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Volunteering as an undergraduate research assistant is an excellent way to gain hands-on experience and build an understanding of the research process for future graduate studies. Undergraduate students from Engineering (Biomedical, Mechanical, Material Science), Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Biomedical Science, Anthropology and Biology have all been involved in research with the Injury Biomechanics Research Center. In the IBRC, interested undergraduate students begin as volunteers. Volunteers are encouraged to spend as much time in the IBRC as their schedule allows (minimum of 10 hours per week) in order to learn as much as they can and become fully immersed in all aspects of injury biomechanics research. Volunteering in the IBRC allows for students to experience a hands-on research lab environment in order to decide if a career in research is a good fit for them.
The Injury Biomechanics Research Center typically has 10 to 20 undergraduate volunteers at any time. The IBRC prides itself on teamwork and readily welcomes student participation in all research and testing activities. Undergraduate students who are willing to dedicate time every week to work in the IBRC will gain knowledge of research that far exceeds what is taught in the traditional classroom environment.
Volunteers should be interested in and willing to learn about all functions of the IBRC testing process and research including, but not limited to: acquiring data, collecting high speed video data, maintaining instrumentation, screening subjects for testing, specimen processing, data analysis, and statistical approaches.
We encourage volunteers to gain experience in all areas of the lab to benefit from acquiring knowledge of multiple projects and equipment. We do not assign volunteers to specific projects until they have helped with multiple projects and developed an interest in a specific research area.
Interested undergraduate students should use the Student Interest Form below to submit your information to us or directly contact any faculty member whom they are interested in working with to discuss volunteering. We are always interviewing and accepting new volunteers.
Volunteers who have demonstrated an exceptional work ethic and a dedicated interest in the IBRC will be considered for a paid Undergraduate Research Assistant position.
Once again, this summer the IBRC is looking for outstanding undergraduate students who would like to learn more about injury biomechanics research. We are currently accepting applications for our 2024 REU program through February 23rd, 2024. The position will be a full-time appointment in the Injury Biomechanics Research Center, which will allow students to learn all aspects of injury biomechanics. Because the IBRC has multiple on-going projects, students are expected to be involved in a variety of projects at various levels, rather than being assigned to one specific project with one specific role.
A few of the responsibilities for this position may but are not limited to:
For more information about the REU position, including how to apply, please see the link below.
Ohio State’s Injury Biomechanics Research Center welcomes applications from outstanding students interested in pursuing graduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Anthropology, and Health and Rehabilitation Sciences — just to name a few. In some cases, students interested in graduate programs in other engineering disciplines or other health-related fields may also be considered. Information and application materials can be found at the College of Engineering, the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, and the Department of Anthropology.
The IBRC typically has 10 to 20 students pursuing graduate degrees. The IBRC prides itself on teamwork and readily welcomes student participation in all research and testing activities. Students will graduate from their programs not only with an advanced degree, but with knowledge of research equipment and analytical approaches to problem solving that far exceed what is taught in the classroom environment.
Students should plan on spending a minimum of 20 hours per week on their research projects, as well as assisting with other research in the lab. Students are expected to be self-motivated and responsible for setting their own goals in order to make progress towards their degrees.
Graduate students serve as mentors for undergraduate students and should set good examples by teaching others skills they’ve learned.
Interested graduate students should contact an IBRC faculty member to discuss their research goals prior to applying to their desired graduate program. Students with external funding to support their graduate studies (e.g., through the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, the NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program, or University Fellowships) are strongly encouraged to apply.
The IBRC offers several volunteer and paid positions to work in our research center throughout the year. Let us know if you’re interested in working with us.