Many Bates faculty members have their own research grants, especially in the sciences, which provide funding for student research assistants. Working on one of these grants gives students an opportunity to participate in a professor’s research program, and can lead to a thesis project, a presentation at a national conference, or a publication.

Most faculty describe their research programs on department and program websites. Students interested in working in the summer with faculty on their externally funded research should contact the professor directly early in the winter semester, so that the faculty members knows of the student’s interest in the work.

Faculty members each have their own processes for selecting student research assistants, and the schedule for hiring is also variable. Students working as research assistants on faculty research funded by such agencies as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health are considered to be employees, and are paid hourly.