Information for undergraduates

The Relationship Studies Lab currently recruiting students interested in research opportunities as Research Assistants (RAs) for Fall 2026. 

Research assistants will be assigned to one or more research projects and will meet regularly on campus (in North Classroom) with the project supervisor. A lab manager will provide support to RAs with lab access, scheduling, and other logistical matters. Coding topics will concern interpersonal relationships, but future projects could span other psychological research topics (e.g., biopsychosocial-spiritual health). There may be opportunities to present quantitative or qualitative research findings at a local conference (RACAS) in the Spring of 2027. 

Potential options for students selected for RA positions in the Relationship Studies Lab include participating as volunteers, applying for work-study compensation (if both you and this position are eligible for such funding), or earning 3 academic credit hours through Independent Study (PSYC 4840: Independent Study). To be eligible for Psyc 4840, you must be a current junior or senior in CLAS. You cannot register independently for this course. Instructions for registration will be provided if selected as RA. For volunteers or those pursuing work-study through this position, seven hours of work per week is expected. 9 hours of work per week is expected if taking PSYC 4840 course credit hours for this position.  

RA responsibilities include: 

  • Reading about various projects/studies and study procedures 

  • Independently reviewing open-ended responses from participant questionnaires 

  • Performing qualitative coding of open-ended responses and reaching agreement/consensus/interrater reliability with other RAs on the project 

  • Participating in regular meetings with the research team (approximately 1x/week with entire team; additional meetings with supervisors and lab director as needed) 

  • Completing trainings and lab agreements as needed, such as Human Subjects training 

  • If enrolled in Psyc 4840, a research paper or project is required. 

Students with an interest in relationship science, interpersonal relationships, or psychological research are encouraged to apply. Students who are interested in pursuing graduate school in Psychology are also encouraged to apply. The lab director, Dr. Beth Allen, may also be contacted via email for any additional questions: elizabeth.allen@ucdenver.edu 

Apply to be an RA through this Qualtrics survey. Interviews will most likely take place in early August. Given the uncertainty of selection, please register for your Fall courses as usual. 

Policies

Gifts: I cannot accept gifts from current or former students. 

Letter of Recommendation: 

1) Minimum requirement:

-        In order to obtain a letter of recommendation, you must have participated with Dr. Allen’s lab/been in Dr. Allen’s class for AT LEAST one complete semester with grades submitted. It is expected that you will waive your access to the letter. Letters will only be submitted through formal portals, not released directly to the student. 

2) Requesting a letter:

-        Request a letter a minimum of 1 month in advance.

-        If you have worked in the lab and have worked closely with a graduate student in the lab, your letter will be written jointly with contributions from both the graduate student(s) and Dr. Allen (rather than separate letters).

-        To write a letter, Dr. Allen will want to review the following materials: Transcript (unofficial from the SMART website is fine), Resume or CV, GRE scores (if required by the program), a paper that represents your writing (if no final paper from the lab or class with Dr. Allen, please share a significant paper from another course), if lab participant, hours log with notes outlining your contribution to the project, and personal statements requested from the school(s) to which you are applying, and any advocation for yourself—remind us of how exceptional you were or how you went above and beyond.

3) Following your request and/or material review:

-        Dr. Allen may want to set up a feedback session with you in order to discuss candidly the strength of the letter she believes she can provide. You will then be able to make an informed decision regarding whether you want the letter. For individuals applying to psychology programs, we typically need to consider the following areas of evaluation:

o   Sincere interest in the field of psychology

o   Research strength/interest in research

o   Interpersonal skills, ability to work as part of a team, potential for clinical work

o   Maturity, both personal and intellectual maturity

o   Particular strengths and weaknesses

o   Communication skills, both written and oral

Important: If Dr. Allen has ONLY known you through an online class, the letter can speak to your performance in the class but will clearly indicate that we have not personally met. Moreover, the undergraduate classes do not indicate to me things like your oral presentation skills or research aptitude. If a rating form is required, this will generally result in a high number of "unable to rate" entries for things not apparent in class performance, and that I know the student "slightly". It is strongly recommended that you seek a letter from someone who knows you well.