At SPoPs-Lab we work together with undergraduate and graduate students. Volunteer researchers take part in ongoing projects at various stages, learning hands-on how social psychological research is carried out.
What do volunteers do?
Tasks vary according to what a project needs, but typically include: literatüre search, preparing scales and materials, data collection, data entry and cleaning, transcription and coding of qualitative data, and support during analysis.
Every volunteer works on a defined project with a defined task. There is no such thing as joining "the lab in general." Being part of concrete work teaches more, and it leaves behind a real contribution that can later be written about in a reference letter.
Who can apply?
Undergraduate and graduate students in psychology and related departments or recent graduates, at METU or at other universities. No prior research experience is required; some projects may call for a particular course, software or language skill, and these are stated in that term’s call. Most tasks can be carried out remotely, but some projects involve work on campus; this is specified in the call.
What do we expect?
An average of 2-5 hours a week (depends on the project) and a commitment of at least one semester. Research moves slowly; short-term participation is unproductive for you and disruptive for the project.
In return, you can expect: training and mentorship in the research process, participation in working group meetings, and authorship on academic outputs for contributions that meet authorship criteria (other contributions are acknowledged).
Open positions
We publish volunteer calls in the Announcements section at the start of each semester. Current positions and application deadlines can be found there. Calls for the 2026–2027 Fall semester will be published on 28 September 2026, and applications will be open from 28 September to 11 October 2026.
How to apply
Send the following by email to spops@metu.edu.tr, using the subject line "Project Application - [Project Name] - [Your full name]". Apply for a single project only. Your email should include:
- Your CV and transcript (as attachments)
- Your university, department, and year of study (if you have graduated, your graduation year)
- Whether you are applying as a volunteer researcher or a project team member
- The project you are applying for
- A brief summary of your research experience
- Whether you would like to be considered for another project if deemed suitable (yes/no)
- For project team membership: a short, project-specific text of 150–200 words (details in the current call)
- Your CV and transcript (as attachments)
Applications are reviewed by our coordinators and the PI. Application deadlines are stated in the current calls. Your CV, transcript and the information you provide are used solely to evaluate your application, are seen only by the lab's coordinators and principal investigator, and are deleted at the end of the evaluation process.
WIP meetings
Our work-in-progress meetings, where lab members present ongoing studies, are held throughout the term. They are open to lab members and to students taking part in our projects; the schedule is shared directly with them.