Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Yale Teaching Fellowship

Yale has partnered with New Haven Public Schools, Southern Connecticut State University, and New Haven Promise to create a fully funded teacher pipeline for New Haven Public Schools (NHPS). The Yale Teaching Fellowship supports graduate study for current and aspiring educators who, upon completion of the program, commit to teaching in NHPS for at least three years. This is a $10 million investment that will place up to 100 teachers with Master’s degrees in the city’s schools over four cohorts. Applications for cohort 2 are open now and close January 1st.

Want to get paid to learn how to teach? Calling all aspiring educators!

Are you interested in teaching math, science, or special education in New Haven Public Schools (NHPS)? The Yale Teaching Fellowship is a fully funded opportunity to receive a master’s degree and teacher certification in exchange for three years of service in NHPS.

·  generous living stipend of $47,380 during year one

·  full-tuition scholarship for a Master of Arts in teaching

·  full-year residency training in a school

We’re especially looking for folks who majored in STEM subjects!

Want to learn more? Visit our website, read recent New Haven Independent articles profiling fellows in our inaugural cohort, and/or email Christine Gentry, Director of the Yale Teaching Fellowship, at christine.gentry@yale.edu

2026 C-STEPS SUMMER RESEARCH EXPERIENCE APPLICATION OPEN!

Two research opportunities for undergraduate students at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque.

The first program is called C-STEPS (Cancer Research—Scholarship and Training Experiences in Population Science). C-STEPS scholars work directly with UNM faculty and their teams to explore research and careers in Cancer Control and Population Sciences during the 10-week summer program. C-STEPS provides scholars with hands-on, skills-based research experiences across the cancer continuum, from prevention to survivorship. These activities help scholars meet graduate and medical school goals.

More information about C-STEPS can be found in the flyer below and on the program’s webpage here. The application for summer 2026 is open. The application will close on February 1, 2026. It is part of UNM’s Undergraduate Pipeline Network (UPN). If students wish to be considered for the C-STEPS program, it is highly recommended to include in the personal statement. The link to the application is here.

The second program is a two-year Cancer-PREP program for post-baccalaureate students and aims to prepare them for a career in cancer prevention, basic cancer, or translational research. The Cancer-PREP experience provides fellows with a unique combination of career development and confidence-building opportunities. Cancer-PREP examines state-of-the-art research technologies and ethical issues related to biomedical research. More information about Cancer-PREP and applying can be found on the program’s webpage here.

 If you have questions, please email us at:  C-STEPS@salud.unm.edu.

Classroom Assistant – Hill Regional Career High School2–4 hours/week

Hill Regional Career High School is seeking dedicated Yale undergraduates to serve as Classroom Assistants in STEM courses. Assistants will support teachers during class sessions, help guide students during hands-on activities, and contribute to a positive, engaging learning environment for high-school students. 

Responsibilities
● Assist teachers during class sessions twice per week
● Support students during laboratory activities, group work, and skill-building exercises
● Help set up, organize, or demonstrate classroom and lab materials
● Maintain clear, professional communication with the teacher and students
● Ensure consistent attendance and reliability throughout the semester

Preferred Qualifications
● Strong interest or background in biology, biotechnology, or biomedical sciences
● Experience with biology laboratory skills (e.g., micropipetting, gel electrophoresis, DNA isolation) preferred but not required
● Communicative, reliable, and comfortable helping in hands-on STEM environments
● Enthusiasm for teaching, mentorship, and youth engagement

Time Commitment
● 2–4 hours per week across two class periods
● Must be consistently available during scheduled class times
Placement

After the application process, each selected applicant will be paired with a specific teacher based on schedule, interest, and experience.
Google form: https://forms.gle/DVvqoConFbgCbpcs7 

Cancer Research Opportunity - Summer 2026

We invite your best students to apply for our NIH/NCI-funded (5 R25CA023944-41) Pediatric Oncology Education (POE) Program. The program offers a unique opportunity for pre-doctoral students preparing for careers in the biomedical sciences, medicine, and pharmacy to gain biomedical and oncology research experience. Students participate in basic or clinical oncology research, a core lecture series designed specifically for them, as well as research and clinical conferences. All participants make a PowerPoint presentation on their research project on our core lecture series. They also submit a project report written in the style of a journal in which their faculty mentor publishes.

A primary goal of the POE program is to encourage highly qualified students to pursue a career in cancer research, either as a clinical scientist or laboratory-based research scientist. Our St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers training in leading-edge scientific fields paired with unique mentoring in the St. Jude clinical experience. Highly motivated POE students may also consider applying to the St. Jude Graduate School upon completion of their undergraduate degree to further pursue their research and career interests.

POE medical students spend a minimum of 10 weeks in the program. The minimum tenure requirement for all others is 11 weeks. All POE applicants must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.40 (on a 4.0 scale) in math and science (biology, chemistry, and physics) and at least a 3.40 overall. Program participants will receive a $600/week subsistence allowance. Fully furnished group housing will be provided at no cost for non-local participants.

All POE program applicants must already have research experience and be full time students at a US school at the time they apply. Applicants must be United States citizens, non-citizen nationals, or possess a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States (required by the funding agency). Participants must be at least 18 and have completed at least their sophomore year of college when they begin the program.

The POE home page contains links to the program application. The deadline for receipt of all 2026 application materials is February 1, 2026. Early application and submission of materials is highly recommended.

Cardiovascular Sciences Summer Research Program 2026

Application Deadline: Monday, February 2, 2026
In-Person Program Start: Monday, June 1, 2026
Program End: Thursday, July 30, 2026

THE PROGRAM: Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, offers summer training programs in health-related research. The cardiovascular sciences program provides research training supervised by medical school faculty mentors. Participants will engage in biomedical laboratory or population health-oriented research projects, attend a lecture and discussion series facilitated by faculty and guest speakers, and take part in an end-of-summer symposium to present their research findings. Undergraduate students interested in a career in biomedical sciences are encouraged to apply.

ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must be undergraduate students in good academic standing.

PROGRAM DETAILS: Program participants will receive compensation, housing in one of the Wake Forest University residence halls, and shuttle service while on campus. They must commit to a full-time, 40-hour work week (M-F from 8:00 am -5:00 pm) during which time they will be fully engaged in program activities throughout the summer program. The summer program includes a research symposium during the last week of July.

The Excellence in Cardiovascular Sciences (EICS) Program is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (R25HL092618).

For more information, please visit our website: Cardiovascular Sciences Summer Research Program | Wake Forest University School of Medicine 

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Cardiovascular Sciences Summer Program
Hypertension & Vascular Research/ Cardiovascular Sciences Center
BioTech Place, 575 N. Patterson Ave., Suite 120
Winston-Salem, NC 2710
Phone: 336-716-3587; Fax: 336-716-2456
EICSAHWFB@Advocatehealth.org 

Summer Program: Training in Research Affecting Child Health (TRAC)

Application Deadline: January 9, 2026
In-Person Program Start: June 1, 2026
Program End: July 30, 2026

THE PROGRAM: Are you interested in conducting research this summer on a child-health related topic that you are curious and passionate about? Then this innovative program may be for you!

WHO CAN APPLY: Undergraduate, medical, and graduate students, residents, fellows

WHERE: Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC (in person)

PROGRAM DELIVERABLES:
Abstract submission
Presentation at a scientific meeting
Submission of a first-authored manuscript to peer- reviewed journal

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
• Eight weeks of an in-person, paid internship
• Autonomously design your research project under guidance of a faculty mentor
• Near-Peer Coach Mentoring (NPCM)©
• Develop research skills emphasizing autonomy and critical and creative thinking
• Pediatrics-specific skills course and career-enhancing activities
• Present a poster at the Summer Research Symposium
• Continue to be involved in research after the summer to see your project to completion

Program Objectives:
• Provide key pediatric research skills in the preclinical, translational, clinical, epidemiological, statistical, and biomedical informatics sciences as applied to reproductive, developmental, clinical, behavioral, and social processes that impact the health and well-being of children,
especially the social determinants of health.
• Provide opportunities for engagement in child health-related research through an independent mentored research project designed and led by participants that incorporates a unique model of near-peer mentorship in addition to faculty mentorship.
• Reinforce participants’ pursuit of a career in child health research through participation in activities that increase empowerment and independence as a researcher.
• Recruit a broad array of participants across the educational spectrum to maximize creativity and innovation towards addressing the challenges related to child health.
• Increase exposure of program participants to existing barriers to health and gaps in health outcomes through each domain of child health research.

Frequently Asked Questions
The following Q&A is intended to provide general information about the Training in Research 

Affecting Child Health (TRAC) program at Wake Forest University School of Medicine (WFUSM).

What is unique and innovative about the TRAC program? 

Learner-as-Principal Investigator (Learner-PI)©
Participants complete their own autonomous research project that addresses critical problems in child health for which they are passionate. They are in charge of their research project and will therefore be responsible for every step. Each participant will have a coach-mentor, to coach participants every step of the way.

Ideation, Conceptualization, Design, Implementation, and Dissemination (I DID IT)©
The I DID IT model provides a rigorous structure to empower participants to think about every step of their project with their coach-mentors. The TRAC program coaches participants how to conceptualize their idea into a rigorous research question, design a project to answer that question, implement their project from start to finish, and disseminate their findings.

Write As You Go (WAYG)©
As part of the TRAC curriculum, participants will write their first-authored abstract and manuscript starting from day one. As a complement to the mentoring by coach-mentors, TRAC guides participants on how to focus their idea and research question into a formal Introduction, clearly
describe how they are doing the project in the Methods, clearly report their findings in the Results, and contextualize their findings into the broader field in the Discussion.

Near-Peer Coach-Mentoring (NPCM)©
Mirroring the TRAC program coaching approach TRAC participants will serve as coach-mentors to each other in at least weekly meetings.

Where is the Application Form?
Please use the link below.
2026 TRAC Application https://redcap.school.wakehealth.edu/surveys/?s=34C9NECT8NDKHKD4 

How should I respond to the personal statement?
Please upload a single page (8.5 x 11), 11pt font, minimum 250 words, single-spaced personal statement to answer the following questions, as described on the application form: 1) What are your values? 2) When you have failed in something, what did you do differently the next time you faced a similar situation?
 

Who should write a letter of recommendation on my behalf?
We encourage you to find individuals who can best speak to your qualifications, character, interest and commitment to engaging in research and advance education and training in biomedically relevant disciplines, and address, to the extent possible, any experience most pertinent to this program (e.g. child-health related coursework or training). 

What happens if my recommendation letter is sent in late?
All application materials, including letters of recommendation and transcripts, must be submitted on or before the application deadline. Letters of recommendation will not be accepted after the due date. Your application will still be reviewed, but you will be penalized for your missing letters of recommendation. As detailed in the application, transcripts may be emailed to TRACAHWFB@advocatehealth.org with the applicant’s name in the subject line.

Do you have to be in college to apply?
You must have completed at least two semesters of college (at an undergraduate college, community college or university in the U.S., Puerto Rico or other U.S. territory) and be currently enrolled in a degree-granting program, or have completed an advanced degree and be involved in continued training e.g. residency, fellowship, etc.
 

Are there any age restrictions?
Yes. Applicants must be 18 years of age on or before the first day of the summer program (June 1,
2026)
 

Are there additional eligibility criteria?
Yes. You should have:
• a cumulative GPA of 2.85 or higher (4.0 scale)
• completed at least two semesters of undergraduate education by the start date of the
 

Summer Scholar Program
• an interest in, or currently pursuing a masters, PhD and/or MD degree or similar, or be in professional continued training after completing a degree (e.g. residency). 

Can I mail a hard copy of my application?
No. We cannot accept hard copies of applications. Only on-line applications will be reviewed.
Please also have your official transcripts sent electronically. Should this be a problem, please email us at TRACAHWFB@advocatehealth.org.

What are next steps after I submit my application?
Your application will be reviewed independently by multiple reviewers. If you are selected into the next round, TRAC will contact you to schedule an interview.

How soon can I expect to hear whether I got accepted into the TRAC Program?
After interview completion for those who were selected into the next round, the committee will make final decisions and contact all applicants as soon as possible.

What else do I have to do after acceptance into the program but prior to the summer start date?/Why is the application deadline so early?
This program needs ample time prior to the official start in the summer to make sure you are well prepared to start your research immediately. We call this time the “Runway”, to help you get ready to maximize what you get out of the summer experience. Since you will be the major driving force behind the project you wish to work on (you as a learner will also be the principal investigator and design your research project), TRAC needs to make surem you are well prepared in terms of selecting a coach-mentor and completing all necessary mpaperwork, both for onboarding but also for your proposed research project. We ask in the mapplication whether you are willing to participate in some onboarding meetings and completemmaterials prior to the beginning of the program.

Does your program provide housing?
No. Unfortunately, this program cannot provide housing. If accepted, you would have to organize your own housing near Winston-Salem, NC for the 8-week long summer experience.

Do I need to provide my own transportation to WFUSM?
Yes. While there is some public transportation available and shuttle buses can take you from one WFUSM location to another, you are responsible for your transportation.

Does the program provide compensation?
Yes. You will receive compensation equivalent to approximately $15/hr for the summer portion of the program.

Does the program provide food?
No. While we will have occasional luncheons or receptions as part of the program, you must provide your own food.

Do I get a chance to network with peers and faculty?
Absolutely, this is one major intent of the TRAC program. In addition to interactions with coachmentors, through horizontal peer mentoring, and through weekly TRAC group meetings, you will have frequent, direct interactions during professional development and social program
components with other summer program participants (e.g. Excellence in Cardiovascular Sciences; Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, and others.)

Do I get to present my data?
Absolutely! You will provide frequent updates on your research progress to the group throughout the summer, we expect you to practice giving an elevator speech about your research, and you will write an abstract to present at a scientific conference focused on child health, as well a firstauthored
publication. The TRAC summer portion culminates in a research symposium where you will present a poster and receive recognition. You may invite family and friends to share your research accomplishments with them as well.

Will I be able to shadow a physician while participating in the program?
Yes! If you are interested, you may have the opportunity for shadowing. This requires extra paperwork. Please make sure you read and complete all parts of the application carefully for that.

How involved is the continued program participation in the following fall and spring msemesters?
We strongly encourage you to continue to work on our research project with your TRAC coachmentor (most likely remotely, e.g. finishing data analyses, writing on a first-authored manuscript, etc.) to bring your project to completion. This will be based on your own schedule and availability. We also hold monthly meetings with the full group of TRAC scholars to provide peer support to one another, address hurdles, receive/ provide feedback and guidance.

QUESTIONS? Email: TRACAHWFB@advocatehealth.org

**Note that this program cannot provide housing!**

TRAC receives funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health, (Award Number R25HD111367; MPIs Gwathmey, South)

Links to Summer Internship Opportunities 

AAMC: Undergrad Research Programs →

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: Education & Training →

National Institutes of Health: Training Programs →

NCI: Summer Internship Programs at CCR →