Overview

Duke University's Summer Research Program encourages motivated undergraduate students to consider careers in the biological sciences. Designed for students who are seriously considering joining a Ph.D. graduate program following completion of their undergraduate degree, the Program emphasizes intellectual development through direct experiences in the laboratory. Students spend a majority of their time conducting experiments and interacting with other members of the research environment. Students work for ten weeks on a scientific project under the supervision of an experienced Duke faculty mentor in a modern research laboratory. In addition to the intensive focus on laboratory research, the program also features a weekly research seminar and social hour, a workshop on preparing a successful graduate school application, and a closing symposium in which the students present their work in a poster session. Students receive a stipend, room, food allowance, and travel assistance.

     Mentor/Project Selection
We contact the participating students during the Spring semester before the program begins to discuss research interests. Our goal is to place each student into a project that closely relates to their career and research objectives. We select possible matching faculty at Duke and invite the faculty to participate in the SROP. We try to select faculty who not only conduct research on an appropriate topic, but who also are actively engaged in the laboratory and would be particularly adept at training undergraduate students from underrepresented groups. We also provide the students with a current graduate student liaison who can answer questions about real graduate student experiences.

     Program Events
In addition to the main goal of hands-on research work, the Program also features weekly meetings and special events designed to assist students in their pursuit of a biomedical science career. The program begins with an all-morning orientation session. We then meet every Tuesday and Friday at 9:00 a.m. At these weekly meetings, the students are given a chance to ask questions, report problems, etc. In addition, each weekly meeting includes a topic outside the individual lab experience. For example, we have visited pharmaceutical and government labs in the Research Triangle Park to demonstrate the wide variety of careers available in science. In the last three years, we have also enjoyed a visit from the doctoral-level recruiter from Procter & Gamble, who discusses the industrial R&D job market for Ph.D.s and the skills needed for job searching. The Program ends with a morning review in which the students present posters of their work. The session is well-attended by Duke faculty and graduate students.
[Click here to view the Summer 2006 Schedule.]

     Applications
Each year, the Duke SROP has ten available positions. We particularly look for applicants who show a spark for science. We contact accepted students by phone as soon as possible after admissions decisions are made. The deadline for applying is February 15. Apply online and send transcripts to:

SROP Program
2111 Campus Drive, Box 90070
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-0070

Further information may be obtained by sending e-mail to:
tomalei.vess@duke.edu