How to get into – and ace – a summer undergraduate research programme

Last year, Steve Salinas spent an extraordinary summer at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in the US.

There, Salinas participated in a summer undergraduate research fellowship project on stem cell research. Outside of his lab duties, the young researcher seized the opportunity to immerse himself in the institute’s scientific community – networking with faculty and graduate students and attending international symposia. ‘There were so many moments that were transformative for me, specifically as a first-generation Latino student,’ says Salinas.

Often fully funded, six-to-ten-week-long summer research programmes or internships provide undergraduates with a meaningful opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research. These tips from students, scientists and programme coordinators will help you navigate the process of applying for one.

Decide whether to apply

If a PhD is on your mind – or even if you are ambivalent about your research ambitions – a summer undergraduate research programme could help you determine if academia is for you. Many programmes are open to external students. ‘There are talented students at schools who have fewer research opportunities, so these summer research experience programmes can expose them to what it’s like at a bigger programme with more resources,’ says Glen Hocky, associate professor of chemistry at New York University (NYU) in the US, who coordinates the instiution’s summer undergraduate research program (Surp) in computational physical chemistry.

Find the right programme

Online research can be a good starting point for discovering such programmes, and the administrative staff at your institution can provide recommendations too. Scientific meetings are also a good source of opportunities: Salinas discovered the Salk Institute summer fellowship at ABRCMS, a conference organised by the American Society for Microbiology.

Read the programmes’ eligibility criteria carefully. Some favour first- and second-year students, some have minimum grade requirements, and some may not be open to external students.

While some programmes match students with labs, others allow undergraduates to apply to a specific research group. For example, applicants to Imperial College London’s undergraduate research opportunities programme (Urop) can reach out to one or more PIs and discuss their research in detail. ‘That exploratory phase is very important,’ says Luke Delmas, a senior teaching fellow and co-ordinator of the Urop in Imperial’s chemistry department.

During this discussion, Delmas emphasises asking the PI how you can realistically contribute over the summer and what the lab expects of you. Selection is based on mutual agreement. Delmas adds that the chemistry department assists all selected applicants with applying for bursaries for the programme.

Aim high when applying to programmes, advises Monica Ochoa, who attended the 2024 Surp in computational physical chemistry at NYU: ‘Being bold and taking risks will pay off … I’m from a smaller town in Colorado and had never been to New York City before. I was ready for a change and ready for a new pace of life.’

Ace your application

Departments can receive several hundred applications for only a handful of internships, so writing a stellar personal statement increases your chances of selection. Some programmes provide general guidelines asking you to describe your career goals. Others may require you to address a list of specific questions.

Caroline Sussman, director of the summer undergraduate research fellowship at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, says they are interested in learning why a student is interested in research. ‘We want to know what their personal story is that really excites and commits them to pursuing research,’ says Sussman. Perhaps you’re inspired to work on developing therapies for a neurodegenerative disease that your grandmother had, for example.

The NYU Surp programme in computational physical chemistry encourages students to indicate whether they’re interested in exploring a research area at the Simons Center for Computational Physical Chemistry. ‘We get a lot of very generic applications,’ says Hocky. ‘It makes sense that people apply to dozens of programmes at once, but if a student really has something that sparked their interest and if they can identify that they would be able to work on that with someone here, I think that stands out.’

Hit the ground running

You’ll find out which project you’ll be working on weeks in advance. Try reading up on it and doing your homework in the meantime. ‘10 weeks go by really fast, and so the best thing you can do is try to be prepared,’ Hocky says.

Don’t step onto a campus with preconceived notions about what you will learn. ‘I just ask students to keep an open mind and come prepared not just to learn the thing that they’re thinking about learning, but really to have their mind blown getting exposed to a wide array of amazing research,’ advises Sussman to Surf attendees at Mayo Clinic.

Make the most of it

While you will likely have your plate full of lab-related tasks, you should also capitalise on the programme’s community-related aspects, suggests Maksymilian J Roman, a postdoctoral research associate in the department of physics at the University of Liverpool, UK, who will be supervising undergraduate students in a summer research program at the university this year. Attend all the group meetings and participate in the lab’s social activities. ‘You will learn about what the life of a researcher looks like,’ says Roman. ‘How do they juggle between having a quite intense job and having a personal life?’

Sophie Bales, community and engagement partner at the Salk Institute and lead facilitator of its summer undergraduate research fellowship, says she encourages students to ask questions and stay curious. ‘The entire reason you are here is that you don’t know everything, and that’s okay,’ says Bales. ‘We want you to ask questions about the lab, about the research, and about careers in general.’ Bales also urges students to push their limits and do things they are typically uncomfortable with. For example, if you feel shy in social settings, walk up to someone and introduce yourself.

Research isn’t easy. ‘I learned that failure is okay, especially with coding,’ says Ochoa. ‘You get a lot of errors, and sometimes those take days to fix, and they’re really frustrating, but it doesn’t speak on you personally. It’s just a learning experience, and it’s okay to struggle.’