SURE-REU Program at UNC Chapel Hill

This internship is a summer research experience for undergraduate students, which will take place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In this program, students will participate in a ten-week laboratory research project in molecular biosciences, which include intriguing subjects such as biochemistry, genetics, and cell biology. If accepted into this program, I would be working in the lab for ten weeks alongside outstanding mentors, which include UNC faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows.

In addition to working extensively in the lab, I would also be attending informative workshops on applying to graduate school, a GRE prep course, presentations by invited speakers, workshops on research ethics, and other engaging, yet educational activities. At the end of the program, I will present the results of my research at the annual Summer Research Symposium and Poster Session.

This program starts on May 22nd at 5 p.m. and ends July 29th at 10 a.m. In this program, I would house in a dorm at UNC with students in similar research programs. This is not a paid program; I would, however, receive a stipend of $5000 that includes an allowance toward travel expenses. I will have to pay for housing and a meal plan, which is pre-paid through the program.

There is an online application for this program, which is due Monday, February 29th, 2016. This application requires information such as a personal statement, letters of recommendation, cumulative GPA, and an unofficial transcript. Preference will be given to undergraduates with little prior research experience. Additionally, students from underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

This program evidently attains many strengths. It undoubtedly allows one to gain huge research experience in collaboration with other well-rounded, driven undergraduates along with intelligent mentors. There are many activities offered, such as the informative workshops, discussions, and presentations. It also helps that the location is at UNC, a place that is now very familiar and comfortable for me—a second home. Furthermore, the subjects being researched are conducive to my biology major and chemistry minor, which are subjects that really intrigue me. A weakness of this program would be that I am far away from home during the summer, a time when I am usually with my family. It will also be more expensive than a program in my hometown, since I have to pay for housing, meals, and the like.

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