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Research Opportunities

Dr. Angela Lachowski wet lab photo
Research Opportunities

There are many research projects ongoing in our department, many of which involve undergraduate psychology students in a variety of roles. Students typically get involved in research in their 3rd or 4th year, but it’s possible to do it earlier. This page contains the listings of psychology professors who are currently accepting applications for research assistant positions. These are great opportunities to learn, make connections, and sharpen your research skills. Research in psychology is very diverse and we hope you find an exciting match with your interests.

SMART Lab music recording photo

Participate in a study

PSY102/202 students seeking to participate in research studies for course credit should access our SONA site as described on the PSY 102 and PSY 202 course syllabus.  Please feel free to consider participating in the any of our other research studies.

RESEARCH LABS

See a full listing of our 30+ labs housed in the state-of-the-art Psychology Research & Training Centre (PRTC)

Participate In Research

Now recruiting TMU undergrads for paid study sponsored by the National Science Foundation that aims to examine strategies for improving the quality of online learning. Click  (PDF file) here (external link)  for details.
 

Volunteer RA Positions

Volunteering in a professor’s lab is often the first step toward gaining research experience for those who want to pursue that route. Students usually get an idea of who they might want to work with based on a course that they take, so you should plan on taking a few psychology courses to experience a range of research areas. You can also get a feel for our faculty members’ interests by reviewing their brief research descriptions, and by clicking on their individual links to learn more about their current projects and any possible volunteer opportunities.

See below to view available volunteer positions. Be sure to follow the instructions for applying. If a position offers monetary compensation, it will be indicated. Also, note that not all faculty members advertise positions on this site, so it may be helpful to contact potential supervisors directly.
 

Paid RA Positions

Call for Research Assistants (current TMU students eligible):  (PDF file) Click here to find out more deatils.


HOPE Centre Research Assistant position:
 (PDF file) Click here to find out more details. (opens in new window) 


Government of Ontario Work-Study: 
Ryerson maintains a list of ORS RA positions available to undergraduates on a competitive basis. Please inform yourself about the eligibility requirements, application process, etc. on that site.


Other Funded Positions: 
Additional paid RA positions may be available to undergraduates through other funded programs or grants held by faculty members. For availability of paid positions, please contact potential faculty supervisors directly.

Research Assistant Positions

The Biopsychosocial Development Laboratory is seeking volunteers to assist with a longitudinal study involving mothers and babies. This opportunity involves recruiting families, conducting research visits (e.g., administering questionnaires and standardized tasks, collecting physiological measures), inputting and coding participant data, and other administrative tasks. We welcome detail-oriented, conscientious, and personable applicants. We are looking for applicants who can provide a minimum of 10 hours per week, for 8 months. Our preference is for candidates who have at least one full day of availability. Please direct applications (including an updated CV, unofficial transcript and reference contact information) to the lab email:bpsdlab@psych.ryerson.ca.  

The Brain and Early Experiences Lab is currently hiring a part-time Research Assistant
Krischanda Bemister, a graduate student in the Brain and Early Experiences Lab (https://psychlabs.torontomu.ca/beelab/) under the direction of Dr. Margaret Moulson is seeking a part-time, casual (flexible; 50 hours in total) Research Assistant for a 2-month contract (July-August 2022).

The research assistant will assist with data coding for a qualitative research project being conducted in partnership with the Toronto Zoo, Mitacs, and Mental Health Research Canada. The project investigates experiences of compassion fatigue in Toronto Zoo staff members that care for sick, injured, or dying animals. The research assistant is expected to code approximately half of all participant data (subject to an interrater check by the PI) as well as provide an interrater coding check of half of participant data (coded by the PI). Responsibilities may also include checking transcribed audio files for accuracy and assisting in the creation of knowledge mobilization outputs (i.e., handouts, posters, reports) for the project.

Requirements:

-       Completed or in progress BA/BSc in Psychology or related field
-       Prior research experience, ideally with qualitative research projects
-       Experience with Nvivo12 analysis software
-       Detail-oriented and adept at multitasking
-       Excellent communication skills
-       Ability to work in a location that provides visual privacy (to ensure data confidentiality)

Contract length: July to August 2022, up to 50 hours. Flexible hours. Work can be completed remotely, in a location with visual privacy.

Compensation: $15/hour + 18% benefits


Interested applicants should send an email, unofficial transcript, and current C.V. to Krischanda Bemister at kbemiste@torontomu.ca. Review of applications will begin immediately. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

As of Fall 2018, we are currently looking for responsible, reliable volunteer research assistants (RAs) who would like to gain experience conducting developmental research. The RAs will receive training in diverse aspects of research including: participant recruitment, testing infants, children, and/or adults, stimulus creation, coding videos, and entering and analyzing data. RAs may also be invited to assist with literature reviews and research presentations. RAs will attend regular lab meetings and receive supervision and guidance from the lab director and current BEE Lab graduate students. In return, RAs will be expected to commit a minimum of 8 hours per week to the BEE Lab for two consecutive semesters.

 To apply, please send a CV and current (unofficial) transcript to:

Lab Manager, Brain and Early Experiences (BEE) Lab
bee@psych.ryerson.ca

With age, elderly people commonly experience decline in cognitive functioning. The Cognitive Aging Lab conducts research on age-related changes in cognitive functions and the intervention or training programs to overcome age-related declines. We are currently looking for 2-3 part-time volunteer Research Assistants (RAs). They are expected to work in the Cognitive Aging Lab for 8-15 hours per week and attend the weekly lab meetings. They will be involved in participant recruitment, scheduling, testing, data collection, scoring, and data entry. They may also have opportunity to contribute to literature review, data analysis, and research presentation. The RAs should feel comfortable working with elderly people. The positions will be a good fit for students in such programs as psychology, nursing, and social work and particularly for those who are planning to pursue graduate study in similar areas. For more information on the Cognitive Aging Lab, please visit: http://psychlabs.ryerson.ca/cal/

 To apply, please contact the Lab Director:

Dr. Lixia Yang 
Department of Psychology 
Ryerson University 
416-979-5000 x6522 
lixiay@psych.ryerson.ca

The Early Childhood Cognition (ECC) Lab (http://psychlabs.ryerson.ca/ecclab/) studies how infants and young children understand the world and the people around them. We are currently seeking undergraduate volunteers who are highly motivated, have a strong interest in gaining research experience, and enjoy working with young children. A time commitment of 6-10 hours per week is required. Preference will be given to students willing to commit at least 2 consecutive semesters.

 If you are interested in joining our lab as a volunteer research assistant please send your application to Dr. Lili Ma (lilima@torontomu.ca) along with your CV and an unofficial copy of your transcripts.

Dr. Lili Ma
Department of Psychology
Ryerson University
416-979-5000 ext.2694
lilima@psych.ryerson.ca

This project is part of an ongoing 5-year research program examining the intersection of motivation and cognition across the adult lifespan. The RA will be involved in day-to-day operations of the project, including preparation of study materials; maintenance and organization of study records; participant screening, scheduling, and testing; data management and cleaning; and assistance with data analysis and interpretation. 

  This position is a paid opportunity offered by the Work Study Research Assistant Program

  For full position details and to apply, click here

We do not have any postings at this time.

We do not have any postings at this time.

Volunteer RA Opportunity SHiFT Lab

The Sexuality Hub: Integrating Feminist Theory (SHiFT) Lab is seeking a volunteer Research Assistant to aid in conducting a qualitative study on men’s relationship to masculinity.  Research assistants will learn about participant recruitment, qualitative research methodology and design, critical psychology, and contemporary gender theory. Main duties will include managing participant recruitment and transcribing digitally-recorded interviews, with the opportunity to receive training in and contribute to qualitative interviewing.

We are seeking a highly motivated, self-directed, detail oriented, and interpersonally professional RA who can commit to 8-10 hours per week for at least 6 months. Undergraduates who are in their third year or above, or individuals who have completed undergraduate studies, are encouraged to apply. Prior experience as an RA in a social studies lab, as well as knowledge of – or interest in – critical, feminist psychology and methodologies (particularly Discourse Analysis) is preferred.

 To Apply: Please send an updated CV, current (unofficial) transcript, and cover letter detailing your experience and availability to:

Stephanie Cosma stephanie.cosma@psych.ryerson.ca

The Sleep and Depression Laboratory is seeking volunteers to help with two separate studies. Both involve volunteers who are highly organized, interpersonally comfortable with interacting with individuals who may have depression or other disorders, self-directed, and motivated.  One study is a prospective trial that is evaluating cognitive vulnerability factors for relapse from remitted insomnia.  Volunteers would be involved with data entry as well as the potential for in-person structured clinical interviews with study participants, as well as leading participants through study-related procedures.  

The second study is run by doctoral student Angela Lachowski, who requires a highly motivated, self-directed, and organized volunteer who can coordinate a study that is investigating the relationships between sleep, nutritional choices, stress, hunger and satiety.  This volunteer must be flexible with their time and able to be on campus more than one day per week, though a full day at a time is not required (I.e., meeting with participants for an hour at a time, performing general study-related tasks).

 If interested, please submit a current CV, brief cover letter, and unofficial transcript to Olya at olya@arts.ryerson.ca.  We welcome applicants who are currently completing their undergraduate degree or who have already graduated.

The SMART lab provides a unique interdisciplinary environment for exploring basic and applied research in music and emotional speech. We are currently looking for volunteers to engage in several lines of research. The first line involves basic research into the cognitive neuroscience of music and emotional speech. The second line involves applied research in hearing science, and the third line involves the use and development of novel technologies and interventions to support human communication and well-being. For more information on these projects and others, please visit our lab website: https://www.smartlaboratory.org/ (external link) 

 To apply, please contact the Lab Director:

Dr. Frank Russo
Department of Psychology
Ryerson University
416-979-5000, x. 2647
russo@psych.ryerson.ca

We do not have postings at this time. Please check back in the Summer!