Question

Nervous about first research collab

Answer 1

You probably *won't* have much to contribute at first. That's fine. No one is going to put you on the spot and expect you to solve major problems on the fly. Just ask questions and offer insight if you have it.

Answer 2

actually i think you're in a much better position than you think.  
  1. personally speaking the sooner i lost the insecurity of looking stupid, the more/faster i learned about a subject. since you're new, people expect you to know nothing, so nobody will think you're stupid if you take advantage of this.  
  2. the same questions you have, maybe one of your peers also has but is too afraid to ask because of 1. so you can be their voice also  
  3. generally speaking, people really appreciate genuine questions. so you'll gain favor with the more senior members by asking your questions