My department and others set up a matching system to pair students with faculty over the summer months. Everyone who requested a research opportunity was matched with one. It was done through our department's head of the graduate program, who talked to students about their interests and then spoke to potential faculty matches during the spring term to determine who would need graduate assistants and to facilitate good matches. It began with filling out a form and then a conversation with the head of graduate studies, followed by a chat with the potential match before finalizing the arrangement by email with the department office staff in the loop. Very simple and easy.