Research Opportunities - Activities

Get involved with research in extra-curricular activities, from a one-off experiment to a student-led project

Below are LSE activities which happen outside your studies, enabling undergraduates to get involved in research. Some will allow you to choose the subject you research, or work with fellow students.

If you want to work on the research projects of LSE academics, look at our internship and assistantship pages.

Behavioural Research Lab

The easiest way to get involved in research at LSE!

The Behavioural Research Lab offers paid opportunities for all students, staff and members of the public to participate in research experiments. It's only a taster of research (often taking around one hour) but you can gain direct experience of different methodologies, and see how researchers handle consent, ethics and debriefing participants. The topics of studies vary, and include economics, marketing, the environment, healthcare and organisational behaviour. 

Participants must be over 18.  Payment (normally in cash) is supplied upon completion of your session.  

Join the Lab’s participant database here to receive notifications of upcoming studies. 

Career Hub role board

The LSE Volunteer Centre Career Hub role board regularly posts adverts for volunteer research positions in UK and overseas charities. These are roles for individuals, rather than teams, and can run on a short-term basis or longer-term, at lots of different times during the academic year.  Search for 'volunteering/volunteer' 

Change Makers: student researchers investigating LSE

Change Makers gives students the opportunity to make meaningful change at LSE through researching an aspect of the School.  Participants present their findings and recommendations to senior leadership across the LSE and the LSESU. 

Change Makers is open to students from all years and all departments, and you can apply on your own or as part of a group.  Student researchers are paid for their time and supported by a research supervisor.

Applications open annually in early Autumn Term. Read about past projects, or listen to a discussion between student researchers

"Being a part of Change Makers has enabled me to hone my research skills.  There have also been numerous opportunities to interact and foster bonds with staff and students at LSE which has immensely enriched my overall experience. More importantly, Change Makers provided me with freedom and support whenever I needed it.  I do not think there is an opportunity out there that provides students with the same amount of flexibility, support and the guarantee of a real possibility of inducing positive change for the student, and even the greater community. I am incredibly grateful to have learnt and grown as an individual alongside such lovely people!" 

-Arya, Change Makers

lse.changemakers@lse.ac.uk

Community Engagement Programme

The Community Engagement Programme is a consultancy-style programme run by the LSE Volunteer Centre in which groups of students from across the LSE investigate challenges faced by UK and overseas charities, with a view to resolving them. Examples and reflections are on their blog. 

LSE Festival Competition

The Research Competition is an annual opportunity for LSE students, staff, and recent graduates publicly to showcase their research on a yearly theme. 

Participants present their research in innovative formats: photographs; written pitches; posters; and short films. The criteria for the different prizes are listed on the research competition site.  The competition forms part of a week-long series of events on the yearly theme, which also include panel discussions, lectures, film screenings, exhibitions, and a children’s event. 

All students are welcome to apply, either individually or in pairs or groups.  It is free to participate. 

"A film is a quick way to convey a very complex topic in a way that’s engaging for a broader audience..."
Winners share their stories. 

researchcompetition@lse.ac.uk

LSE GROUPS

LSE GROUPS is a two-week immersive student-led group research project on a yearly theme (2023: Connections). Students choose what to investigate, and the project culminates in participants writing a research paper and giving a conference presentation, at the end of the summer term.

Applicants may be from any department and any undergraduate year of study, and the research is interdisciplinary in focus. It is free to participate in GROUPS. 

Applications for GROUPS open annually in the Winter Term.

You can read GROUPS papers from previous years.

Eden.groups@lse.ac.uk

Posters in Parliament

Posters in Parliament is an annual opportunity to showcase the research of undergraduates.

Each participating UK university nominates two participants to show their undergraduate research in an exhibition in Westminster.

Posters must exhibit work that has been conducted during an undergraduate programme, either from current students or recent graduates.

Watch Student News for information on how to apply. 

LSE interdisciplinary student research conference

Knowledge Beyond Boundaries is LSE’s annual interdisciplinary student research conference, held at the end of the Spring Term. 

The conference is open to all LSE undergraduates and taught postgraduates as well as recent alumni, giving you the opportunity to present and share your research in a collaborative, welcoming environment. You can choose how to share your research with other members of the LSE community and the public audience – from a paper presentation to a poster, creative show-and-tell or performance. Researchers also have access to one-on-one mentoring with LSE academics to develop your communication skills and refine your presentation ahead of the conference.  

For more information, visit the Knowledge Beyond Boundaries webpage and watch Student News emails for announcements about this year’s conference and how to get involved. 

LSE Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme

This programme, available to first-year undergraduate students, is a unique opportunity to develop leadership and research experience and skills beyond your academic studies.

Full information is available here.

Applications for the scheme open and close in the Autumn Term.