Lab Research and Science Competitions

Questions related to finding and working with a mentor, finding an idea, etc.

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timothypark
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2016 7:51 pm
Occupation: Student

Lab Research and Science Competitions

Post by timothypark »

Hello,
I am about to start researching at a lab. I'm doing it at a lab that researches what I'm interested in. I want to get involved in science competitions but I'm not sure if the research I'm going to be assigned will help me with my own project that I want to submit. How shall I approach this?

Also, is research at a university necessary in order to submit projects concerning research to competitions, or can i do some research on my own?

Thanks.
jcschrandt
Former Expert
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2016 3:33 pm
Occupation: Other Adult

Re: Lab Research and Science Competitions

Post by jcschrandt »

Hi, timothypark! Welcome to ScienceBuddies! Research at a university isn't necessary to enter a competition, but it usually helps a lot! They have a lot more resources, which help you conduct a project with greater impact. The main issue is usually funding because if the research lab is funding your project, they're going to want you to work on something that helps them with their goals. They won't want you to work on something completely different while using their resources. But it sounds like you want to do something similar to what they're going to assign you anyway. Regarding whether your assigned project will be good for a competition, you should make sure you're clear with your mentor that you have a deadline for the project and that you would need to have some results to submit by that point. Most projects take a long time, so you need to have a clear plan of what you can accomplish in the given time frame.

I hope this helps!
Jen
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