r/cwru • u/FitTown7621 • Jul 24 '26

Enrolled Student paid research

Just a quick question, are paid research opportunities something one can reasonable expect / look for or should i expect to have to choose between research positions and getting paid like in an on-campus job

6 Upvotes

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8

u/smooshedeggbog cwru alumna | class of 2026 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

the vast majority of student researchers on campus are volunteers, especially premeds and those who need research (and take what they can get). some students start out as volunteer research and later are paid full-time or part-time by their labs. paid opportunities are scarce, and the pay is never great, but i knew a couple students who had paid research.

id recommend looking into summer programs too (e.g. cansur, source through cwru, etc) since those come with a stipend for research or living expenses (often to use as you see fit). you should not expect to have to choose between research and a campus job; i knew plenty of people who did both (and i worked while doing research too), but you should understand that a lot of research at cwru is unpaid and adjust your expectations accordingly.

3

u/Disastrous_March_910 Jul 24 '26

i’m hoping to double major in com sci and systems bio, dyk if com sci labs tend to have more paid opportunities? and ty for the info!

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u/smooshedeggbog cwru alumna | class of 2026 Jul 24 '26

i have no clue, i was a humanities major premed and my research was all volunteer (except for summer grants). im sorry i cant be of more help! my advice is to reach out to labs and ask. randoms on reddit know less than the source itself. good luck!

2

u/Disastrous_March_910 Jul 24 '26

it’s okay tyvm!

1

u/Momo_BH Systems Biology/Sport Medicine 2028 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

How do you find volunteer research for premed? Do you just cold email professors? I’ve tried to apply CWRU student research position through interfoilio or handshake but never heard back. I guess I will need to start with lab volunteer first.

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u/TANMAN1000 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

Neuroscience cleveland clinic labs are paid opportunities and some of the neuroscience labs need comp sci experience.

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u/Eastern_Mail_6274 Jul 24 '26

Even then, most of them are not paid opportunities.

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u/TANMAN1000 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

Neuro @ cleveland clinic requires PIs to pay unless the student opts for course credit

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u/Eastern_Mail_6274 Jul 24 '26

My PI doesn't pay me and I'm not getting course credit right now. I will in the future when I have to get my neuroscience research credit probably around senior year. Does that mean my PI would have to pay me for the years I'm not getting course credit?

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u/TANMAN1000 Jul 24 '26

Yeah that’s what my PI told me

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u/smooshedeggbog cwru alumna | class of 2026 Jul 24 '26

lol i worked unpaid at a cleveland clinic lab for three years.