General Overview

This NSF funded internship will give undergraduate students the opportunity to gain research training across the fields of comparative and developmental psychology. Students will have the opportunity to study the origins of human social cognition from two different but related perspectives: developmental studies testing human children’s social understanding and comparative studies examining social cognition in capuchin monkeys. During the 10-week internship, students will work jointly in Dr. Laurie Santos’s Comparative Cognition Laboratory and Dr. Kristina Olson’s Social Cognitive Development Laboratory at Yale University. Summer interns will participate in all aspects of the research process: research ideas, data collection, coding, and statistical analysis. In addition, students will have the opportunity to work directly with child participants and a group of socially-housed capuchin monkeys. Students will also have the chance to participate in weekly lab meetings and take part in a professional development series.

Research Training

Our interns will also have the opportunity to take part in professional development training. Each intern will be assigned a graduate student mentor that they will meet with biweekly. In addition, interns will attend a weekly professional development workshop, in which they will have the opportunity to learn about applying to graduate school and life in academia.  Past workshop topics have included “Getting the most out of undergrad,” “What’s grad school really like?” and “Workshopping personal statements.” 

Other Activities

Interns will also have the opportunity to take part in Yale University’s lively cognitive science community. Students will have the chance to meet other faculty members and learn more about other areas of research in the psychological sciences. The internship will also fund a number of social and cultural events throughout the summer.

Eligibility

U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate program are eligible for this internship. Our REU site strives to include students from a variety of different backgrounds, and with different levels of research experience. 

As part of the National Science Foundation REU Program, we will offer eight summer fellowships. These fellowships will provide a stipend to cover living expenses and housing ($500 per week before taxes) as well as the cost of travel to New Haven. Other additional interns will be accommodated on a volunteer basis. Students are also encouraged to apply for funding through their home institution and other outside sources.

Housing

Students are required to find their own housing in the New Haven area. Yale University provides several resources for students interested in summer housing.

All prospective interns will need to provide the following materials:
1.  A completed application form found here

2.  A copy of your resume/CV

3.  One letter of recommendation

All application materials, including letters of recommendation, should be mailed electronically to yalereu2012@gmail.com

Note: all accepted interns will be required to provide proof of a negative TB test

Timeline

Please submit your completed application no later than Monday, February 27th, 2012 at 5:00pm.  Interns will be notified by the beginning of April.

Questions?

For more information, contact Melissa Baranay (Lab Manager for the Comparative Cognition Laboratory).

This REU Site is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1004797