How to find an (Undergrad) research assistant position in europe? I am an undergraduate student in the Netherlands (and non-EU citizen). For some reason I  feel research assistantships (at my level, or even once you graduate) are more common in the US than in Europe. Perhaps I am not familiar with the lingo here though. 

I was wondering where to look for, or what should characterise an RA position in Europe and how to find one at my level.

So far, all I have been able to do is volunteer at a lab (doing grunt work and getting some crappy data to play around with in return). But nothing serious that involves me in one of the projects of the laboratory, gets me close to collaborating in a publication (even if my name is not in it), or resembles what I think the definition of RA should be (since I am not collaborating on any research).

I am looking for a bit of clarity on where and what I should be looking for. Thanks!
The Dutch term you are looking for is Studentassistent. 

My experience in the Netherlands (some time ago and in the social sciences) is that these positions are fairly rare. Moreover they were rarely advertised. If someone had funding for such a position, a student was directly asked. At my current institution in Germany we have so much funding earmarked for "HiWis" we have trouble filling all the positions. 

So I don't think it is a European thing; there are huge differences between countries and disciplines.