How It Works
Welcome to Research Roomies! We connect researchers traveling to the same conferences to help you share accommodation and save costs.
Creating a Post
To find a roomie, you can create a post indicating the conference you are attending, whether you already have a booked room or are looking for one, and specific preferences.
When you create a post you also tick what you are sharing — lodging, a carpool, a rental car, a rideshare/taxi, or something else. You can tick more than one. If you have a spare bed in your room and two seats in the car, that is one post with both boxes checked, not two posts. Those tags become badges on your post and are how other people filter the search page, so a trip you are willing to share in more than one way is worth marking as such. You can change them later from the post's Edit page.
What to Include
A post is a conference, a title, a description, and what you're sharing. Everything else goes in the description, so it is worth writing a few sentences rather than one line. The people reading it are trying to work out quickly whether you are a match, and the details that decide that are usually:
- What you have and what you need. A room already booked and a second bed to fill is a very different post from a search for someone to book with, and readers can't tell which is which from the title alone.
- Your dates. Not the conference dates — the nights you will actually be in town. Arriving a day early or leaving after the closing session is the most common reason an otherwise good match falls through.
- The cost. The nightly rate and your half of it, or the budget you are working within. Saying this up front saves both of you a round of messages.
- Living preferences. Sleep schedule, quiet vs. social, smoking, guests, whether you need separate beds. Setting expectations in the post is easier than renegotiating them at the hotel.
- Gender preferences. If gender is relevant to your choice of roommate or travel companion, say so clearly. You may also state your own gender if you wish, and indicate whether you prefer a roommate of a particular gender or have no preference.
- How you want to split the booking. Both names on the reservation, or one person paying and the other reimbursing. Worth agreeing on before you commit.
- Whether the parts are separable. If you ticked more than one thing, say whether someone can take just the car seat, or just the room. Otherwise people who only want one of them will assume it's all or nothing and not write.
Leave out anything you would not want publicly attached to your name: your phone number, your home address, your flight numbers, or your hotel room number. Posts are visible to everyone, whether they are logged in or not. When someone sends you an inquiry, their email address comes with it and you can reply directly, so there is no need to publish your own contact details.
Example Posts
These are illustrations, not real posts. Yours does not need to be this long — but each of these would let a reader decide in one pass.
Example 1 — a room you have already booked
SharingLodging
TitleSecond bed in a booked double, Sun–Thu, ~$95/night each
DescriptionI have a two-bed room reserved at the conference hotel from Sunday afternoon through Thursday morning, checking out before the last session. The rate is $190/night plus tax, so around $95 each if we split it. I'm a fifth-year chemistry PhD student at a Midwest state school, presenting a poster on Tuesday. I'm an early sleeper — usually in the room by 11 and up around 7 — but I don't mind someone keeping different hours as long as we're both respectful and quiet coming in. Non-smoking, and I'd rather not have guests in the room. I'm happy to room with anyone, regardless of gender, as long as we're respectful of each other's space and preferences. Happy to do a short video call first, and I can add you to the reservation so we each pay the hotel directly at checkout.
Example 2 — looking for someone to book with
SharingLodging
TitleLooking to share a room Mon–Fri, budget up to $120/night
DescriptionNothing booked yet — I'm a woman looking for another woman to split a room with, ideally at the venue or within walking distance. I'm in town Monday through Friday for the full program. My budget is up to about $120/night for my half, and I'm flexible between a hotel and a short-term rental as long as there are two beds; I'd prefer not to share one. I'm a postdoc in computational linguistics and this is my second year at this conference. I'm usually out at the evening sessions and quiet when I get back. I'd want us to book together on the hotel's own site with both names on the reservation rather than one of us paying the other back. Message me if the dates line up and we can compare options.
Example 3 — sharing transportation
SharingCarpool
TitleDriving down from the Boston area on the 14th — two seats, splitting gas and tolls
DescriptionI'm driving to the conference on Thursday the 14th, leaving mid-morning, and heading back Sunday afternoon. Two seats available, with room for a normal suitcase each. I'd like to split gas and tolls, which should work out to roughly $40 per person each way. Non-smoking car; I'm happy with music or with quiet. I'm faculty in mechanical engineering and I present on Friday. One direction is fine if that's all you need. I'd like to meet at the venue or do a quick video call beforehand so we're not strangers meeting in a parking lot.
Example 4 — offering more than one thing on one post
SharingLodging, Carpool
TitleDriving from Ann Arbor with a spare bed and two spare seats
DescriptionI'm making the drive down on Sunday and back Thursday, and I've booked a two-bed room at the conference hotel for those nights. I'm happy to fill either or both: the second bed is $85/night for your half, and the drive is about $35 each way per person for gas. Taking one without the other is completely fine — several people have asked and I'd rather say so up front. I'm a PhD student in ecology, presenting Wednesday morning. I'm quiet in the room and an early riser. For the drive I can pick up anywhere roughly on the route. I'd want a quick video call first either way, and for the room we'd both be on the reservation so we each settle up with the hotel.
Responding to a Post
If you see a post from someone you would like to room with, you must fall under their required parameters (if any). You can send them a message directly through our platform via the "Contact" button on their post page. Afterwards, it is up to both of you to determine housing arrangements safely! Our Safety & Scam Awareness Guide covers how to verify who you are talking to, and what to watch for, before you commit to anything.
Editing or Removing a Post
Once you've made a post, you can view your posts and remove them at any time from your account by logging in and managing your active requests.
Reporting a Post
If you find a post that seems fraudulent, violates our terms of service, or poses a safety risk, use the Report this post link on that post's page. You will need to be logged in. Your report is recorded against the post and sent to our team, so this is the fastest way to reach us. For anything that is not tied to a specific post, email admin@researchroomies.com. We take our community's safety seriously and will review the report immediately.
Our Safety & Scam Awareness Guide describes the behavior worth reporting and what to do if you have already been in contact with the poster.
Featuring a Conference/Sharing ResearchRoomies
If you are organizing a conference or are involved with a conference committee, you can ask us to feature your conference on Research Roomies. A featured conference is easier for attendees to find when they are looking for roommates, carpools, rental cars, or other shared travel arrangements.
How to Request a Conference to Be Featured
- Contact us at admin@researchroomies.com with the name of your conference and, if available, its website, dates, and location. We may also ask for information about the conference to make sure we have the correct details.
- If we decide to feature your conference, it will appear on our conference list and attendees will be able to create posts associated with it.
- Featuring a conference does not require a formal partnership with Research Roomies and does not constitute an endorsement by the conference or by Research Roomies.
Sharing Research Roomies
Conference organizers and academic organizations are also welcome to share Research Roomies with their attendees. A simple mention in conference emails, travel information, or attendee resources can help people discover others who are traveling to the same conference.