The most common way to do research in the United States is to enroll in a Ph.D. program. If you are already a Ph.D. student elsewhere, it is also possible to do part of your doctoral research in the US. It is more difficult to find a research position if you are not working on a Ph.D. Then the same rules apply as if you were an undergraduate student: whether you will find a position depends on your research proposal, the timeline, and the amount of supervision you will need.
Doing research in the US after your Ph.D.
Post-doc positions
Many US institutions offer post-doc positions for people who hold the Ph.D. degree. These positions make it possible to do independent research and to publish, so that you can start building on your academic career. Financial support for these positions comes from the institution where you have your affiliation, or from other American or non-American funding organizations.
Visiting scholars
Universities in the US are very interested in co-operation with researchers and lecturers from other countries. Many faculties have so-called invitational positions for which foreign academics of good to exceptional standing are invited. These positions generally last one year. The US institution generally pays the salary and sometimes also the research costs. The number of invitational positions is limited. Most non-American academics arrange a research position through collegial contacts within their field. Most of them then have to arrange funding themselves.
Doing research in the US during your studies
In the United States research is mainly done by graduate students, post-docs and professors. If you want to do research in the US during your studies, you must be aware that you are considered to be an undergraduate student in the American system of higher education. It is not common that undergraduate students do research in the US. Therefore, it will not be easy to join a regular research program. It helps if the institution where you are currently enrolled has an exchange program with a US university. The same goes for having a professor with close professional contacts in the US. Whether you will be welcome in the US depends on your research proposal, de timeline of the project, and the amount of supervision you need. Work pressure at American universities is generally very high and there will not be much time to supervise visiting students. You will be completely responsible for finding funding for your stay in the US. There are no American organizations with funding for international undergraduate students.
Post-doc positions