Join Us

The Olson Lab is always looking for bright, energetic students interested in conducting Cognitive Neuroscience research. Duties include recruiting participants, assisting in stimuli design and creation, running participants, coding data, and data analysis. Interns will also have the opportunity to attend lab meetings, as well as weekly journal clubs in which we discuss academic articles relating to our research. 

No prior research experience is required to apply to the Olson Lab. However, we ask that our applicants:

• Are majors in cognitive neuroscience, psychology, or related fields
• Are in good academic standing* 
• Have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office (specifically excel)
• Are willing to commit to 10 hours per week 

We also prefer:

• Willingness/ability to receive academic credit for their work, rather than volunteer
• Weekend availability 

If you are interested in the opportunity, please send the following to Josh Litwin and josh.litwin@temple.edu:

• A CV/resume indicating academic and volunteer experiences
• A cover letter, detailing why you believe you are a good fit for the Olson Lab

* There are many excellent students whose grades may not reflect their potential, caused by a variety of factors (e.g. difficulty of course load, extracurricular commitments, personal reasons). If your GPA falls under a 3.4, it would help to include something in your cover letter detailing what other commitments you have that could have affected your grades. 

Students interested in research assistant positions should contact Dr. Olson by email at ingrid.olson@temple.edu. Research assistantships require a 2-year commitment. This position is intended for those interested in applying to graduate school. Required skills include knowledge of cognitive psychology and/or neuroscience and evidence of strong computer skills (e.g. Microsoft Office, MATLAB, Python, SPSS, etc.)

Both master’s (2-year) and doctoral (4-year) programs are available for study. Students should apply to Temple University’s Psychology Department (follow link for general information about the program). The application deadline is in December. It is strongly suggested that interested students contact Dr. Olson before applying to the program at ingrid.olson@temple.edu. This email should include your research interests, skills and experience, why you are interested in our lab, and an attached CV. 

Prospective students should see the “Publications” and “Our Research” pages of our website for information on our lab’s work and general interests. For more up-to-date information on our current projects, see our home page.

See here for more information on application tips and what to expect from the Doctoral Program in Cognition and Neuroscience. 

To learn more about the lab’s culture and projects from a current graduate student, please contact:

• Naoya Tani at naoya.tani@temple.edu
• Kim Nguyen at kimvnguyen@temple.edu 

Post-doctoral applicants should contact Dr. Olson by email at iolson@temple.edu. If there is an opening in the lab, requirements will include:

• a C.V.
• a one-page, single-spaced statement of previous research
• a one-page, single-spaced statement of future research interests
• two letters of recommendation

See here for more information on what to expect from your time as a post-doc .

If you have a visiting scholar grant and would like to do cognitive neuroscience research, contact Dr. Olson by email at iolson@temple.edu. Interested applicants should consider applying for an international fellowship.