Conducting a research project consists of:

• Identifying an unsolved scientific question or an unsolved engineering problem
• Designing an experiment to solve the problem or answer the question
• Preparing an experiment (building an apparatus, making a sample, …)
• Taking data
• Analyzing data
• Interpreting data
• Drawing conclusions
• Writing a paper and giving presentations on the results

Your job is to:

• Understand the purposes and methods of your project as quickly as possible
• Learn the experimental techniques used (under the mentorship of a U.S. researcher)
• Become a more independent researcher while being guided by your mentor and other researchers
• Work hard, be useful, and try to make significant contributions

Do's and Don'ts

• Dress up a little bit on the first day to show respect
• In your first week, observe how they behave and adjust yourself
• Be polite, work hard, and show enthusiasm
• Try to show your interest in learning their language and culture
• Participate in group activities with your lab and activities and events at Rice University
• Work closely with your mentor, and adjust your schedule to his/hers
• Work start and end times may be more flexible in the U.S. than that you are used to in Japan.
  • If you ask what time you should begin each day and are told "Most students come in around or about 10:00 AM" this means that some students arrive at 9:50, some students arrive at 10 and other students may arrive at 10:30 or even later than that. If you arrive early and are waiting for your mentor, you can always use this time to read research papers or study your English.
  • In the U.S., a high value is placed on efficiency and effectiveness. A common saying is “Work smarter, not harder.” This means that researchers in the U.S. may spend fewer hours overall in the lab or office, but during the time they are working they may be very focused on completing their tasks for the day. Once their tasks for the day are done, they are usually free to go home, and it is even okay for a junior student to leave earlier than their senior/supervisor if they are done working. This does not mean that students in the U.S. don’t sometimes put long hours in, and research often requires this, but this may be an occasional rather than an everyday occurrence.
  • You will be expected to work in your research lab Monday – Friday during the normal working hours for your lab/mentor. If your project requires, you may need to work late or on the weekend occasionally but you will not be required or expected to do this every day. You will also need to take some time off from your lab to attend required program seminars and activities and your professor and research mentor will be send a copy of the program schedule so they know when you cannot work in the lab.
  • Also, it is not uncommon for people to do some work remotely or from home rather than staying in the office long hours. For example, at Rice you may often see professors in the Rice Coffeehouse or Brochstein Pavilion working on their computers or having meetings with students.
• In the U.S. being on time is always appreciated, but it is not uncommon for people to show up 5 – 10 minutes late with little or no explanation necessary. In Houston, this may be due to traffic delays or your needing to wait for the hotel shuttle. If you are running a little bit late do not get too worried as your professor and/or mentor/s will likely understand.

In both the U.S. and Japan, science and engineering research is primarily funded by government agencies through grants awarded to universities or university researchers. National labs in the U.S. and Japan also play a vital role in advancement of research in an array of science and engineering fields. Industry R&D is also a vital component of R&D, particularly to apply basic research findings to products in the marketplace.

For more information see the U.S. National Science Board's 2016 Science & Engineering Indicators Report, particularly Ch. 4 Research & Development: National Trends & International Comparisons. Some highlights from this chapter include:

• Most of U.S. basic research is conducted at universities and colleges and is funded by the federal government. However, the largest share of U.S. total R&D is development, which is mainly performed by the business sector. The business sector also performs the majority of applied research.
• Universities and colleges historically have been the main performers of U.S. basic research, and they accounted for about 51% of all U.S. basic research in 2013. The federal government remained the largest funder of basic research, accounting for about 47% of all such funding in 2013.
• The United States remained the largest R&D-performing country in 2013, with total expenditures of $456.1 billion, a 27% share of the global total, and an R&D/GDP ratio of 2.7%. China was a decisive second, with R&D expenditures of $336.5 billion, a 20% global share, and an R&D/GDP ratio of 2.0%.
• Japan ($160.2 billion, 10% global share, ratio of 3.5%) and Germany ($101.0 billion, 6% global share, ratio of 2.9%) were the comparatively distant third and fourth. The other 11 countries/economies in the top 15 were South Korea, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, India, Taiwan, Brazil, Italy, Canada, Australia, and Spain—with the annual national R&D expenditure totals ranging from about $69 billion (South Korea) down to $19 billion (Spain).

Each university and research lab will have specific safety and equipment training that you will need to complete before you can begin to conduct research or use a certain pieces of equipment. It is vital that you abide by all safety training and lab policies and procedures to avoid injury to yourself or others or damage of expensive research equipment.

When you arrive at your research host lab, be sure to ask your host professor and/or research mentor/s what lab safety or equipment training you will need to complete and how you can sign up if necessary. As part of the first week program, all students will complete the required General Lab Safety Training course. The following general resources from Rice’s office of Environmental Health & Safety may also be helpful for you to review.

• Rice University – Laboratory Safety Training Workshops
• Rice University – Laboratory Safety Overview
• Rice University – Biological Safety
• Rice University – Chemical Safety
• Rice University – Radiation Safety
• Rice University – Laser Safety

Please also watch the following videos:

• Lab Safety (Rice)
• Ultimate Lab Safety
• Lab Safety Video
• The 5 Rules of Lab Safety

Prior to your arrival abroad, you will begin communicating with your research host lab via email and one of the first things your host professor or research mentor may ask you to do is to read some scientific journal articles related to the type of research you will be doing during your internship. However, reading a journal article is a bit different than reading a typical book or magazine article and if you've not done this before it can be a bit difficult to know where to begin.

Here are some helpful articles that describe, step-by-step, how to read a scientific journal article to ensure you can get the best understanding of these advanced research topics.  You should also keep a list of questions on the article/s you are reading that you can ask your host lab professor/mentor about or, if possible, even discuss with a professor/mentor or senior student at your home university prior to departure.  Remember, you will not likely understand everything in the article/s you are assigned to read but if you follow these steps you will be able to ask more informed questions and know which aspects of this research topic/field you may need to do further research on.

• Infographic: How to Read Scientific Papers: https://www.elsevier.com/connect/infographic-how-to-read-a-scientific-paper
• LSE: How to Read & Understand a Scientific Paper: A Guide for Non-Scientists: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2016/05/09/how-to-read-and-understand-a-scientific-paper-a-guide-for-non-scientists/
• AAAS/Science: How to (Seriously) Read a Scientific Paper: http://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2016/03/how-seriously-read-scientific-paper

It is vital that during the course of your research project you keep a detailed and up-to-date lab notebook. Your notebook is your record of the work you have done and will be helpful for you to review as you write your weekly research internship reports and prepare for your final research presentation.

Ask your research host professor and/or mentor if you must leave your notebook behind (as a resource for the next student working on your project) or if you can keep your research lab notebook and bring it home with you to Japan.

For a helpful overview of best practices for keeping a lab notebook see "Guidelines for Keeping a Lab Notebook".

"New experiences lead to new questions and new solutions! Change forces us to experiment and adapt! That's how we learn and grow!" – Calvin

Scientific research requires careful planning, coordination, and collaboration among all team members. However, as the U.S. saying goes, “The best laid plans may often go awry.”

No matter how carefully you plan, there will likely be bumps along the way. Equipment breaks down, samples or materials you order may be slow to arrive, you may get unexpected results that cause you to have to change your research plans, and so on.

While these setbacks are frustrating for all researchers (professors, post-docs, and graduate students), they can be especially challenging for undergraduate students who may only have a few short weeks to work on their project. However, these experiences are not uncommon or unexpected. In truth, it is a rare research project that does not have some delays, setbacks or frustrating moments. Learning how to handle these situations is all a part of becoming a good researcher.

Students often worry if they will have anything ‘good’ to present at the end of their research project. However, remember that the goal of the research presentation is not necessarily to showcase your results (as it is often difficult to obtain ‘good’ results in a very short time-frame). Rather, the most important part of your final presentation will be your understanding of your research project overall and what you did this summer. Another key component will be the future research or future impact section, which will enable you to showcase your understanding of how your research project may be helpful to your research field overall.

Also, when you face frustrations or setbacks with your research projects, be sure that you turn to your graduate student research mentors and host professor in the U.S. co-advisor for advice, assistance, and encouragement. They are all there to help you. You can also ask to speak to Prof. Kono directly if you have serious concerns about your research project or host lab placement.

For more on these topics see the Education in the U.S. page.

• Be polite, work hard, and show interest.
• There will be cultural differences; they are expected and okay. After all, that is why you applied to Nakatani RIES – to do research in a different country/culture than in Japan.
• Don’t get too self conscious about these differences – it will be appreciated if it is clear that you are making effort to fit in.
• While abroad, you are a cultural ambassador of Japan and representing the Nakatani RIES Fellowship and your home university.
• If there are any problems please communicate with the program faculty and staff – we are here to help you!
• Maintain regular contact with Prof. Kono about the status of your research project and any questions you may have.