New post on the 5th, every month

Field notes

What we wish someone had told us earlier. Written by the students and mentors who run Join Research, one post a month.

October 5, 2026
6 min read
What a research symposium is, and how to prepare for one
What happens at a student research symposium, what judges actually look for, and how to prepare a poster and a talk that hold up to questions.
Samyar Shafiee, Co-Founder
September 27, 2026
8 min read
What 58 research proposals taught us about writing one
We read every research proposal our Research 101 students handed in this summer. The strongest ones did seven things the rest did not. Here they are.
Erfan Timajchi, Co-Founder
September 9, 2026
5 min read
Thirty minutes with a researcher: what to actually ask
Five researchers, including a Nobel laureate in physics, are sitting down with our students on September 10 and 11. What to ask, and what not to waste the half hour on.
Samyar Shafiee, Co-Founder
September 5, 2026
6 min read
How to email a professor and actually get a reply
Why most student emails to professors go unanswered, and exactly how to write one that gets a reply. Includes a template and the mistakes that get you deleted.
Samyar Shafiee, Co-Founder
September 5, 2026
6 min read
How to start a research club at your school
Join Research started as a club with a dozen people in one room. Co-founder Kian Bassiri on finding a teacher sponsor, writing the ask, and keeping a club alive past week three.
Kian Bassiri, Co-Founder
August 5, 2026
6 min read
What 300 students taught us about starting research
We ran free online research workshops for hundreds of high school students across five provinces and two U.S. states. What worked, what failed, what we missed.
Samyar Shafiee, Co-Founder
August 5, 2026
5 min read
Why we started Join Research Canada
The founding story of Join Research Canada, told by co-founder Samyar Shafiee: a student-led nonprofit for students with no connections and no lab access.
Samyar Shafiee, Co-Founder
July 31, 2026
7 min read
How to start research in high school when you have done none
How to start research as a high school student with zero experience, no lab access and no connections. What to read, who to ask, and what to skip.
Samyar Shafiee, Co-Founder

Coming next

November 5, 2026Your interest is not yet a question
December 5, 2026Getting a second school to say yes

Field notes

Published posts

What a research symposium is, and how to prepare for one

What 58 research proposals taught us about writing one

Thirty minutes with a researcher: what to actually ask

How to email a professor and actually get a reply

How to start a research club at your school

What 300 students taught us about starting research

Why we started Join Research Canada

How to start research in high school when you have done none

Coming next