Through the Social Work integrative Research Lab (SWiRL), undergraduate students are provided with the opportunity to work with MSW students and Social Work faculty on research projects about a range of social work topics. This is an opportunity to develop research skills in a supportive community.
SWiRL is accepting applications from undergraduate students to become Undergraduate Research Assistants (UGRAs) for the current and upcoming academic years. SWiRL provides UGRAs the opportunity to work with MSW students and Social Work faculty on research projects spanning a range of topics, including:
- health and mental health inequities,
- substance use disorder assessment and intervention,
- advance care planning,
- juvenile and adult criminal legal systems,
- child welfare,
- positive youth development,
- interpersonal violence,
- non-pharmacological interventions for individuals living with dementia, and
- kinship care.
SWiRL is a unique opportunity for UGRAs to develop research skills in a supportive community. There are three ways of participating:
- As a paid UGRA for 10 hours/week through OSCAR; for this opportunity, you need to be federal work study eligible.
- As a volunteer for 5 hours/week.
- As part of the SWiRL scholars program, also for 5 hours/week.
Please reach out to the SWiRL program at swirl@gmu.edu if you are interested in applying.
What is SWiRL?
The Social Work integrative Research Lab (SWiRL) provides undergraduate students with opportunities to learn and apply research skills by assisting with various research projects conducted by Social Work faculty. In our SWiRL model, faculty mentor graduate students and graduate students mentor undergraduate students who learn a variety of research skills. Students working in SWiRL gain exposure to SWiRL faculty, as well as their diverse research methodologies and projects.
Tasks cover the broad spectrum of activities across the research process, including:
- Literature searches
- Writing annotated bibliographies
- Preparing materials for IRB review
- Developing data gathering tools (surveys, interview questions, behavioral observation forms, etc.)
- Collecting data
- Cleaning datasets
- Transcribing data
- Assisting with data analysis
- Write-up of results, and
- Development of abstracts and presentations at research conferences.
Benefits to Undergraduate Students
Students will gain an understanding of how social work research questions are formulated, understand the different ways research questions can be answered, and learn about at least one project in-depth. Students in this position will have the opportunity to work with their Graduate Research Supervisor (GRS) and faculty members to begin to formulate an answerable research question.
Required Skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs (especially Microsoft Word and Excel)
- Willingness to learn to use statistical and qualitative software
- Excellent writing skills
- Self-motivated, detail-oriented, organized, reliable, responsible.
Social Work majors preferred
SWIRL Scholars Program for BSW Students
How to Apply
In order to apply, please send a cover letter that describes what intrigues you about research and a current resume to swirl@gmu.edu. In your email, please indicate which of the following options you would consider:
- Federal Work Study Program (please check with the Financial Aid Office about eligibility)
- SWiRL Scholars Program for BSW students
- Independent study (for course credit), or
- Volunteer.