Get Involved
Whether you are a parent, high school student, or post doctoral researcher, we would love to have you get involved with the lab. Learn more below
As a Parent
Thank you for your interest in the lab! Research on learning in early childhood would be impossible without the support of families like yours!
In this lab we are interested in how children learn so much so quickly. We study topics ranging from emotion understanding to causal reasoning. All of our studies look at children’s natural behavior so there are never any “wrong answers” in our studies. Our hypotheses might be wrong or our designs might be too complicated -- but the children are always right. We design experiments to answer specific questions about how children think and we change our ideas according to what we learn from the children. We will never be comparing your child’s performance with a standard “norm” or assessing their individual strengths and weaknesses.
We run different studies at different times. Some studies are with infants, some with toddlers, some with preschoolers, some with school-age children and some even with adults. Some of our studies are run in our on-site laboratories at the Boston Children’s Museum and some you can participate in right at home, through our online platforms: Lookit and Children Helping Science. For a list of currently available studies, please see here.
All of our published findings are available here. Please see the news page for links to public talks and lectures. And if you know a child interested in science (or are a child interested in science!) check out a few cartoons that we made just for kids here!
If you’d like more information, please contact the lab manager, Sienna Radifera or Professor Laura Schulz.
As a paid technician or lab manager
We are not currently accepting applications for a lab manager. We will post more information here and advertise this position broadly if it becomes available.
As a high school student
In the 2020-2021 school year we hosted a high school internship program. We are not currently accepting applications for internship positions but will post any openings here as they arise. Other ways to participate in research at MIT include the BEEAM program for biological, mechanical or chemical engineering (applications due February), Leah Knox Scholars program in biology, the Research Science Institute, and at the Math department. For more opportunities, check out the School of Science outreach website and programs advertised at outreach.mit.edu
As a college student not currently at MIT
If you are a sophomore or junior, our lab is open to hosting students through the MIT Summer Research Program in Biology and Brain and Cognitive Science. If you apply there, please also send Sienna Radifera an email letting us know you’ve applied and why you’re interested in working in our lab. If you are not eligible for that program but will be in Cambridge/Boston over the summer and are interested in a research position in our lab, please send the lab manager, Sienna Radifera, a short cover letter describing why you’re interested in working with our lab and your CV, and we will evaluate on a case-by-case basis whether we have openings, as well as if there is a mentor and a project that aligns well with your interests.
As an MIT UROP
At the start of each Fall, IAP, Spring, and Summer term, we evaluate what projects we have planned for that term and plan for new UROPs to join the lab. Depending on the graduate student or researcher you work with and the state of the project, they might ask for a semester-long or year-long commitment. Please email Sienna Radifera with a short description of your interest in our lab and your CV at least a month before the start of each term. Please note the deadlines for paid UROP’s here and please know that we can typically take only two paid UROP’s at a time, and we ask all UROP’s to start with a semester of work for credit before considering paid positions. If there isn’t space when you apply, we will let you know and keep your materials for the next time there is an opening. If that happens, don’t hesitate to get back in touch with us before the start of the next term to let us know you’re still interested.
As a post-baccalaureate student
BCS offers a prestigious, fully-funded, non-degree granting two year post-baccalaureate opportunity for students interested in neuroscience, cognitive science, cognitive development, computational cognitive or neuroscience, or neuroengineering through our Research Scholars program. This program is specifically designed for applicants under-represented in STEM fields, individuals with disabilities, first generation college students, veterans, and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. If you are interested in the program, please see here for more information about how to apply. If you meet the eligibility requirements, plan on applying, and are specifically interested in working in my lab, please feel free to reach out to me for more information.
As a graduate student
I review applications every year and accept students with a wide range of backgrounds. Former students have majored in everything from psychology to math to chemical engineering. We review applications holistically as a department (e.g., GRE scores are not considered; best practices for inclusive review are). There is no expectation that you contact me about your interests individually beforehand. Doing so does not confer any advantage and failing to do so will not harm your application in any way. But if you are curious about whether the lab is a good fit with your background or research interests, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions. Please know that unlike undergraduate education, our PhD programs are supported and tuition-free. If you are admitted as a PhD student your education will be fully subsidized and you will receive a stipend and health insurance. If you have questions about funding for BCS graduate students, please see here.
As a postdoctoral researcher
I do not currently have any independent postdoctoral funding. If and when I do, I will advertise broadly for the position. If you are interested in writing a grant to support postdoctoral work in the lab, please reach out to me to discuss but please note that unless we have already discussed your project, or you are reaching out as part of a collaboration with another colleague, I will not be able to consider any new postdoctoral candidates until Fall, 2023.