The Office of Undergraduate Research is pleased to announce the selection of 54 undergraduate students to receive SURF Awards in support of their summer undergraduate research projects. The faculty review committee was impressed by the extremely high caliber of the 80 applications submitted this year.
Click here to view the full list of Summer 2017 SURF awardees.
Congratulations, SURF awardees! Your academic achievements, curiosity, initiative, and motivation were evident in your applications. You have an exciting summer of deep engagement with the process of academic inquiry ahead of you. We look forward to hearing about all you learn and discover!
We thank the faculty members who supported SURF applicants in a range of roles: mentors, letter writers, and faculty review committee members. SURF represents a collaborative effort between students and faculty. This program would not be possible without the support and participation of the UConn faculty!
OUR also extends thanks to SURF supporters in the UConn community. We are grateful to the Provost’s Office, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and to the Deans of the Schools and Colleges of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources; Education; Engineering; Nursing; and Pharmacy, who all contributed funding to the SURF competition this year. Alumni, parents, and friends of UConn also helped fund SURF awards. This collaborative funding effort ensures that SURF supports a diverse array of undergraduate research endeavors. We are grateful to all of our program partners for making intensive summer research opportunities available to students seeking to enrich their undergraduate experience in this way.
Once again, congratulations to the recipients of 2017 SURF awards, and good luck with your summer projects!
Congratulations to the twenty-nine UConn undergraduates who have been awarded UConn IDEA Grants in the spring 2017 funding cycle!
Nineteen of the award recipients will be completing individual projects, and ten will be working on collaborative group projects. The award recipients represent a variety of disciplines, from nursing to elementary education, animal science to biomedical engineering. They will work on designing prototypes and software systems; producing short films, graphic novels, and animations; developing educational programs; and conducting independent research.
Special thanks to the faculty and staff that supported student applications to the UConn IDEA Grant and to those who will be mentoring the award recipients as they complete their projects. We would also like to thank the faculty and staff from around the University who served as reviewers.
The UConn IDEA Grant program awards funding to support self-designed projects including artistic endeavors, community service initiatives, traditional research projects, entrepreneurial ventures, and other creative and innovative projects. Undergraduates in all majors at all UConn campuses can apply. Applications are accepted twice per year from individuals and from small groups who plan to work collaboratively on a project. The next application deadline will be in December 2017.
The Office of Undergraduate Research is pleased to announce the next phase of the Health Research Program (HRP). This program offers a new pathway into undergraduate research for students with interests in health and/or the biomedical sciences. By facilitating connections between UConn Health researchers and UConn undergraduates, the program aims to involve more students in research at UConn Health.
For students interested in participating in this program for Summer 2017 and/or Academic Year 2017-18, here is the key information:
Summer 2017 opportunities are now posted on the HRP website. There are 24 opportunities that range from software development to health policy, biosensors to neuroscience, genetics to molecular medicine. The application deadline for these opportunities is Friday, February 24, 2017. Most Summer 2017 opportunities are slated to continue into the 2017-18 academic year (they will continue if the student makes satisfactory progress over the course of the summer and both the student and the faculty mentor are interested in continuing the placement); those that will not continue are marked “Summer Only.” Summer researchers will receive a stipend of $4,000 to cover the expenses associated with participating in this program
Academic Year 2017-18 opportunities (i.e., research placements that begin in the fall) are also now posted on the HRP website. There are 4 opportunities in molecular medicine, orthopaedics, neuroscience, and immunology. The application deadline for these opportunities is also Friday, February 24, 2017. These academic year opportunities can continue into summer 2018, as long as the student makes satisfactory progress over the course of the academic year, both the student and the faculty mentor are interested in continuing the placement for summer, and the student will be returning to UConn as an undergraduate student for 2018-19.
To be eligible for Summer 2017 and Academic Year 2017-18 HRP opportunities, students must plan to graduate no sooner than May 2018.
Further details and answers to frequently asked questions are available on the Health Research Program website. Students are encouraged to peruse the posted opportunities and begin preparing application materials for any placements of interest. We also urge students to take care to consider the time commitment and schedule options involved in a given opportunity to ensure that they can accommodate these demands in their summer and/or academic year schedule.
Interested in spending the summer engaged in an exciting research project? There is still time to apply for summer research opportunities in a variety of areas. The programs and opportunities listed below are still accepting applications.
Biomedical Engineering Summer Internship Program (BESIP) Deadline: February 9, 2017 https://www.nibib.nih.gov/training-careers/undergraduate-graduate/biomedical-engineering-summer-internship-program-besip
This program, sponsored by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), is targeted at undergraduate biomedical engineering students who have completed their junior year of college. This program is a subprogram of the Summer Internship Program (SIP). Students will participate in biomedical research projects under the direction of scientists at NIH laboratories in Bethesda, MD. Stipend of approximately $6,600 for 10 weeks.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program – UT Southwestern Medical Center Deadline: February 9, 2017 http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/graduate-school/programs/non-degree-programs/surf.html
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program at UT Southwestern’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is designed for students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. career in biomedical research. Applicants to this 10-week program must have completed their sophomore year in an undergraduate science degree program. $4,000 stipend.
Quantitative and Physical Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (QP-SURF) Program – UT Southwestern Medical Center Deadline: February 9, 2017
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/graduate-school/programs/non-degree-programs/qp-surf.html
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program at UT Southwestern’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is designed for students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. career in biomedical research. Applicants must be enrolled in a physics, computer science, mathematics, biomedical engineering, or chemistry degree program and have completed their sophomore year. $4,000 stipend.
MSTP Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program – UC San Diego Deadline: February 12, 2017 http://mstp.ucsd.edu/surf/Pages/default.aspx
The Medical Scientist Training Program at UC San Diego is designed for students interested in learning about a career in biomedicine. The program features an 8-week research project, weekly seminars, and a physician-scientist clinical shadowing experience. Students from groups underrepresented in health-related sciences and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply. $3,200 stipend and room (but not board) provided.
Summer Undergraduate Research Experience – University at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Deadline: February 14, 2017 http://medicine.buffalo.edu/education/undergraduate/sure.html
The School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences offers a summer undergraduate research program for students in their junior year (at the time of application). Offers extended to only 10 students; $3,500 stipend and housing provided.
Amgen Scholars Summer Research Program – California Institute of Technology Deadline: February 15, 2017
http://sfp.caltech.edu/programs/amgen_scholars
The Caltech Amgen Scholars program provides undergraduate students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in STEM fields with the opportunity to conduct research in biology, chemistry, and bio-technical fields under the supervision of seasoned research mentors. $6,000 stipend for the 10-week program, campus housing and a board allowance provided.
Montgomery Summer Research Diversity Fellowships in Law and Social Science Deadline: February 15, 2017
http://www.americanbarfoundation.org/research/Fellowshipopportunities/SummerResearchDiversityFellowshipsinLawandSocialScience.html
The American Bar Foundation sponsors a program of summer research fellowships. The summer program is designed to introduce students from diverse backgrounds to the benefits of a research-oriented career in the field of law and social science. Open to students who will have completed at least two years of undergraduate study by the time the fellowship begins. Selected students will receive a stipend of $3,600.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Summer Student Fellowship Deadline: February 15, 2017 http://www.whoi.edu/main/summer-student-fellowship
The Summer Student Fellowship provides undergraduates with an interest in ocean sciences, oceanographic engineering, mathematics, or marine policy with a meaningful first-hand introduction to research in those areas. Students who have completed their junior year prior to the start of fellowship period in summer 2017 are eligible to apply. Stipend of $608/week for 10-12 weeks and institutional housing provided.
Molecular Biology REU at the Ohio State University Deadline: February 15, 2017 https://molgen.osu.edu/research-experience-undergraduates
This NSF-funded research program is hosted by the Departments of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and the Division of Biochemistry at Ohio State. Selected students will receive a $5,000 stipend and univeristy housing. Students from groups historically underrepresented in the sciences are encouraged to apply.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program – State University of New York Upstate Medical University Deadline: February 15, 2017 http://www.upstate.edu/grad/programs/summer.php
This 10-week summer research program is for students majoring in chemistry, biology, or a related field. Applicants should be between their junior and senior years (in Summer 2017) and have a strong interest in pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical research. $3,000 stipend and housing provided.
Maryland Sea Grant REU Program Deadline: February 15, 2017 http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/topics/research-experiences-undergraduates/research-experiences-undergraduates
Fifteen students are selected to conduct marine research on the Chesapeake Bay at one of two University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences laboratories. The program is designed for students majoring in marine science, ecology, environmental science, biology and chemistry. Preference given to students who are rising seniors. $6,000 stipend and housing costs are provided.
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences REU Program Deadline, February 15, 2017 http://www.bigelow.org/education/reu/
This highly competitive, 10-week REU program pairs students with scientist mentors for a hands-on, independent research experience. Student applicants should have a minimum of one year of basic biology and at least one earth or ocean science course. Housing and $5,000 stipend provided.
Undergraduate Summer Fellowship Program in Vision Science – University of Rochester Deadline: February 15, 2017
http://www.cvs.rochester.edu/training/undergraduate/fellowships/index.html
Students who are juniors (during 2016-17) with an interest in neuroscience, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and biomedical science are encouraged to apply for this summer of supervised laboratory training. $3,820 stipend and on-campus housing provided.
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Changing Environments: Integrating from Genomes to Biomes – Kansas State University Biology REU Program Deadline: February 15, 2017
http://www.k-state.edu/reu/REU/index.html
This 10-week program provides undergraduates interested in biological sciences with research experience and professional development under the mentorship of a faculty mentor. Student applicants should have research interests in ecological genomics, grassland ecology, or evolutionary biology. $5,250 stipend and housing provided.
Marine Physical Laboratory Summer Internship Program – Scripps Institution of Oceanography Deadline: February 17, 2017 https://scripps.ucsd.edu/mpl/mpl-summer-internship-program
Undergraduate students interested in a career in scientific research and development are encouraged to apply for this summer research internship in marine science and technology. This 10-week summer internship program is seeking undergraduates majoring in engineering, chemistry, physics, biology or geology. Interns are paid $14/hour.
Chesapeake Bay Summer Internships – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Deadline: February 19, 2017 http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/student-opportunities/chesapeake-bay-internships Paid undergraduate internships available for Summer 2017. Descriptions of available internships can be found at the above link.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Oceanography – University of Rhode Island Deadline: February 21, 2017 http://surfo.gso.uri.edu/~surfo/index.html
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Oceanography program is a 10-week research experience designed for science, math and engineering students who will be seniors in Fall 2017. Stipend of approximately $5,500.
Washington Internship on Social Insurance – National Academy of Social Insurance Deadline: March 1, 2017
http://www.nasi.org/studentopps/washington-internship-social-insurance
This 12-week summer internship targets upper division students studying public policy, economics, political science, social work, actuarial science or related fields. Students serve as interns on social insurance policy research and analysis projects in Washington, DC. $3,500 stipend.
Somers Aging and Long-Term Care Research Internship – National Academy of Social Insurance Deadline: March 1, 2017
https://www.nasi.org/studentopps/anne-somers-aging-long-term-care-research-internship
This 12-week summer internship targets upper division students studying economics, gerontology, political science, public health, social work, or related field. Students serve as interns on aging and long-term care policy projects in Washington, DC. $3,500 stipend.
Congratulations to the twenty-two UConn undergraduates who have been awarded UConn IDEA Grants in the fall 2016 funding cycle!
Sixteen of the award recipients will be completing individual projects, and six will be working on collaborative group projects. The award recipients represent a variety of disciplines – from marine sciences to political science, illustration to biomedical engineering – and include two recipients from the Avery Point campus. They will create multimedia exhibitions, develop prototypes, assess educational interventions, and evaluate environmental impact.
Special thanks to the faculty and staff that supported student applications to the UConn IDEA Grant and to those who will be mentoring the award recipients as they complete their projects. We would also like to thank the faculty and staff from around the University who served as reviewers.
The UConn IDEA Grant program awards funding to support self-designed projects including artistic endeavors, community service initiatives, traditional research projects, entrepreneurial ventures, and other creative and innovative projects. Undergraduates in all majors at all UConn campuses can apply. Applications are accepted twice per year from individuals and from small groups who plan to work collaboratively on a project. The next application deadline is March 13, 2017.
Please join us in congratulating the UConn undergraduates named below for their significant research and creative accomplishments in summer and fall 2016. Students: if you have an accomplishment to share, please do so using this online form.
AWARDS
Audrey Gallo ’18 (ENG) completed a summer internship with LambdaVision, a UConn Technology Incubation Program startup company. She was mentored by Nicole Wagner, CEO of LambdaVision and Assistant Research Professor in Chemistry at UConn. Audrey completed the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Summer Fellowship program, presented her research at the 2016 Massachusetts Life Sciences Innovation Day, and tied for first place in the Wolff New Venture Competition. Pictured are LambdaVision founders Dr. Jordan Greco ’10 (CLAS), ’15 Ph.D. (far left), and Dr. Nicole Wagner ’07 (CLAS), ’13 Ph.D. (far right), with undergraduate interns Molly Zgoda ’17 (CLAS) and Audrey Gallo. Photo by Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business.
Congratulations to Catherine “Catrina” Nowakowski ’17 (ENG), one of three student winners of the CMAS Student Poster competition, and the only undergraduate winner. Catrina presented her research at the Community Modeling and Analysis System (CMAS) annual conference in Chapel Hill, NC on October 25, 2016, and is pictured at right with her faculty advisor, Marina Astitha, Assistant Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering.
PUBLICATIONS
Nick Russo ’18 (CLAS) was the first author on a recent publication from the Tingley Lab:
Russo, N.J., Cheah, C. S.-J., Tingley, M.W. (2016). Experimental Evidence for Branch-to-Bird Transfer as a Mechanism for Avian Dispersal of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae). Environmental Entomology, 45(5): 1107-1114. doi:10.1093/ee/nvw083
EXHIBITIONS
Fall 2016 brought us incredible exhibitions by the following undergraduate students:
Michael Amato ’17 (SFA) – SURF Award and OUR Supply Award recipient Flowhana: Photographs of the Hawaii Fire Artists
Raeanne Nuzzo ’17 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient Fear: The Culture
OFF-CAMPUS RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Three UConn students participated in the Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program: Jennifer Allocco ’17 (CLAS) at the Bar Harbor, ME campus; and Nicole Gay ’17 (ENG) and Rujia (Lucia) Lian ’19 (CAHNR) at the Farmington, CT campus.
Jessica Griffin ’17 (CAHNR, CLAS) conducted research in summer 2016 through the Lake Champlain REU at the University of Vermont. She worked under the direction of Dr. Jason Stockwell examining the feeding preferences of lake invertebrate Mysis diluviana.
Savanna Smith ’18 (ENG) participated in the SURE Robotics program at Georgia Tech University in summer 2016. Her project, Detection Based Clinical Gail Analysis, was supervised by Dr. Patricio Vela, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering.
PRESENTATIONS
R: Samantha Lawrence ’17 (CLAS)
International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (ISSBD) Biennial Meeting – July 10-14, 2016 – Vilnius, Lithuania
Samantha Lawrence ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Justifying Bullying: How Previous Experiences Predict Adolescent Moral Reasoning about Exclusion Used to Bully in Same-Race and Cross-Race Situations
International Lichenological Symposium – August 1-5, 2016 – Helsinki, Finland
Dinah Parker ’17 (CLAS) Two Lichens, One Fungus: The Identity of Dendriscocaulon intricatulum
American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting and Exposition – August 21-25, 2016 – Philadelphia, PA
John Ovian ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Oxoammonium Salts: Powerful yet Practical Reagents for Oxidation and Oxidative Functionalization in Chemistry
Christiane Nguyen ’17 (ENG)
Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting – October 5-8, 2016 – Minneapolis, MN
Cameron Flower ’17 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient Discovery of lncRNA-Encoded Peptidome in Mouse Kidney Inner Medulla
Christiane Nguyen ’17 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient Co-patterning Of Living Tissues in 3D-Printed Microfluidic Chips
American Physical Society Division of Nuclear Physics Fall Meeting – October 13-16, 2016 – Vancouver, BC
Christine Ploen ’17 (CLAS) Beam Line Background Studies for the Electron-Ion Collider at Jefferson Laboratory: A Critical Foundation
Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Conference – October 13-15, 2016 – Long Beach, CA
Gabriella Reggiano ’17 (CLAS) – Winner for Outstanding Poster Presentation in Biochemistry/Biophysics – OUR Travel Award recipient Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Human Cardiac Calsequestrin and the Mutation E39K
Community Modeling and Analysis System (CMAS) Annual Conference – October 24-26, 2016 – Chapel Hill, NC
Catherine Nowakowski ’17 (ENG) – Winner of the 2016 CMAS Student Poster Competition – OUR Travel Award recipient Prediction of Harmful Water Quality Parameters Combining Weather, Air Quality and Ecosystem Models with In-situ Measurements
Obesity Week 2016 – October 31-November 4, 2016 – New Orleans, LA
Jacob Naparstek ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Internet-Delivered Obesity Treatment Improves Depression Symptoms
National Association for Multicultural Education International Conference – November 9-13, 2016 – Cleveland, OH
Kathrine Grant ’19 (ED, CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Identifying and Using Critically Conscious Film to Address Education Inequity/Verplank Elementary School: A Rich Tapestry
Northeastern Political Science Association Annual Meeting – November 10-12, 2016 – Boston, MA
Amy Saji ’19 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Reel v Real: Assessing the Lessons of Law and Order: SVU within the Current Legal and Political Climate
Society for Neuroscience (SFN) Annual Meeting – November 12-16, 2016 – San Diego, CA
Saheeb Ahmed ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Social and Environmental Factors Influencing Exploration of a Novel Environment
John Pflomm ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Inactivation of Medial Prefrontal Cortex, Dorsal, or Ventral Hippocampus during a Temporal Sequence Task in a Radial Arm Water Maze
Molly Potter ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Effects of Caffeine and Hypothermia on Neuropathology in P6 Rats with Experimentally Induced Hypoxic Ischemic Brain Injury
American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Meeting – November 13-18, 2016 – San Francisco, CA
Daniel Dougherty ’17 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient Study of Microstructures and Surface Treatment Techniques on the Drying Rate of Simulated Soil Micromodels in Microfluidic Devices
Nur Hamideh ’17 (ENG) – 1st place in the Food, Pharmaceutical, and Biotechnology Division – OUR Travel Award recipient Characterization of Polysaccharide Solutions Using Microrheology: Surface Charge Effects
Cameron Harrington ’17 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient Cell Culture of the Termite Gut Microbiome Using a 3D-Printed Synthetic Microhabitat
Alyssa Pierne ’17 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient Gradient Bioengineering of the Termite Gut Microbiome
The Society for Judgment and Decision Making Annual Meeting – November 18-21, 2016 – Boston, MA
Ryan Thibodeau ’17 (CLAS)R: Emily Roller ’17 (CLAS)
Emily Roller ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Extending Construal Level Theory to the Hiring Decision Process
Ryan Thibodeau ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Competitive Modeling: Predicting Counterproductive Work Behavior with the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Prototype Willingness Model
American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Annual Meeting – December 3-7, 2016 – San Francisco, CAAlyssa Mathiowetz ’18 (CLAS)
Alyssa Mathiowetz ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Interactions of Disease-Associated WHAMM Variants with Actin, Microtubules, and Membranes
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to get valuable research experience this summer. Undergraduate students who are interested in participating in a summer research program should be preparing applications and requesting letters of recommendation now! Check out the following summer research programs with February 1st deadlines.
NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) – NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center (CA) and University of California, Irvine https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/nsrc/SARP
This 8-week summer internship program is targeted at highly motivated rising seniors with a strong background in any of the physical, chemical, or biological sciences, or engineering and an interest in applying their background to the study of the Earth system. Selected students will work in multi-disciplinary teams to study surface, atmospheric, and oceanographic processes and will fly on board the NASA C-23 Sherpa research aircraft. $5,000 stipend, travel costs and housing provided.
Summer Undergraduate Research Program – Gerstner Sloan Kettering http://www.sloankettering.edu/summer-undergraduate-research-program
The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Memorial Sloan Kettering sponsors a 10-week summer research program for undergraduate students who are interested in the biomedical sciences. This is a competitive program that accepts 20 students. Applicants must have research experience. $4,000 stipend and housing provided.
Pediatric Oncology Education (POE) Program – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital http://www.stjude.org/poe
This program provides a short-term training experience in either laboratory research or clinical research. Students will be matched with a faculty mentor and will participate in the mentor’s ongoing research projects. Qualified students with an interest in cancer research are encouraged to apply. $400/week stipend provided to selected students.
Environmental Health Research Experience Program (EHREP) – University of Washington http://deohs.washington.edu/ehrep
This funded, nine-week, summer research program is for undergraduates with a strong interest in environmental health science research. Undergraduate applicants must be graduating in 2018 or later. $5,200 summer stipend.
NSF-REU Internships in Astronomy – Maria Mitchell Observatory http://www.mmo.org/get-involved/internships/reu
Six REU internship positions are available for qualified undergraduate astronomy and physics students. These positions provide students the opportunity to conduct independent research supervised by a senior staff member of MMO. $1,800 per month stipend and housing provided.
REU Program in Solar and Space Physics – University of Colorado Boulder http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/education/reu/
This 10-week summer REU program targets students with an interest in solar and space physics. Students work under the direction of scientists from one of a number of participating institutions, including Colorado’s Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics and the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s High Altitude Observatory. $500/week stipend and housing provided.
American Heart Association, Founders Affiliate Undergraduate Student Summer Fellowship Program http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Affiliate/Founders-Affiliate-Local-Research-Opportunities_UCM_315885_Article.jsp
This program encourages students to pursue careers in cardiovascular research. Applicants are expected to identify a sponsor with a research laboratory within the Founders Affiliate. Projects related to cardiovascular biology and stroke will be considered. $5,000 fellowship.
Amgen Scholars Programs
The Amgen Scholars Program, through which students work full-time on independent research projects under the guidance of a research scientist, is hosted at ten institutions in the United States. Each host institution has its own application process; see details about 9 of the institutional programs below (the Caltech program is not listed below as its deadline is February 15th). Amgen research is conducted in fields including biochemistry, bioinformatics, biotechnology, chemical and biomolecular engineering, chemistry, immunology, medical pharmacology, microbiology, molecular biology, molecular genetics, molecular medicine, molecular pharmacology, neurobiology, neuroscience, pathology, physiological psychology, physiological science, statistics, and toxicology.
Amgen Scholars Summer Research Program at Columbia University/Barnard College http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/ug/amgen/ Columbia University and Barnard College offer a summer research program to undergraduate students who are interested in hands-on, biology-related laboratory research. The program is competitive with awards based on grades, recommendations, and career plans. Selected students receive a stipend of $4,000, a meal stipend ($500), and housing on the Morningside campus of Columbia University.
Amgen Scholars Program at Harvard http://uraf.harvard.edu/amgen-scholars This 10-week, faculty-mentored summer research program is targeted to students with research interests in the biotechnology fields. The program encourages applications from students whose backgrounds and experiences would bring diversity to biotechnology fields and students from groups underrepresented in the STEM fields. $4,000 stipend, $500 meal allowance, housing and travel costs to Boston, MA are provided.
Amgen Scholars Program at NIH https://www.training.nih.gov/amgenscholars
Undergraduate students will be matched with a research mentor and participate in a curriculum that will teach leadership skills as well as prepare them for research-oriented careers. Preference will be given to students who lack opportunities to perform independent research during the school year. Students from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Amgen-UROP Scholars Program at MIT http://web.mit.edu/urop/amgenscholars/
The Amgen-UROP Scholars Program is a competitive program providing the opportunity for undergraduates to participate in faculty-mentored summer research at MIT in the science and biotechnology areas. Students work 40 hours per week for nine weeks ($4,418 salary). Housing in an MIT residence hall and a food allowance of $800 are also provided.
Stanford Summer Research Program (SSRP) – Amgen Scholars Program http://biosciences.stanford.edu/prospective/diversity/ssrp/ The SSRP-Amgen Scholars program is a research-intensive residential program where students are matched with a member of the Stanford faculty to conduct a research project from a comprehensive list of biological and biomedical science programs. The program encourages applications from students whose backgrounds and experiences would bring diversity to the field. The program provides a stipend of $3,600 and summer housing, meals, and travel to and from Stanford.
Amgen Scholars Program at the University of California, Berkeley http://amgenscholars.berkeley.edu/
The UC Berkeley Amgen Scholars program is a 10-week summer research program that provides undergraduates the opportunity to work on directly on a research project under the guidance of a UCB faculty member. $5,000 stipend and apartment housing provided as well as travel costs to the UC Berkeley campus.
Amgen Scholars Program at the University of California, Los Angeles http://www.ugresearchsci.ucla.edu/amgenscholars.htm
The UCLA Amgen Scholars Program pairs students with a UCLA faculty mentor to conduct research in biomedical science, chemistry, bioengineering, or chemical engineering. This competitive program has 15 slots available to non-UCLA undergraduate students. $3,600 stipend for the 10-week program, on-campus housing and some meals provided to selected students.
Amgen Scholars Program at the University of California, San Francisco http://graduate.ucsf.edu/srtp
The UCSF Amgen Scholars 9-week summer program provides opportunities for undergraduates to conduct research in science and biotechnology under the supervision of UCSF faculty members. Selected students will participate in seminars/lectures and have the opportunity to present their research at the end of the program. Students receive a $4,000 stipend, $500 to cover travel costs to and from San Francisco, and housing.
Amgen Scholars Program at Washington University in St. Louis http://dbbs.wustl.edu/divprograms/SummerResearchforUndergrads/Pages/Amgen-Scholars.aspx
Undergraduates selected for the Amgen Scholars Program at Washington University will engage in an intensive, 10-week, independent research project under the direction of a faculty mentor. Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and groups historically underrepresented in the sciences are encouraged to apply. $4,000 stipend and housing provided.
The Office of Undergraduate Research announces the launch of a new undergraduate research program, the Health Research Program. The Health Research Program offers a new pathway into undergraduate research for students with interests in health and/or the biomedical sciences. This program, sparked by President Herbst’s interest in facilitating connections between UConn Health researchers and UConn undergraduates, aims to involve more students in research at UConn Health. The Health Research Program is supported by the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Office of the Provost, and coordinated by the Office of Undergraduate Research.
For students interested in participating in this program for Spring 2017, here are key details to consider:
Spring 2017 opportunities are now posted on the Health Research Program website. There are 18 opportunities that range from psychiatry to science policy, biomaterials to neuroscience, genetics to molecular medicine. The application deadline for these opportunities is Friday, January 6, 2017.
To be eligible for these spring opportunities, students must plan to graduate no sooner than December 2017. This is because these research placements are not intended to be for spring alone – they will extend into summer and/or next academic year, assuming satisfactory research progress is made in spring and both the student and faculty mentor are interested in continuing the placement.
Further details and answers to frequently asked questions are available on the Health Research Program website. Students are encouraged to peruse the posted opportunities and begin preparing application materials for any placements of interest. We also urge students to take care to consider the time commitment and schedule options involved in a given opportunity to ensure that they can accommodate these demands in their spring schedule.
SHARE Awards support undergraduate research apprenticeships in the social sciences, humanities, and arts, offering students majoring in these fields opportunities to develop inquiry skills and explore research interests early in their college careers.
We are delighted to announce the 16 student-faculty teams selected to receive awards for Spring 2017 and thank the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute for its generous support of two of these student awards. Congratulations to all award recipients!
Project Title: Extinction of Fear Within Virtual Reality Environments Student Apprentice and Major: Allison Arnista, Psychological Sciences Faculty Mentor and Department: Robert Astur, Psychological Sciences
Project Title: Intercultural Communication Student Apprentice and Major: Emma Barnes, Political Science & German Faculty Mentor and Department: Manuela Wagner, Literatures, Cultures, and Languages
Project Title: Exploring the Communication of Support about Racial Microaggressions in Black Women Friend Groups Student Apprentice and Major: Alleyha Dannett, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies & Human Rights Faculty Mentor and Department: Sharde Davis, Communication
Award Co-Sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute
Project Title: Support for Reducing Inequality: Citizen Attitudes vs. Public Action Student Apprentice and Major: George Dennis, Political Science & History Faculty Mentor and Department: Thomas Hayes, Political Science
Project Title: Pesos and Ponies: Neural Representation of Phonetic Category Structure in Spanish-English Bilinguals Student Apprentice and Major: Divya Ganugapati, Cognitive Science & Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Faculty Mentor and Department: Rachel Theodore, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
Project Title: Town Conservation Commissions and Regional Conservation Associations in New England Student Apprentice and Major: Abigail LaFontan, Political Science Faculty Mentor and Department: Prakash Kashwan, Political Science
Project Title: Mu Rhythm Patterns in Early Childhood Student Apprentice and Major: Dilsara Liyanage, Psychological Sciences Faculty Mentor and Department: Kimberly Cuevas, Psychological Sciences
Project Title:The Implications of Ethnic-Racial Socialization for Emerging Adults’ Development Across Ethnic-Racial and Gender Groups Student Apprentice and Major: Thessiana Mesilus, Psychological Sciences & Human Development and Family Studies Faculty Mentor and Department: Annamaria Csizmadia, Human Development and Family Studies
Project Title: Identification of Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity in the Elderly with Osteoarthritis Student Apprentice and Major: Erin Milner, Nursing Faculty Mentor and Department: Deborah McDonald, Nursing
Project Title: Violence Against Women and Girls: Evidence of the Normative Gap Between Rhetoric and Law Student Apprentice and Major: Susan Naseri, Political Science & Human Rights Faculty Mentor and Department: David Richards, Political Science
Project Title: Using a Focus Group to Evaluate the Utility of Interactive Modules for Self-Management of Low Back Pain Student Apprentice and Major: Amanda Pinto, Nursing Faculty Mentor and Department: Angela Starkweather, Nursing
Project Title: Flusser 2.0 – From the Print-Text to the Image-Flood Student Apprentice and Major: Katherine Riedling, Computer Science and Engineering & German Faculty Mentor and Department: Anke Finger, Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, Nursing
Award Co-Sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute
Project Title: Crafting Environmental Citizenship: Pollution, Resistance and Representation in Latin American Cities Student Apprentice and Major: Emily Steck, Political Science & Human Rights Faculty Mentor and Department: Veronica Herrera, Political Science
Project Title: An Examination of the Unique Social-Ecologies of Discriminatory Bullying Experienced by Latino Immigrant Youth Student Apprentice and Major: Monica Vise, Human Development and Family Studies Faculty Mentor and Department: Alaina Brenick, Human Development and Family Studies
Project Title: The Effects of the Maternal Voice on the Infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Student Apprentice and Major: Selena Williamson, Nursing Faculty Mentor and Department: Jacqueline McGrath, Nursing
Project Title: Designing Interactive Museum Experiences with Omeka Everywhere Student Apprentice and Major: Andrew Wolf, Digital Media and Design Faculty Mentor and Department: Clarissa Ceglio, Digital Media and Design
As we prepare for the SURF 2017 application to go live on December 1st, we would like to take the opportunity to highlight some updates and changes to this year’s SURF program. SURF continues to offer students from across the academic disciplines the opportunity to focus full-time on a research or creative project for 9-10 weeks over the summer.
Updates for 2017
Stabilized funding. Over the past few years, SURF funding has contracted significantly due to university-wide budget cuts. We are very pleased to announce that the program is on firm financial footing for 2017 due to a generous pledge of support from the Office of the Provost, as well as a multi-year funding commitment from the Office of the Vice President for Research. SURF funding will continue to come from a number of sources – including contributions from donors to the university, from the Deans of many Schools and Colleges, and from OUR’s budget – and we anticipate being able to make approximately 60 awards for 2017, consistent with pre-cut funding levels.
Application changes. See the full application outline here.
Data collection and data analysis. Reviewers sought greater specificity from applicants regarding their data collection and data analysis plans. The project proposal prompt now includes the following items:
For projects involving the collection of data, provide details about your data collection strategy and the types of data you will collect.
For projects involving the analysis of data, provide details about your planned analytic procedures and show how your analysis will answer your research question(s).
Upload of data collection tools. Reviewers requested that students using survey or interview methods be required to upload their data collection tool(s) (e.g., survey, assessment instrument, interview protocol) so that reviewers might better assess the proposed research design. A PDF upload field is included in the online application for this purpose; students not using survey or interview methods can skip this upload field. Students, please contact OUR with any questions about the use of this upload field.
Timeline changes. See timeline guidance and samples here.
Literature review. In most cases, literature review and synthesis will have been conducted to inform the development of the SURF proposal. Accordingly, timeline weeks should not be allocated solely to literature review unless the development of a synthesis of the literature is a major component of the proposed summer project. Any student intending to focus his/her SURF project on literature review is especially encouraged to meet with OUR staff (via appointment or SURF office hours) to discuss the project and how to present it most effectively.
Coursework and study abroad. Students are expected to account for summer course enrollment, participation in study abroad programs, or any other substantial summer commitment in their SURF timelines. SURF timelines need not be continuous, and the number of SURF project hours can vary from week to week. It is strongly recommended that students not pursue more than 3 credits of coursework simultaneously with the SURF project.
Budget policies. See the Budget Policies and Samples page for detailed guidance about allowable expenses (now including maximum dollar amounts for expenses like poster printing) and examples of budgets that show the appropriate level of detail. Faculty advisors of students conducting laboratory research: Please work with your advisee to ensure s/he has accurate information about the costs of lab supplies that can be procured through university purchasing channels and contracts.
Submitting letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation will still be collected electronically, but via online form. In addition to uploading their letters of recommendation, project advisors will be asked about the research compliance status of the proposed project; this change is being made due to delays that negatively impacted SURF awardees in past years.
SURF Mailing List. Students planning to apply for SURF can sign up for the SURF Mailing List to receive helpful application tips via email.
We look forward to another excellent set of SURF applications this year! The application deadline is Monday, January 30, 2017. We encourage all students to make use of SURF Office Hours to get feedback on their draft materials and to ask any questions they might have about the program or the application. SURF Office Hours are scheduled for 12/8, 12/9, 1/17, 1/20, and 1/23. Full detail about times and location can be found in the sidebar on the main SURF webpage.
The Office of Undergraduate Research is pleased to announce the selection of 54 undergraduate students to receive SURF Awards in support of their summer undergraduate research projects. The faculty review committee was impressed by the extremely high caliber of the 80 applications submitted this year.
Congratulations to the twenty-nine UConn undergraduates who have been awarded UConn IDEA Grants in the spring 2017 funding cycle!
Congratulations to Catherine “Catrina” Nowakowski ’17 (ENG), one of three student winners of the CMAS Student Poster competition, and the only undergraduate winner. Catrina presented her research at the Community Modeling and Analysis System (CMAS) annual conference in Chapel Hill, NC on October 25, 2016, and is pictured at right with her faculty advisor, Marina Astitha, Assistant Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering.
Nick Russo ’18 (CLAS) was the first author on a recent publication from the 
Project Title: Exploring the Communication of Support about Racial Microaggressions in Black Women Friend Groups
As we prepare for the SURF 2017 application to go live on December 1st, we would like to take the opportunity to highlight some updates and changes to this year’s 