STEM

The APS Undergraduate Research Excellence Fellowships program funds 6 full-time undergraduate students with significant prior laboratory research experience to work for 10 weeks during the summer in the laboratory of an established APS investigator. The intent of the program is to encourage students to pursue a career as a basic research scientist. Research hosts and students must be members in good standing of the APS at the time of application.

The Fellowships provide:

Continued hands-on research experience in the lab of an established investigator
Networking with and peer mentoring other undergraduates interested in biomedical research
Further exploration of the nature f research and how scientists think about their specific question
Further exploration of career options and what it takes to be successful in those careers
Answers to students’ career questions by experiences physiology researchers and educators
Opportunity to attend a national scientific meeting with 12,000 other scientists and present your research
Opportunity to write a draft manuscript and participate in an online APS course on writing and reviewing for scientific journals
Opportunities to provide feedback on the program or suggest changes or enhancements

Fellows receive:

$4,000 summer stipend to the student (10 weeks support)
Up to $1,300 travel award/reimbursement to the student to attend and present at the Experimental Biology meeting

Research hosts receive:

$300 unrestricted grant, typically used for lab expenses, student activities, etc.

ELIGIBILITY

Student applicants must:

Be a 2^nd-year through 4^th-year undergraduate student, enrolled full time at the time of application
Have an overall GPA of > 3.0 (on a 4-point scale)
Have been actively involved in a physiology research laboratory for at least 9 calendar months total
Be an APS member or join APS at the time of application
Work with an established APS member investigator
Be eligible to be paid by a U.S. institution. There is no specific citizenship requirement but non-U.S. students must have a visa that allows them to be paid
Provide a personal statement describing his/her research experience and career plans. Applicant’s personal statement must state his/her commitment to a career in the biomedical sciences.

Research host applicants must:

Be an APS member in good standing at the time of application
Provide a letter documenting the student’s role in the research process, both prior to the application and planned work in the proposed fellowship year
Describe how the student will be involved in other laboratory activities such as journal clubs, animal care/human use training, research ethics training, poster presentation sessions, etc.

Selection Criteria
Awardees will be selected based on their academic record, interest in a research career, and plan for the summer research and additional career development activities. Special consideration is given to applicants whose socioeconomic background, access to educational opportunities, and other life experiences suggest that they would especially benefit from this type of program.