating hybrid with some activities online and some in person. RA's may assist with the day to day running of the lab including conducting literature reviews, preparing research materials, participant recruitment, scheduling and preparing for lab sessions, and managing data and online surveys. From time to time, we also recruit RA's for specific projects, such as viewing and coding couples' relationship discussions. 
  • Lab Meetings: All lab members attend a weekly or bi-weekly meeting. The time of this meeting generally changes each semester to best accommodate lab members’ schedules. In this meeting, we review the progress of various projects in the lab, provide updates on any new procedures, discuss problems and issues related to our research, discuss professional development issues (e.g., applying to grad school or for funding, etc.), and have presentations of ongoing lab projects by honours students and graduate students.
  • Qualifications of Successful Applicants: Most RAs plan to apply to graduate school in psychology or related fields. Successful applicants will have a CGPA above 3.33, completed PSYC 201 (Research Methods), 210 (Data Analysis), and 362 (Close Relationships; with a grade of A- or better) (completion of equivalent courses at an alternate institution are considered), and a clear interest in relationship research. Preferred but not required: Completion of 367 (Human Sexuality) and paid or volunteer experience (research or other). At this time we are only accepting applications from SFU students. We announce open RA positions in the psychology department weekly newsletter and on our lab home page.
  • How to Apply: Please email a statement indicating why you are interested in working in this lab and what your future plans include and send a copy of your CV or resume and unofficial transcript to Dr. Rebecca Cobb (rcobb@sfu.ca) as an email attachment. Qualified applicants will be invited to interview with a member of the research team. Please note that we do not have paid positions available. 
  • We are currently not accepting new applications.