Research / Funding Opportunities for Under-Represented Scientists (Minorities, the Disabled, the Financially Disadvantaged, and others)

Undergraduate Research Experiences, Sources of Funding, and Opportunities

The University of Georgia
• Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities Apprentice Program (CURO AP) - UGA students only.
• Fungal Genomics & Computational Biology Summer NSF-funded REU Program
• Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Fellowships - several distinct fellowships based on need, interest, and personal background; contact Ms. Barbara Carlson (2-0012) or the Dean's office.
• Future Scholars Visitation Program - fully supported Fall term visitation program for Senior undergraduates from historically underreprestned backgrounds who are interested in Graduate School at UGA.
• Graduate School Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)
• Institute of Bioinformatics Summer Research Program - in progress; check back soon.
• Mathematics VIGRE Program
• Merck/Merial Summer Research Assistantship in Veterinary Medicine - this program may no longer be active
• Microbiology NSF-funded REU Program
• Peach State Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (PSLSAMP) - a collaboration between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and six University System of Georgia colleges and universities that aims to boost the number of underrepresented minorities who receive bachelor's degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines.
• Physics and Astronomy REU Program - this program may no longer be active
• Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) REU Program- this program may no longer be active
• Summer Undergraduate Fellowships in Genetics (SUNFIG)
• Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunities (SURO) in Chemistry
• USDA, Athens - contact South Atlantic Area administrator.
• Please search the UGA website or specific department listings for internship and volunteer opportunities that often exist with individual faculty.

Outside the University of Georgia
• Agricultural Research Service (USDA) - see the bottom of the list for student and summer employment opportunities. Click here for more general information.
• American Association for the Advancemnet of Sciences's Entry Point! Program - govenrment/industry internships for disabled students.
• American Chemical Society Scholars Program - scholarships for undergraduate students majoring in a chemical science (chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, forensics, environmental science, material science, and other related fields).
• American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Minority Undergraduate Research Fellowships - summer research fellowships with ASM members.
• Association of American Medical Colleges Summer Medical Education Program (SMEP) - searchable database of six-week summer medical school preparatory programs.
• Co-Op/Internship Opportunites - a VERY extensive listing of research opportunities specifically for minorities; click here for additional opportunities.
• Center for Disease Control - For undergraduates who plan to major in chemistry or biology and have taken courses in general chemistry or biology.
• Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management - scholarships and internships.
• Edge Program - University of California - Berkeley.
• Gates Millenium Scholars - for under-represented students; 1000 awardees each year.
• MARC/AIM Summer Research Program - Purdue University; for students completing their sophomore or junior year.
• Medical Education Development (MED) Program - University of North Carolina; a summer program of structured premedical and predental curriculum to strengthen your academics.
• Medical Scientist Training Program - University of Pittsburgh / Carnegie Mellon University; primarily intended for students interested in MD-PhD programs.
• Minority Access - provides summer internships in government and private sectors.
• Minority and Indigenous Fellows Program - provides an opportunity to learn about the biotechnology industry through workshops and activities at an annual convention and exhibition. Fellows receive complimentary registration.
• Minorities in Marine Science Undergraduate Program (MIMSUP) - Western Washington University NSF funded program in marine sciences.
• Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) - travel awards, summer research opportunities, and much more.
• National Science Foundation Science & Technology Centers - apply to 11 programs with only one application. 100 PAID Summer 2004 Research Internships available!
• NIEHS Summer Program for Minority Students - University of Texas at Austin; for undergraduate students wishing to gain research experience in biomedical or environmental sciences.
• NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program - payment of tuition, room and board, and educational expenses plus a summer research position and a guaranteed job after graduation !
• NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Sites - Searchable database of national NSF-funded REU sites.
• Nursing Fellowships - scholarship money for students pursuing undergraduate or graduate education in nursing; many opportunities.
• Partnership for Minority Advancement in the Biomolecular Sciences (PMABS) - searchable database of summer internhsips.
• Pipeline Program - Yale University programs in medicine, the natural sciences, and related fields.
• Research and Training Opportunities at the National Institutes of Health - programs for highschool, college and post-bac students.
• RISE (Research In Science and Engineering) Program - Rutgers/UMDNJ undergraduate summer research program with features that distinguish it from other summer experiences.
• Student Training And Research (STAR) Program - Medical College of Georgia.
• Summer Opportunities / Wash U - for premedical students, medical students, and undergaduate students intending to pursue graduate degreees.
• Summer Program for Minorities - Wake Forest University School of Medicine; research training in hypertension and cardiovascular disease; click here for more program information.
• Summer Research Participation Program - Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Long-standing program (54th year) for high school and college juniors.
• Summer Research Program for Undergraduates - University of Pennsylvania.
• Summer Research Program in Biomedical Sciences - Stanford University.
• Summer Research Training Program - UCSF.
• Summer Science Academy - Meharry Medical College / Vanderbilt University.
• Summer Training Academy for Research in the Sciences - Univ. of California, San Diego (UCSD).
• Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) - UNC-Chapel Hill.
• Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) - Dartmouth University.
• US Department of Homeland Security - full tuition/fees and an internship; various institutions.
• US Government Internships - comprehensive listing of government fellowhips.
• UNCF-Merck Science Initiative - scholarship awards for outstanding African American students pursuing studies and careers in the field of biomedical research.
• Yale BioSTEP - pre-med prep programs for college and post-bac student; includes stipend + travel + housing.

Also see the scholarship/fellowship listings in the monthly newsletter for SACNAS.

Postbaccalaureate PreMedical and PreGraduate Programs
• Association of American Medical Colleges - searchable database of post-bac premedical programs.
• GEMS Program - Georgetown University.
• Health Professions Advisory Program - Syracuse University.
• Introduction to Cancer Research Careers (ICRC) Program - NCI; undergraduate, post-bac and graduate programs.
• PREP Scholars Program (MUPREP) - University of Missouri-Columbia; for those interested in biomedical sciences, especially in areas that address health disparities in minority populations.
• Research and Training Opportunities at the National Institutes of Health - programs for highschool, college and post-bac students.
• Yale BioSTEP - pre-med prep programs for college and post-bac student; includes stipend + travel + housing.

Graduate and Post-Doctoral Sources of Funding and Opportunities

The University of Georgia
• Alfred Sloan Award Program - two separate programs; Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences (contact A. Copamacchia) and Environmental Health (contact M. A. Smith ).
• Bridges to the Doctorate Program in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences - contact A. (Tony) Copamacchia.
• Presidential Graduate Fellowship - open competition, but takes minority status and meritorius achievement into consideration (info is near bottom of page). All University of Georgia graduate program applicants are automatically submitted for consideration of this award.
• Fellowship and Assistantships - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Deartment - all BCMB graduate program students are ensured funding when accepted into the graduate program.

Outside the University of Georgia
• American Psychological Association (APA) Minority Fellowship Program - financial support for a period of up to three years; travel funds to visit universities being considered for graduate training, to attend the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, and admission to the Summer Program in Neuroscience, Ethics, and Survival (SPINES) at the marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
• Ford Foundation Research Fellowships for Underrepresented Minorities - Science and engineering fellowships.
• Genome Scholars Program - $25,000 scholarship awards towards graduate education in genomics (advertised through SACNAS).
• Graduate Research Fellowship for Minorities - NSF; additional award information can be found here.
• HHMI Gilliam Fellowship - 5 year award for graduate studies (apply as an undergraduate)..
• Minority PostDoc Opportunities - collection of opportunities from the Minority PostDoc Summit (check previous years' agendas for additional opportunities)
• NASA - Harriett G. Jenkins Pre-doctoral Fellowship Program - fellowships for science, technology, engineering, and matehmatics students
• National Physical Science Consortium - for women and minorities
• NIH Fellowship Program for Minority and/or Disabled Students - up to 5 years of support plus travel funds; contact NIH directly (301-594-3900/3833).
• Society for Neuroscience - up to 3 years of predoctoral/2 years of postdocotral support for neuroscientists.
• Southern Regional Education Board's Doctoral Scholars Program - targets schools in the Southeast.
• Student/Mentor Summer Workshop Fellowships - travel awards for student/mentor to attend SACNAS conferences or other conferences/workshops.
• UNCF-Merck Science Initiative - scholarship awards for outstanding African Americans (grad students and post-docs) pursuing studies and careers in the field of biomedical research.
• US Government Internships - comprehensive listing of government fellowhips.

An extensive listing can also be found on the UC Berkeley' Sponsored Programs website.

Also see the scholarship/fellowship listings in the monthly newsletter for SACNAS.

Various federal agencies provide predoctoral fellowships, dissertation fellowships, K-series (K22) Career Development Awards, research supplements, and Faculty awards for underrepresented minorities. For opportunities from NIH other than those below, please search the NIH website for your particular interest.

• Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Branch (CCMB) - Research and funding opportunities for minorities; sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.
• Health Services Research - Research and funding opportunities for minorities; sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
• Minority Programs - NIGMS; fellowships, career development, and research supplements.
• NIEHS Program for Minority Graduate Students - University of Texas at Austin; for students pursuing graduate studies in Pharmacology, Toxicology, Medicinal Chemistry, Experimental Carcinogenesis, Nutrition, or Zoology.
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program - graduate and post-doctoral funding opportunities. $30,000 stipend for graduate students!
• NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowships - post-doctoral funding opportunities and graduate student travel awards.
• Opportunities for Minorities in Cancer - NCI; research training, fellowships, career development, and research supplements.
• Research Supplements for Individuals With Disabilities - see NIH PA-05-015; NOT-GM-06-111.
• Research Dissertation Awards to Increase Diversity - see NIH PAR-06-117; PAR-06-217 as examples .

Many private agencies take minority status into consideration, so it can't hurt to apply for these and any other opportunity you may encounter. Some do not have US citizenship requirements.

• Alzheimers Association -new investigator awards.
• American Cancer Association -post-doctoral fellowships.
• American Diabetes Association
• American Federation for Aging Research -
• American Health Assistance Foundation - Research on aging and age-related diseases
• American Heart Association - you do NOT have to be a US citizen to apply; consider both the regional and national programs.
• Cancer Research Institute - no citizenship resetricitons
• Damon Runyon Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Fogarty Fellow Award - Also has an extensive listing of opportunities.
• Fulbright Grants
• Helen Hay Whitney Foundation
• Heriditary Disease Foundation - post-doctoral fellowships
• Huntington's Disease Society of America
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - you do NOT have to be a US citizen to apply
• National Academies Fellowships
• National Institutes of Health Grants - also look for research supplements under various program annoucements (e.g. PA-05-015; NOT-GM-06-111)
• Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans - specifically for immigrants!

Grant Search Tools
• Community of Science - search an extenstive database and automate notifications.
• Cornell Fellowship Database - listings by subject; specific categories for minorities and women.
• Grantsnet - search an extenstive database and automate notifications.
• UC-Berkeley Internet Resources & Websites for Fellowships - a little oudated but still very useful; the bottom half of page is dedicated to underrepresented groups.

Societies and Organizations - Mentoring and Support Opportunities

The University of Georgia
• Graduate and Profesional Scholars (GAPs) - a student organization that provides academic and social support for minority graduate and professional students.
• Graduate Student Association
• Premed Honor Society

Also refer to the UGA Student Affairs and the Multicultural Services and Programs websites for other local clubs and organizations.

Outside the University of Georgia
• Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Scientists (ABRCMS)
• FASEB Suummer Reserch Conferences Travel Awards - for minority faculty, research scientists, or senior postodoctal fellows.
• Gordon Research Conference Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority Fellowship Program - award for travel and participation at one of the prestigious GRC programs.
• MentorNet -identify an e.mentor and network with a specialist in your field of interest.
• Network of Minority Research Investigators (NMRI) - specifically for NIDDK researchers.
• Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)- see monthly newsletter for events and summer opportunities.

Please contact wschmidt@bmb.uga.edu to report errors/dead links, to have your program/opportunity added to this list, or to provide feedback on the usefulness of this site. (updated 3/19/07; wks)

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