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Summer Undergraduate MSTP Research (SUMR) Program

Mentors:  If you have problems uploading your letters, please email them directly to sumr@uiowa.edu.  Mentor letters are due Wednesday, February 8, 2023.

Link to Infoready Application System

Application will go live automatically on December 1st. 
Look for "2023 SUMR (Summer Undergrad MSTP Research Program)"

  • Click the "Apply" button. 
  • If you are not a current University of Iowa student, click on "Register" under "Login For Other Users" and create a username and password
  • If you are a University of Iowa Student use the hawkid login
  • You will be able to save an incomplete application and complete it later.
  • Email sumr@uiowa.edu if you have any issues with the new application system.
  • The deadline for the application is February 1st, 2023 (and it will close at midnight on Feb 1).
  • The deadline for Mentor or Reference Letters being one week later on February 8, 2023.  If they have any problems submitting, have them email to sumr@uiowa.edu.

SUMR Program Features

  • May 22, 2023 - July 28, 2023
  • 10-week research project conducted in the laboratory of a faculty member in the biomedical sciences (including basic, translational, population health, and engineering sciences)
  • Weekly seminar series - a forum for discussions emphasizing how science and medicine intersect
  • Case-based learning exercises - discussion of mechanisms underlying disease process
  • Clinical skills learning sessions - to apply concepts from case-based learning and to practice skills that will be useful in medical school
  • “Tales of Career Development”: Informal lunchtime conversations with MD and MD/PhD physician scientists and PhD faculty engaged in medically-relevant research
  • Career development seminars (including applying to an MD/PhD program; personal and research statement writing)
  • One-on-one physician scientist advising and shadowing experiences (2 to 4 times during the 10-week period, COVID-19 restrictions-permitting)
  • Social and mentoring activities with MD/PhD students
  • Opportunity to present a poster at the Summer Undergraduate Research Conference with other undergraduates on campus (usually the last Wednesday in July)

Support

  • $4,150 for the 10-week period
  • Lodging in a University housing facility (double occupancy)
  • Travel allowance for transportation to/from Iowa City

Application Requirements

Previous research experience of at least one summer rotation or a semester of work in a laboratory. Labs for bioscience or other courses do not meet this requirement.

  • A completed online application form 
  • Descriptions of up to three research experiences
  • A Curriculum Vitae
  • Transcript(s) from undergraduate institution(s)
    • Unofficial ones you can easily pdf are preferable
  • Two letters of recommendation
    • At least one letter must come from your primary research mentor.
    • The second letter should come from someone who has worked with you personally or academically (course instructors, academic advisors, or previous employers, volunteer supervisors, etc)

Eligibility

  • Be a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States
  • Be a rising sophomore, junior, or senior (your earliest anticipated graduation should not be before December 2023)
  • Major in a STEM field or premed
  • Prior research experience required (see above)
  • We welcome MARC U*STAR or U-RISE students looking for a summer away rotation

FAQs

  • How are mentors chosen?
    • By looking at your stated research interests, we reach out to a few faculty working in that area to see if any are interested in mentoring a SUMR student.
    • If a particular mentor is mentioned, we try to reach out to that faculty member to see if they are interested in mentoring.
    • We often pair participants open to any experience with those faculty who are excellent mentors with a long history with the SUMR program.

Inquiries

If you have any questions at all, please send them to sumr@uiowa.edu

SUMR Program
University of Iowa MSTP
2206 MERF 
Iowa City, Iowa 52242

SUMR@uiowa.edu

Phone: (319) 335-8303

Last updated 12/21/2022

Info for Applicants