Interested in Joining Our Lab?

We welcome research assistants as important, valued members in the DISCO lab community. As lab members, you will have the chance to work on a variety of research tasks from data collection to reporting and the publication process. Wondering if research experience might be right for you? The American Psychological Association offers a helpful resource for Undergraduate Research Journeys.

We primarily recruit motivated undergraduate students for research assistant positions during the academic year. Our lab does not typically involve undergraduate students for Summer experiences, except through specialized programs (e.g., NSF REU, SPSP SPUR).

Currently, we are not actively recruiting students to work in our lab. However, we may have a small number of spaces opening for Spring 2026. In Spring, research assistants will primarily work on qualitative coding and data cleaning support. 

No prior experience is necessary to join us! But, we will consider prior research experience during the application process. To get the most out of your research experience, we also typically request a minimum 2-semester commitment. 

To be considered for an RA position now or in the future, please complete our RA application so we can learn more about you. 

While Dr. Norman reviews applications each year, our lab is not actively recruiting Master's or PhD graduate students for the coming academic year (2025 application cycle). 

Is our lab a good fit for you?

Our lab prioritizes a graduate mentorship model where mentees are empowered to learn about research in a way that allows them to ultimately develop into independent, specialized experts in their chosen field. Students will be prepared for careers in research, either industry or academia. Students participate in one-on-one meetings with the PI as well as collaboratively work with other students on projects and attend a weekly lab meeting. We are a collaborative lab where students are expected to provide feedback and contribute to multiple projects. We also emphasize open science practices including: 

• Valuing pre-registration

• Posting anonymized data, stimuli, and analysis code

• Making preliminary findings available to the public when possible

• Establishing clear guidelines for authorship and undergraduate involvement

• Using secondary data analysis and being transparent about exploratory analyses

• Lab member involvement in the Psychological Science Accelerator 

What application criteria do we use?

UNCW uses a centralized application review system. All applications to the psychological science and clinical psychology programs are reviewed by an Admissions Committee. The Admissions Committee evaluates whether applicants are qualified for the role, meet all admissions requirements, and develops an interview pool. At that time, individual faculty members review applications from the final prospective student pool and indicate their interest in interviewing candidates. Applicants may be considered for multiple labs in the program.

When reviewing applications, our lab prioritize applicants who...

• have a clearly articulated research interest aligning with lab topics,

• prior research experience in psychology,

• whose application communicates how their personal background or experience contributes to a unique perspective in social psychological research,

• and/or those who have quantitative, programming, or methodological expertise (e.g., experience in regression analyses, experience working on projects with longitudinal data, post-bacc certifications in SQL, experience with R programming, or a minor in data science/statistics). 

Please be sure to highlight any relevant skills either under your CV research experience, in a statement of purpose, or request that your letter writers to comment on these criteria. We acknowledge that not all students have opportunities to present or publish research, and do not expect applicants to have publications on their CV.

What programs/tracks do you accept students into?

The DISCO Lab primarily accepts Master's and PhD applicants through the Psychological Science track (either Master's level or PhD level). Dr. Norman can serve as a research mentor for Clinical Psychology PhD applicants, but students should carefully consider research fit with the lab. If you are interested in pursuing graduate study at UNCW, we recommend you begin by reviewing descriptions and requirements of the Psychology Graduate Programs.

Can I meet with Dr. Norman before applying?

Dr. Norman does not meet with prospective students prior to the interview phase. You may email any questions, but please do not take no response as an indicator of a lack of fit for the lab. Dr. Norman typically receives a high volume of emails regarding applications in October/November and may be unable to provide individualized responses to each of these emails. An email expressing your interest will not improve your chances of acceptance and these emails are not used when evaluating applications. 

Additional Resources 

• The American Psychological Association has a 12-video series and several free help pages on navigating graduate school applications.

• Mitch's Uncensored Graduate School Advice and an accompanying must-watch webinar