Since 1989, the University of Minnesota LSSURP has overseen and coordinated several life sciences programs. The programs begin with a joint orientation weekend, followed by participation in a 10-week research project under the direction of a University of Minnesota faculty mentor and numerous special activities focused on professional development as well as social interaction. The summer research experience concludes with a poster symposium and banquet in August.

LSSURP has given students that have been underrepresented in the life sciences the experience and training that enhances their ability to pursue a career in research. This represents a long-standing commitment to increasing the impact and quality of life science research at the University of Minnesota, which is strengthened when there is diversity in our faculty and students. We strongly encourage students whose backgrounds encompass diversity in culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, and economic background to apply for our summer research positions.

Program Dates:  May 29 - August 9, 2014*

* The application for Summer 2014 is available now.

NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU): Molecular and Biochemical Analysis of Proteins

Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University

Dates: May 27 - August 1, 2014 (Please note that program dates cannot be modified)

Overview of Program

- Ten-week mentored research experience

- Career development sessions each week

- $5,000 stipend

- Campus housing provided

- Round-trip transportation to West Lafayette, IN

Eligibility

- Undergraduate who has completed at least 4 semesters of college study

- Students must have at least one semester of college remaining after the summer of 2014

- U.S. citizen or permanent resident

- Grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

Application

- Online application requiring a statement of career goals and interest in the program

- Two faculty letters of recommendation

- Copy of transcript

Application deadline is February 14, 2014.

The Summer Undergraduate Program in Emory Renal Research (SUPERR) will promote an appreciation for the study of kidney, urology, and hematologic (KUH) diseases among undergraduate students who are interested in furthering their scientific research and could be encouraged to pursue a career in biomedical scientific research.  Early exposure of undergraduate researchers to these exciting areas of study will give promising students first hand experience in laboratory methods to answer questions that directly affect human health and disease.  Our goal is to foster sustained interest in KUH diseases, thereby increasing the number of students applying to PhD and MD/PhD programs, and increasing the cadre of scientists in the biomedical workforce studying these topics in the future.

SUPERR will expose undergraduate students to current questions in KUH diseases that are being investigated by NIDDK supported investigators at Emory University.  Following a national recruitment, selected students will participate in a 12-week didactic and laboratory-based experiential program on our Atlanta campus to advance their knowledge of nephrology, urology, and hematology research through laboratory experimentation, clinical research, career development activities, responsible conduct in research training, and opportunities to present and share their research.   Specific targeted skills will include data acquisition, analysis and interpretation, and scientific presentation. The culmination of the 12-week training will be participation at the NIDDK sponsored Summer Student Research Symposium in Bethesda, MD.

Meet Susanna. She is a Biological Sciences major and MARC U*STAR Scholar. She is also a current Undergraduate Research Award (URA) scholar. Her research explores the female song in the Puerto Rican Oriole.

How did you find your mentor for year research project?
Dr. Omland was my BIOL142 professor. I talked to him after class about lecture material and my interests. From there we started talking about a research position.

How did you know this was the project you wanted to do?
I love learning about the different mechanisms, causes, and results of evolution. I knew Dr. Omland’s research was going to teach me a lot about evolution.

Is this your first independent research project?
Yes, I have been working on this project, Testing for Female Song in the Newly Recognized Species: The Puerto Rican Oriole for over a year now.

Do you get course credit for this work? How much time do you put into it?
Yes. I have been getting course credit every semester that I have been in lab. During the semester, it depends how much school work I have but I put in about 8 or 12 hours a week or more.

How did you hear about the Undergraduate Research Award (URA) program?
My advisor, Dr. Omland recommended the URA to me.

What academic background did you have before you applied for the URA? How much did your mentor help you with the application?
I was a sophomore and had been working in my lab for just less than a year. Dr. Omland must have advised me about my abstract 20 times! We made sure that it was perfect!

Was the application difficult to do?
My advisor, Janet Mcglynn, and Devon Fick gave me and other applicants a lot of advice on how to write a successful application. I had also previously written other grant applications so I was able to edit my writing to fit the scope of the URA.

What has been the hardest part about your research?
The hardest, but most exciting part is the field work. I study the Puerto Rican Oriole, so I get to travel to Puerto Rico and study this bird. I have to wake up before the sun rises, typically 4 a.m. to be out and ready to record the bird songs as soon as they wake up. It’s exhausting work following the birds, taking notes on everything they do, and making sure I get good clear recordings.

What was the most unexpected thing?
The most unexpected things is the amount of support I have been given. Dr. Omland, the Office of Undergraduate Education, the MARC U*STAR program, the graduate students in my lab, and the undergraduate students who help with the field work make an amazing team. The support everyone gives me has definitely helped me be successful!

How does your research relate to your work in other classes?
Apart from field work, I run experiments to determine the sex from feather samples we have taken from birds at the study sites. This gives me lots of practice with PCR and electrophoresis which was really helpful in genetics when we learned about different methods of analyzing DNA. Currently, I am in "Genes to Genomes" and my background in evolution is proving to be a huge advantage.

What else are you involved in on campus?
I am the secretary of Hispanic Latino Student Union and a member of the pre-veterinary society.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
Talk to your professors and don’t be afraid to say “I really want to learn about this from you, can I work with you?” The worst they can say is no, but they might really admire your enthusiasm and help you get a position somewhere else.

What are your career goals?
I will continue on to graduate school and eventually get my Ph.D. in evolutionary genetics. I love learning and don’t ever want to stop. A career in research lets me learn something new every day and lets me determine exactly what questions I want to investigate.

Have you shared the results of your work with professionals in your field?
Yes. I presented my research at the American Ornithological Society/Cooper Ornithological Society meeting in Chicago over the summer, and then at the UMBC Biological Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Festival! This past September I presented my poster at the South Eastern Population Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics meeting at a UVA Field Station. I won Best Undergraduate Poster! It was an amazing experience! People were very interested in that my project looks at sexual selection differently than it typically is.

Read her abstract here...

Program Description:

Each summer, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Department of Molecular Biology, the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, and the Genentech Foundation  provide intensive laboratory research experiences to a select group of undergraduates chosen from a nationwide pool. Each student joins a world-class research group - headed by a Faculty member - and carries out an original research project. Participants are immersed in a culture of close collaboration with other undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty, and thereby experience first-hand what it is like to be a scientist. Over 77% of former participants have since pursued degrees in PhD, MD, or combined MD/PhD programs.

Other Highlights of the Program Include:

·         research discussion groups (learn to analyze and present data)

·         faculty forum (attend weekly seminars given by Princeton Faculty)

·         poster session (present your research to respected scientists)

·         career forums (interact with former program participants)

Program Details and Eligibility:

The program runs from June 9 – August 8, 2014 (9 weeks).  In addition to receiving a $4000 stipend, students are provided with housing in Princeton dormitories and are reimbursed for traveling expenses within budgetary limits.

We particularly encourage applications from research-oriented undergraduates (1) whose participation will add to the diversity of researchers in the sciences, or (2) whose interests lie at the boundary between biology and the computational sciences including physics, chemistry, computer science and engineering, or (3) who are from institutions that do not have large research programs.

Applicants must be US citizens, permanent residents, or foreign undergraduates attending a US educational institution.

Application Deadline: February 1, 2014

Application Materials:

·         Online application form

·         Personal statement (included in the online application form)

·         Two letters of recommendation from faculty members (also submitted online).

·         Transcript(s) of all undergraduate courses and grades (submitted via email).