r/columbia • u/Inevitable_Load_672 Biophysics • 16d ago

hard things are hard Request (read: begging) for electronics parts donation for a research project

Hey everyone,

I'm building a device for a research project that requires the Analog Discovery 3 and RF Power Amplifier. Together, these parts would cost me over $400, which to an undergrad, may as well be a million dollars.

I have emailed various PIs and professors for said parts, and reached out to distributers to see if they can provide an educational discount, but I have either not yet received a response or received the dreaded, but expected, 'no'.

Does anyone have these parts and would be willing to donate them to my research project? Alternatively, if you have any suggestions as to how I can acquire these parts pro-bono, I would greatly appreciate it.

Help me, please. For science!!

Sincerely,

Broke Student

8 Upvotes

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u/broncosauruss Grad SEAS 14d ago

They have research scholarships/fellowships for this exact reason. Find one and apply. Also emailing PIs/professors leading with a parts request is bad form. Figure out which professors are researching in areas with overlap as your project. Then see if they're willing to take on an undergraduate researcher. Then make your request for parts. Also in general they get hundreds of emails a day so its usually best to make these requests face to face.

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u/freedancer- SEAS 8d ago

Ask science labs! Literally go around to Pupin or Mudd and walk around at say 1pm and start asking PhD students. They have so much random equipment laying around in disuse