How to find research opportunities (even when you're not sure what you want to study)
Kate Taylor, Master's student in Nutritional Sciences
If you're applying to graduate school and feel uncertain about your research focus, you're not alone.
When I started my Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition program at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, I knew I cared about maternal and child health and food allergies. But I had no clear research focus, and may not have totally understood what it was. That uncertainty felt uncomfortable, especially when other students seemed so confident about their interests.
Here's what I learned: it's okay if your interests feel wide at the beginning. And it's okay if they change.
Start with curiosity, not a perfect plan
Before choosing Michigan Public Health, I spent time looking through faculty profiles and reading about ongoing research. I wasn't trying to find someone who matched a perfectly defined research question. I was looking for faculty whose work aligned with my general curiosity and values.
That early exploration helped me see how many different directions nutrition research, or really any research, can take.
Have the conversation
Once I arrived on campus, I reached out to a professor whose work focused on maternal and child health and food allergies. Setting up that first meeting was one of the most important steps I took.
Our conversation wasn't about presenting a finished idea. It was about talking through shared interests, asking questions, and learning from her experience in the field. She became my mentor, and those early conversations played a major role in shaping my research question.
Let your interests evolve
My mentor helped me see how my broad curiosity could become something more focused and meaningful. At the same time, my coursework, readings, and class discussions continued to challenge my thinking.
Slowly, my interests narrowed and became clearer, eventually leading me toward my current research focus of perinatal exposures and interventions in the prevention of IgE-related food allergy in offspring. (That’s really specific, I know – but remember, I didn’t start with a research focus in mind – I got there gradually.)
You don't need all the answers yet
Looking back, I see that my classes and mentorship worked together to help shape my path. Coursework gave me exposure to new ideas, while my mentor helped me make sense of how those ideas could turn into meaningful research. I didn’t need to arrive with a fully formed plan, what mattered was being curious and willing to have conversations
If your interests feel broad or unfinished right now, that's normal. Faculty expect students to explore, ask questions, and grow over time. Finding a research mentor isn't about having the right answer. It's about finding someone who can help guide you as your questions take shape.
Looking back, I can see how allowing myself to start with broad interests led me to a research path that feels both meaningful and aligned with my goals. What began as a general curiosity about maternal and child health and food allergies evolved into a focused project examining perinatal exposures and interventions in the prevention of IgE-related food allergy in offspring. This year, I’m completing my research project before graduating and pursuing a career as a dietitian. I didn’t need to have everything figured out at the beginning, I just needed to be open to growth.
Ready to explore research at Michigan Public Health? Browse our faculty directory and learn more about graduate programs that can help you turn curiosity into meaningful work.
About the Author
Kate Taylor is a Nutritional Sciences graduate student pursuing a Masters of Science
in Clinical Nutrition at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She hopes
to become a Registered Dietitian upon graduation and work in the food allergy-related
field.
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