Update joining us page

Author: mbeyeler

index.xml

@@ -118,28 +118,35 @@ We build real-time XR testbeds and computer vision–based assistive tools, usin
       <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
 
       <guid>https://bionicvisionlab.org/join/</guid>
-      <description>&lt;p&gt;In general, we are looking for enthusiastic, computationally minded individuals with a shared passion for bionic vision.
-If you are interested in joining us, please check our &lt;a href=&#34;https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y1wzFVdp-FCoGM47okaW5eYdOOfpgXD5nM9Q7DpwAMo/edit?usp=sharing&#34;&gt;Lab Manual&lt;/a&gt; to familiarize yourself with our lab culture, policies, and expectations.&lt;/p&gt;
-&lt;p&gt;We use a &lt;a href=&#34;https://forms.gle/XGuijmyZX9LSedwn6&#34;&gt;centralized waitlist&lt;/a&gt; for all prospective lab members.
-If you have specialized experience and wish to be considered for a Senior RA role, you may indicate this preference in the form, but please note that these spots are limited.&lt;/p&gt;
-&lt;h3 class=&#34;fill-width&#34;&gt;Junior Lab Trainees&lt;/h3&gt;
-&lt;p&gt;The Junior Lab Trainee program is the primary entry point for undergraduates (particularly PBS and CS students) to join the Bionic Vision Lab. This role is designed as a structured introduction to research, allowing you to learn how we think about science while contributing to our ongoing studies. This role entails:&lt;/p&gt;
+      <description>&lt;p&gt;In general, we are looking for enthusiastic, computationally minded individuals with a shared passion for bionic vision.&lt;br&gt;
+If you are interested in joining us, please review our &lt;a href=&#34;https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y1wzFVdp-FCoGM47okaW5eYdOOfpgXD5nM9Q7DpwAMo/edit?usp=sharing&#34;&gt;Lab Manual&lt;/a&gt; to familiarize yourself with our lab culture, policies, and expectations.&lt;/p&gt;
+&lt;h3 class=&#34;fill-width&#34;&gt;Junior Lab Trainees (UCSB Undergraduates)&lt;/h3&gt;
+&lt;p&gt;The Junior Lab Trainee program is the primary entry point for current UCSB undergraduates (particularly PBS and CS students) to join the Bionic Vision Lab. This role serves as a structured introduction to research, allowing you to learn how we approach science while contributing meaningfully to ongoing studies.&lt;/p&gt;
+&lt;p&gt;This role entails:&lt;/p&gt;
 &lt;ul&gt;
-&lt;li&gt;Research literacy: You will attend bi-weekly meetings to read and discuss scientific papers relevant to visual prostheses and neuroengineering.&lt;/li&gt;
-&lt;li&gt;Active participation: You will serve as a reliable participant in our behavioral studies (XR, psychophysics, etc.).&lt;/li&gt;
-&lt;li&gt;Pathway to growth: While promotions are never guaranteed, successful completion of a quarter as a Junior Trainee is often a prerequisite for becoming a Senior Research Assistant.&lt;/li&gt;
+&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Research literacy:&lt;/strong&gt; Attend bi-weekly meetings to read and discuss scientific papers related to visual prostheses and neuroengineering.&lt;/li&gt;
+&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Active participation:&lt;/strong&gt; Serve as a reliable participant in behavioral studies (XR, psychophysics, etc.).&lt;/li&gt;
+&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pathway to growth:&lt;/strong&gt; While promotions are never guaranteed, successful completion of a quarter as a Junior Trainee is often a prerequisite for becoming a Senior Research Assistant.&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;/ul&gt;
-&lt;p&gt;How to apply: We accept a limited cohort of trainees every quarter. To be considered, please &lt;a href=&#34;https://forms.gle/XGuijmyZX9LSedwn6&#34;&gt;join our waitlist&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
+&lt;p&gt;We use a &lt;a href=&#34;https://forms.gle/XGuijmyZX9LSedwn6&#34;&gt;centralized waitlist&lt;/a&gt; for all prospective UCSB undergraduate lab members.&lt;br&gt;
+To be considered, please join the waitlist. We accept a limited cohort each quarter.&lt;/p&gt;
 &lt;h3 class=&#34;fill-width&#34;&gt;All Other Positions&lt;/h3&gt;
-&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Our lab is currently at capacity for Senior RAs, PhD students, and postdocs.&lt;/strong&gt;
-At this time, we are unable to accommodate summer interns or high school students.&lt;/p&gt;
-&lt;p&gt;&lt;small&gt;This page was last updated on December 16, 2025.&lt;/small&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
+&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Our lab is currently at capacity for Senior RAs and PhD students.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
+&lt;p&gt;At this time, we are unable to offer:&lt;/p&gt;
+&lt;ul&gt;
+&lt;li&gt;paid or unpaid summer internships&lt;/li&gt;
+&lt;li&gt;remote research roles&lt;/li&gt;
+&lt;li&gt;positions for high-school students&lt;/li&gt;
+&lt;/ul&gt;
+&lt;p&gt;The Bionic Vision Lab operates with a structured, cohort-based model. To ensure high-quality mentorship and training, we only open new positions when we have the capacity to support them fully.&lt;/p&gt;
+&lt;p&gt;Because we receive a large number of inquiries each year, we are unable to respond to unsolicited requests outside of posted openings. We appreciate your understanding.&lt;/p&gt;
+&lt;p&gt;&lt;small&gt;This page was last updated on February 18, 2026.&lt;/small&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
 &lt;small class=&#34;mt-4 mb-4&#34; style=&#34;display:block&#34;&gt;
   &lt;i class=&#34;fas fa-exclamation-triangle&#34; aria-hidden=&#34;true&#34;&gt;&lt;/i&gt;
   We receive many applications each year. To help us give fair consideration to all candidates:
   &lt;ul class=&#34;mb-0&#34;&gt;
-    &lt;li&gt;Please do not send generic or copy-and-paste emails. Applications must show genuine familiarity with our work.&lt;/li&gt;
-    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do not use AI/LLM-generated statements.&lt;/strong&gt; As an AI lab, we can tell the difference, and it will not make a good impression.&lt;/li&gt;
+    &lt;li&gt;Please do not send generic or copy-and-paste emails. Applications must demonstrate genuine familiarity with our work.&lt;/li&gt;
+    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do not use AI/LLM-generated statements.&lt;/strong&gt; As an AI-focused lab, we can recognize them, and they do not make a strong impression.&lt;/li&gt;
     &lt;li&gt;There is no need to send multiple follow-up emails.&lt;/li&gt;
   &lt;/ul&gt;
   Messages that do not follow these guidelines will not receive a response. Thank you for your understanding.

join/index.html

@@ -423,28 +423,35 @@ <h2>Join Us</h2>
 
   </div>
   <div class="row">
-    <p>In general, we are looking for enthusiastic, computationally minded individuals with a shared passion for bionic vision.
-If you are interested in joining us, please check our <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y1wzFVdp-FCoGM47okaW5eYdOOfpgXD5nM9Q7DpwAMo/edit?usp=sharing">Lab Manual</a> to familiarize yourself with our lab culture, policies, and expectations.</p>
-<p>We use a <a href="https://forms.gle/XGuijmyZX9LSedwn6">centralized waitlist</a> for all prospective lab members.
-If you have specialized experience and wish to be considered for a Senior RA role, you may indicate this preference in the form, but please note that these spots are limited.</p>
-<h3 class="fill-width">Junior Lab Trainees</h3>
-<p>The Junior Lab Trainee program is the primary entry point for undergraduates (particularly PBS and CS students) to join the Bionic Vision Lab. This role is designed as a structured introduction to research, allowing you to learn how we think about science while contributing to our ongoing studies. This role entails:</p>
+    <p>In general, we are looking for enthusiastic, computationally minded individuals with a shared passion for bionic vision.<br>
+If you are interested in joining us, please review our <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y1wzFVdp-FCoGM47okaW5eYdOOfpgXD5nM9Q7DpwAMo/edit?usp=sharing">Lab Manual</a> to familiarize yourself with our lab culture, policies, and expectations.</p>
+<h3 class="fill-width">Junior Lab Trainees (UCSB Undergraduates)</h3>
+<p>The Junior Lab Trainee program is the primary entry point for current UCSB undergraduates (particularly PBS and CS students) to join the Bionic Vision Lab. This role serves as a structured introduction to research, allowing you to learn how we approach science while contributing meaningfully to ongoing studies.</p>
+<p>This role entails:</p>
 <ul>
-<li>Research literacy: You will attend bi-weekly meetings to read and discuss scientific papers relevant to visual prostheses and neuroengineering.</li>
-<li>Active participation: You will serve as a reliable participant in our behavioral studies (XR, psychophysics, etc.).</li>
-<li>Pathway to growth: While promotions are never guaranteed, successful completion of a quarter as a Junior Trainee is often a prerequisite for becoming a Senior Research Assistant.</li>
+<li><strong>Research literacy:</strong> Attend bi-weekly meetings to read and discuss scientific papers related to visual prostheses and neuroengineering.</li>
+<li><strong>Active participation:</strong> Serve as a reliable participant in behavioral studies (XR, psychophysics, etc.).</li>
+<li><strong>Pathway to growth:</strong> While promotions are never guaranteed, successful completion of a quarter as a Junior Trainee is often a prerequisite for becoming a Senior Research Assistant.</li>
 </ul>
-<p>How to apply: We accept a limited cohort of trainees every quarter. To be considered, please <a href="https://forms.gle/XGuijmyZX9LSedwn6">join our waitlist</a>.</p>
+<p>We use a <a href="https://forms.gle/XGuijmyZX9LSedwn6">centralized waitlist</a> for all prospective UCSB undergraduate lab members.<br>
+To be considered, please join the waitlist. We accept a limited cohort each quarter.</p>
 <h3 class="fill-width">All Other Positions</h3>
-<p><strong>Our lab is currently at capacity for Senior RAs, PhD students, and postdocs.</strong>
-At this time, we are unable to accommodate summer interns or high school students.</p>
-<p><small>This page was last updated on December 16, 2025.</small></p>
+<p><strong>Our lab is currently at capacity for Senior RAs and PhD students.</strong></p>
+<p>At this time, we are unable to offer:</p>
+<ul>
+<li>paid or unpaid summer internships</li>
+<li>remote research roles</li>
+<li>positions for high-school students</li>
+</ul>
+<p>The Bionic Vision Lab operates with a structured, cohort-based model. To ensure high-quality mentorship and training, we only open new positions when we have the capacity to support them fully.</p>
+<p>Because we receive a large number of inquiries each year, we are unable to respond to unsolicited requests outside of posted openings. We appreciate your understanding.</p>
+<p><small>This page was last updated on February 18, 2026.</small></p>
 <small class="mt-4 mb-4" style="display:block">
   <i class="fas fa-exclamation-triangle" aria-hidden="true"></i>
   We receive many applications each year. To help us give fair consideration to all candidates:
   <ul class="mb-0">
-    <li>Please do not send generic or copy-and-paste emails. Applications must show genuine familiarity with our work.</li>
-    <li><strong>Do not use AI/LLM-generated statements.</strong> As an AI lab, we can tell the difference, and it will not make a good impression.</li>
+    <li>Please do not send generic or copy-and-paste emails. Applications must demonstrate genuine familiarity with our work.</li>
+    <li><strong>Do not use AI/LLM-generated statements.</strong> As an AI-focused lab, we can recognize them, and they do not make a strong impression.</li>
     <li>There is no need to send multiple follow-up emails.</li>
   </ul>
   Messages that do not follow these guidelines will not receive a response. Thank you for your understanding.