Meliora Fellowships in BCS

The Department of Brain and Cognitive Science (BCS) is committed to increasing and broadening educational and research opportunities for undergraduate students. Motivated by these goals, we are establishing Meliora Fellowships funded by a generous gift from the University President Sarah Mangelsdorf and BCS Professor Karl Rosengren.

Meliora Fellowships will fully fund summer research opportunities for students without significant research background. With a goal of maximizing the long-term impact of undergraduate research experiences, Meliora Fellowships will be primarily available to first- and second-year students.

This 10-week program will pair students with faculty labs working in brain research for an intensive research experience. The in-lab experiences will be paired with a full calendar of career development, academic and community events organized by the Meliora Mentors and participating departments. Meliora Mentors are three graduate students that will organize and run extracurricular programming for all summer research students in BCS. The objective is to establish a vibrant, intellectually stimulating summer research community in BCS.

Program details

  • A 10-week full time program starting in the first week of June
  • Research supported by a $5,000 stipend.
  • End-of-the-summer poster and/or talk session
  • Research lectures
  • Career development activities
  • Social events

Eligibility

  • Preference for students in their first and second years at UR. Seniors are ineligible.
  • Preference for students who are first generation college students and/or come from low income families.
  • No prior research experience is required.
  • A major in BCS or NSC is not required. Interest in BCS and/or Neuroscience research required.
  • Note: This is an in-person fellowship. Accepted fellows must agree to be present in Rochester for the entire duration of the ten week program.

Application process

Applications are closed for 2025. Check back in late 2025 for details on the 2026 program.

  • Applications will open on February 19, with a deadline of March 10, 2025. The application will be posted online.
  • Decisions by March 20.
  • Application materials (upload documents via Google Forms)
    • CV/Resume
    • Transcript (unofficial is OK).
    • Preferred host labs, chosen from the list of available labs on the form.
    • Personal statement – 200 words max. This should cover your background and your eligibility for this fellowship (see above for eligibility details).
    • Research interest statement – 200 words max. This should cover your research interests, and, if any, your prior research experience.
    • Host lab justification – 200 words max. Explain why you are specifically interested in your top two choices. This can include describing how work in those labs matches your career interests and how your academic/research/skill background matches research in those labs.

2025 Participating Labs

BCS Labs

Affiliated Labs