Opportunities
Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
If you are passionate about research, especially in the STEM field, check out some of opportunities below.
The AMGEN Scholars Program is a prestigious nationally reputed summer undergraduate program with an acceptance rate of 3% among applicants. Each summer, undergraduates step into some of the world’s premier research universities and institutions to participate in the Amgen Scholars Program. Students conduct hands-on research in a broad array of subjects in biology and biomedical engineering in the lab alongside top faculty, participate in seminars and networking events, and take part in symposia with their peers and leading scientists. For US students, AMGEN Scholars are hosted at Cal tech, Columbia, Duke, Harvard, Yale and Stanford Universities, as well at UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and at Washington University St. Louis. US students can also apply to be AMGEN Scholars at Kyoto University, National University of Singapore, the University of Tokyo, and at the National Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Eligibility: Applicants who are US citizens, with a minimum GPA of 3.2, are expected to have research as their career goals and to obtain a PhD, an MD/PhD, or MD/MPH as their future plan. A clinical track (just an MD) is disfavored. The 10 -week research experience is meant for students to further develop their skills at biology research. Most competitive candidates will be juniors or rising seniors with at least one or more years of significant undergraduate research experience already completed. Applicants must study the FAQ at https://amgenscholars.com/us-program before scheduling an appointment at ONS.
When is the national deadline? The national deadline for most sites who host AMGEN scholars is in mid-February.
When should you come see us? If you are a student with significant research experience, see us around the last week of October. However, if you are a student who is planning to apply for AMGEN Scholars Program, and would like to shape your journey for a competitive application, one year prior to the application cycle is strongly recommended.
What is the application timeline? Students with undergraduate research experience will need at least 4 weeks to prepare an AMGEN application and solicit and guide recommenders. To give us more time, typically the latest we will meet with a student for the first time is first week of December.
ONS Contact: Dr. Sayandeb Basu sayandeb@honors.usf.edu
DAAD RISE Germany offers undergraduates the opportunity to complete a funded summer research internship at top German universities and research institutions. Students must be studying biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences, engineering, or a closely related field.
Eligibility: Applicants are required to have completed at least two years of an undergraduate degree program by the time of the internship. At least one past, or ongoing research experience is needed. Students select top 3 choices of sites to pursue the internship, and their skillsets must match the position requirement which is quite clearly stated in the position descriptions published on the DAAD RISE internship list. These skills are to be itemized in an applicant’s CV/Resume, which is part of the application process. A high GPA is preferred, although not binding.
When is the national deadline? December 15th
When should you come see us? Latest by October 15th
What is the application timeline? Developing a plan and assessing an applicant’s skill set, career goals and experience requires significant effort and thought. Hence, at least 4-6 weeks preparation time for background research and writing is needed.
ONS Contact: Dr. Sayandeb Basu, sayandeb@honors.usf.edu
The Goldwater Scholarship Program, one of the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics in the United States, seeks to identify and support college sophomores and juniors (by year of graduation) who show exceptional promise of becoming this Nation's next generation of research leaders in these fields. Selected students will receive a stipend for academic and research support for their remaining years as an undergraduate.
Eligibility: Goldwater applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents aspiring toward obtaining a PhD or MD/PHD. Applicants must also have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Candidates who are aiming to obtain a master’s degree in a STEM area are not eligible and pre-med candidates are also ineligible.
Undergraduates with one or more years of deep dive research experiences are ideal candidates. Candidates must have a significant role in the research project(s) on which the Goldwater application research paper will be written. Completed research, and not research proposals, are desired. At least a significant study pertaining to the research question being used to apply must be complete at the time of the application. Papers either in submitted or published status, as well as presentations in local, regional or national conferences are preferred. USF can only nominate 4 students plus one student transferring from a 2-year institution. Therefore, there is a campus review process associated with choosing nominees. The review committee meets in December, reviews the application dossiers in its entirety and chooses nominees based on (A) strength and intellectual merit of research (B) preparation and steps taken towards completed research (C) career goals and (D) leadership and Broader impacts of research and extracurricular activities related to STEM.
When is the national deadline? Last Friday of January of every year.
When should you come see us? ONS will usually recruit and mentor potential Goldwater candidates early in their freshman year. But we realize that we will not be able to reach all students who are involved in research. Ideally the first Goldwater assessment meeting should take place at least a year prior to the application, but it should be no later than the August before the January when the application is due.
What is the application timeline? August through December of every year, Goldwater candidates (pre-nomination) work under the guidance of Dr. Sayandeb Basu and individual PI’s to prepare the application for Internal Competition and Review. In December, the USF Goldwater committee meets to review the applications. Final nominees are chosen first week of January, and in the time remaining, nominees work under the guidance of Dr. Basu and their PI’s to refine and finalize applications for submission.
ONS Contact: Dr. Sayandeb Basu, sayandeb@honors.usf.edu
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship Program is designed to increase undergraduate training in oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology, and education and foster multidisciplinary training opportunities. The scholarship awards financial assistance for two years of full-time study and a 10-week, full-time paid internship at a NOAA facility during the summer. Applicants must be a full-time 2nd year student in a four-year academic program or a full-time 3rd year student in a five-year undergraduate program.
Eligibility:
- U.S. citizen
- Be currently enrolled or accepted as a full-time 2nd year student in a four-year academic
program or as a full-time 3rd year student in a five-year undergraduate program at
an accredited college or university within the United States or U.S. territories;
Community college or transfer students must provide proof of application to a four-year
institution when applying for the scholarship and submit proof of acceptance prior
to starting the program
- Earn and maintain a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent on other
identified scale) in all completed undergraduate courses each term and cumulative,
as well as an overall GPA of 3.0 in your major field of study. The grade point average
requirement applies prior to and at the time of application for a scholarship, for
the period between application and award notification, and after award distribution
- Have and maintain a declared major in a discipline including, but not limited to,
oceanic, environmental, biological, and atmospheric sciences, mathematics, engineering,
remote sensing technology, physical and social sciences including geography, physics,
hydrology, geomatics, or teacher education that support NOAA's programs and mission
- A competitive applicant will have research, or outreach activities pertaining to climate, and ocean science, already started or ongoing at the time of the application.
When is the national deadline? Typically, January 31st unless otherwise advertised on NOAA website.
When should you come see us? For an applicant already involved in research and/or other activities related to NOAA’s mission, a first assessment meeting in October is preferred. Students must declare an intent to apply no later than November 1st.
What is the application timeline? 3 months working with ONS consistently
ONS Contact: Ms. Lauren Roberts, robertsl1@usf.edu
The Leadership Alliance is a consortium of academic institutions across the country focused on increasing cultural diversity in doctoral programs, academia, and the research workforce. They provide mentorship, research, and development opportunities to underreprented students. The Summer Research Early Identification Program matches selected students with summer research experiences in life and physical sciences. Students receive a stipend and close mentorship through the program.
Eligibility:
- Be currently enrolled full-time in an accredited public or private college or university in the United States or its territories, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
- Be in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.0 or better.
- Demonstrate a committed interest to pursue graduate study toward a PhD or MD-PhD. The Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP) is not designed for students pursuing professional training for careers in the practice of law, business administration, clinical medicine, or the allied health profession.
- Have completed at least two semesters and have at least one semester remaining of their undergraduate education by the start of the summer program.
- Be a documented U.S. citizen or non-citizen national, or permanent resident in possession of an alien registration receipt card (I-551) or another legal document of such status at the time of application. International citizens studying in the United States with an F-1 Visa are not eligible for the SR-EIP. Individuals seeking asylum or refugees are not eligible.
When is the national deadline? Typically, February 1st
When should you come see us? By early November
What is the application timeline? 3 months working with ONS consistently
ONS Contact: Dr. Sayandeb Basu, sayandeb@honors.usf.edu
https://theleadershipalliance.org/summer-research-early-identification-program
The NIST-SURF Program is designed to inspire undergraduate students to pursue careers in STEM through an 11-week summer research internship. SURF students contribute to research at a NIST facility: The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL), Engineering Laboratory (EL), Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), Material Measurement Laboratory (MML), NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR), or Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML).
Eligibility: Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents and be in good academic standing at an accredited 2-year or 4-year U.S. college/university prior to the application deadline. Past research experience is preferred, as students are required to choose up to 3 research labs for at NIST Gaithersburg (MD) or NIST Boulder. Past research experience is documented in a CV/Resume required as part of the application and must be described briefly in the research statement. The choice of research labs should reflect an applicant’s career goals and ideally is aligned with research experience and skills. An ideal candidate can be a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior (not having graduated) but NIST tends to select juniors and seniors in overwhelming majority. Diversity is emphasized, as NIST is committed to increasing participation from students who are underrepresented in their disciplines. Two letters of recommendation, which can speak to the applicant’s research potential, are useful.
When is the national deadline? Typically, in February of each year
When should you come see us? USF has an intent to apply deadline of Dec 1st for the NIST SURF. At the time of the first meeting with Dr. Sayandeb Basu, students are advised to bring an updated academic CV.
What is the application timeline? 2 Months
ONS Contact: Dr. Sayandeb Basu, sayandeb@honors.usf.edu
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions. Social Sciences such as Anthropology, quantitative sociology, computational social sciences and psychology are also eligible areas of application.
Eligibility: Graduating Seniors, and first- and second-year graduate students are eligible. A candidate already possessing a master’s degree and immediately moving into a PhD program is not eligible per NSF guidelines. For candidates already with a master’s degree, they must have a gap in their education exceeding at least 12 months prior to continuing education to a terminal degree. Extensive past undergraduate research experience and some leadership in allied areas is required. Applicants will be judged on their intellectual merit (novelty of research, potential to advance knowledge in their fields) of proposed research as well as broader impacts as evidenced by potential of graduate research and activities in graduate school to advance societal outcomes. Societal outcomes include but are not limited to enhancing participation of underrepresented groups and women in STEM, contributing to climate science, renewable energy, or cutting-edge research contributing to advances which help the lives of others. Please read program solicitation published each year on the NSF GRF website https://www.nsfgrfp.org. Clinical research is not eligible, and candidates in clinical career pathways should look at NIH fellowships instead.
When is the national deadline? Depends on the specific discipline, but all deadlines are in the last week of October. Please consult NSF GRF website (see below) for deadlines for each year.
When should you come see us? The NSF GRF preparation and guidance is a collaboration between the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) and ONS. First workshops will be held every year in May. Your attendance at the May workshop is recommended.
-Campus intent to apply deadline: June 15th
What is the application timeline? May through October of the year of application. There are 3 phases to the application, beginning with intent and identification of a research area, preparation of personal statement and working with NSF-GRF guidance sheets June through August, Campus Review of completed application late August and refining and revision September through October.
ONS Contact: Dr. Sayandeb Basu, sayandeb@honors.usf.edu
OGS contact: Dr. Tracy Costello, tcostello111@usf.edu