1) Start from official sources

• Department faculty directories and "People" pages (filter by research areas).
• Lab websites' "Join Us/Undergraduates" sections.
• Recent news pages listing new grants or projects.

2) Expand your search

• Google Scholar: scan a professor's last 1–3 papers and keywords.
• GitHub/OSF/ArXiv or conference pages to see active toolchains and datasets.

3) Evaluate fit quickly

• Topic & methods you want to learn (e.g., ML + biology wet‑lab; controls + embedded systems; behavioral experiments; statistics).
• Skills match you can offer now (e.g., Python/Matlab/R, CAD, microcontrollers, cell culture, statistics).
• Stage of the lab: new labs/APs may have more openings; large labs often have intake cycles.
• Practicalities: time commitment (5–10 hrs/wk typical), credit vs paid, in‑person vs remote, semester availability.

Subject line examples

• "Undergraduate research inquiry – [Your Name], [Major/Year]"
• "Interest in [specific lab topic] – [Your Name]"
• "Prospective UG researcher re: [Paper/Project keyword]"

Body structure

1. Self‑intro: name, major, year, school; 1‑line research interest + purpose (seeking to volunteer/for credit/paid if available).
2. Why them: reference 1–2 recent papers/projects and say what you learned or what you want to build with them.
3. Relevant skills: 2–5 bullets or one tight paragraph (courses, coding, lab skills, methods). Match their lab.
4. Close: availability, willingness to learn, attached resume (+ transcript if you choose), thanks.

Attachment & etiquette

• Name your files clearly: Firstname_Lastname_Resume.pdf, Transcript.pdf.
• Use the professor's correct title (Prof./Dr.). Triple‑check spelling.
• Never mass‑email; personalize at least 3–4 sentences per professor.