Introduction
Collaboration is an important part of scientific research. It can help you refine your ideas and share resources, but it can also be difficult to find the right person with whom to work. In this article, we’ll go over some great places where you can find like-minded researchers who have similar interests and goals as you do, so that you can get started on your next big project today!
Collaboratory
Use Collaboratory, you can search for research projects. If you don’t see a project to collaborate on, post your own project! We made it easy so that a PI or Co-PI can post projects.
Posting a project is fast and easy — your project can be live in five minutes. On average, projects are finding collaborators in as little as three weeks.
Science is built on collaboration, but it’s hard to find research collaborators. Collaboratory helps scientists discover and connect to potential collaborators.
Science Collaboration
Collaborations are an essential part of the scientific process. Scientists rely on each other for many things, from sharing data and resources to helping with experiments and analyzing data. In many cases, collaborations can be short-term; a scientist might come up with an idea while working alone, but then they’ll need help testing it or analyzing their results.
It’s also common for researchers to collaborate with others over long periods of time—they may spend years working together toward a common goal, like understanding how HIV spreads through the body or discovering new planets outside our solar system. When it comes right down to it, though, there’s no escaping it: collaboration is key in science!
MentorNet
MentorNet is the nation’s first online mentoring matching service. Mentors and mentees use this site to meet each other and form research collaborations.
MentorNet is a great way to find a mentor or research collaborator, as well as someone who is both!
Facebook Groups and Communities
If you’re a Facebook user, you’ve probably noticed that there are groups and communities for just about everything. In fact, there are even Facebook groups and communities dedicated to researching your niche!
These can be great places to find research collaborators. You can post questions or ask for help with your project, or if someone posts that they need help with their own project, you can reach out and offer yours.
To find these groups and communities on Facebook:
- Search “research” in the search bar at the top of any page on your browser (the same place where you’d type in a URL into a browser). The results will include all the research-related things that people have shared on Facebook.* Some of these might be relevant to what interests you—you’ll just have to look through them!
LinkedIn Groups and Communities
If you have a LinkedIn account, you can join groups and find other people who have similar interests.
Join groups that match your career field or industry. You’ll be able to connect with those in your field, share ideas and resources, and get advice from others who are further along in their careers.
If there aren’t any relevant ones for you on LinkedIn, start one!
If you’re interested in building relationships that could lead to collaborations down the road, as well as sharing your research and building visibility for yourself as someone who is active in their field, then it’s time to start using LinkedIn.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Fellowship Program
“The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Fellowship Program is a great place to find research collaborators because they have such a wide range of fields represented by their fellows.”
Research collaborations can be very rewarding experiences for you as well as your colleagues. The more experience you gain working with other experts on different topics, the better researcher you will become!
Research Collaboration Is Hard to Get, but It’s Possible!
It’s hard to find researchers who want to work with you. It takes work, but it is possible!
- Be proactive in seeking out collaborators. Don’t wait for people to come to you—you have more power than you think.
- Be open to collaborations with people that are different from you, even if they don’t come from the same institution as yours or your home country. This can be scary because we all have our own biases, but remember: the alternative is not having any collaborators at all!
- Remember that collaboration doesn’t mean one person does all the work and another sits back and watches. Both partners should contribute equally.
Conclusion
With so many ways to collaborate, there’s no need to be discouraged by the lack of research opportunities out there. You can find a collaborator in a variety of places, and I hope this article has given you ideas on how to get started. Best of luck!