Summer Research Fellowships

Students prepare wasp enclosures in the Hutchison greenhouse.

The Department of Biology now offers four summer fellowship opportunities. In addition to the de Kiewiet Fellowship, we are pleased to accept applications for the Recny Fellowship, the Speakman Fellowship, and the Branche Fellowship.

Recny Scholars, and de Kiewiet and Branche Fellows work for ten weeks during June, July, and August in the labs of their research mentor and receive a stipend of $5,000. In addition, fellows will need to create and present a poster of their research findings at the UPBM Poster Session in October of their fellowship year.

Speakman fellows will receive a stipend of $2,500 to support undergraduate research in the department of biology, which can be used to cover undergraduate student expenses related to departmental research.

See a list of recent de Kiewiet Summer Research Fellows.

Project Requirements

Summer projects must be rooted in the biological sciences and non-clinical in nature. Although some scientific arguments may be inspired through clinical studies, we expect that the proposed research will yield data from experimentation that involves laboratory, field, and/or computational methods.

Eligibility

Branche and de Kiewiet Fellowship

All officially declared UPBM majors in their sophomore or junior year are eligible to apply.

Speakman Fellowship

All officially declared UPBM majors in their sophomore or junior year are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to biochemistry majors or research in the area of biochemistry.

Recny Fellowship

All officially declared UPBM majors in their junior year are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to research related to exploring biochemical or biomedical hypotheses.

How to Apply

*This application is for all four fellowships. Students do not need to submit multiple applications if they wish to apply to multiple fellowships.

Selection Process

These fellowships are competitive, as the number of positions is limited. All application materials and academic records will be reviewed and ranked by the UPBM Committee. Decisions should be communicated to the applicants by mid-April.

Faculty Mentor

Students will need to find a faculty mentor who conducts research in their area of interest and who will agree to supervise a summer project. Additionally, research mentors must be affiliated with biological science labs located on the River Campus or at the Medical Center, and must be a teaching faculty member.

Whether a student has already been working with a faculty member or a search needs to be conducted, it should be planned months in advance. Please note that faculty members are not obligated to comply. See the finding a research mentor page for tips on finding a mentor.

Required Documents

All work must be typed minimum 11-point font. Personal statements and research proposals may be single-spaced, but should not have margins smaller than 0.75 inches.

Personal Statement (Limit to One Page)
  • Describe how this experience will support your educational and professional goals.
  • Optionally, you may describe any relevant special needs, circumstances, or hardships that reviewers should consider.
Formal Scientific Research Proposal (Limit to Two Pages)
  • Describe the aims, methodology, and significance of the project , including a brief summary of preliminary results, if applicable.
  • Write the proposal for a non-specialist audience.
  • Limit to two pages (not including citations), and limit to two figures/graphics/charts.