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If the thought of waiting an entire summer after high school graduation to begin your Drew undergraduate science career is too much to bear, we can help: Apply for the Drew-Howard Hughes Medical Institute Summer Research Associate Program (SRA), a four-week research experience for a small, select group of soon-to-be first-year students.

SRA students—creative and promising future scientists—spend a month living and learning on campus, working with science faculty, RISE fellows and upper-class Drew students on original research projects as part of the Drew Summer Science Institute. You will be an active participant in faculty/student research teams conducting experiments in areas like the molecular mechanisms of cancer, the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease, or the development of new organic holographic films to be used in novel data storage devices. You’ll also take part in DSSI brown-bag lunches and science symposia and colloquia.

At the end of the program, you’ll present an electronic portfolio of your experiences to peers and DSSI partners, as well as participate in the annual Fall Poster Session in Mead Hall, where research results from the summer’s work are explained to the Drew community.

As an SRA student, you’ll walk out of your high school chem lab and right into a university research facility without missing a beat. You’ll get a taste of the many research opportunities available at Drew—and you won’t waste a single moment.

Videos

In the Cell and Molecular Neurobiology lab, students conduct experiments on neurons and are able to watch axons grow and synapses form with the aid of a new microscope, imaging system, and sophisticated computer software that was purchased using HHMI grant money.

The Selection Process

Admitted students are offered the opportunity to apply to the Summer Research Associate Program. A selection committee then conducts phone interviews with the top 30 applicants. For full consideration, applicants are expected to pay all costs associated with admission to the College of Liberal Arts in early May. Howard Hughes Medical Institute funds cover summer room and board and a stipend for participation.

Criteria for selection:

• GPA in high school science courses
• Articulation of intent to engage in undergraduate research
• Recommendation by a high school science faculty member

About HHMI

The Summer Research Associate Program is part of a multi-layered project funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a nonprofit medical research organization dedicated to advancing biomedical research and science education in the United States, which distributes more than $80 million annually in grant support for science education. Learn more at hhmi.org.

For More Information

Contact HHMI Program Director and Professor of Biology Roger Knowles for further information.