Summer Program

Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program

Overview

The Division of Medical Sciences administers four research training programs for PhD students in the biomedical sciences at Harvard Medical School. In 2010, the Division will offer for the twentieth consecutive year a ten-week summer research program primarily for college students belonging to groups that are under-represented in the sciences. SHURP presently has 412 alumni from colleges across the country, over 90% of whom are continuing or planning to continue training and careers in the sciences. SHURP is one of the summer research programs participating in the Summer Research Early Identification Program of the Leadership Alliance, a consortium of 33 colleges and universities dedicated to improving the participation of historically underrepresented students in graduate education programs.

The Program is offered for currently-enrolled undergraduates who are considering careers in biological or biomedical research sciences, who have already had at least one summer (or equivalent term-time) of experience in a research laboratory, and who have taken at least one upper-level biology course that includes molecular biology. U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is required.

SHURP 2009 group photo by Richard Wood

Research Opportunities

Summer research opportunities will be available in a variety of biological and biomedical sciences including (but not limited to): cellular and developmental biology, cell cycle regulation, cardiac and cardio-pulmonary functions and pathology, studies of blood cells, cancer biology, endocrinology, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology and genetics, receptor structure and functions, transmembrane signaling mechanisms, study of clotting mechanisms, and virology. Considerable emphasis is placed on placing students in labs suiting their research interests. More information about research interests of Division faculty members may be found here.

The research experience will be supplemented by an informal student-faculty seminar course, in which students meet on a weekly basis during supper to discuss their research projects with other student participants and faculty. Students give a final oral presentation and write an abstract about their research. Students also participate in a weekly career discussion luncheon series, in which they learn about the career paths of current faculty and graduate students and about many aspects of choosing graduate programs, preparing applications, and preparing for interviews. There are also informal opportunities for students to meet current faculty and graduate students, including a peer mentoring program.

Stipends, Travel, and Housing

Students in the Program live in single rooms in the Harvard Medical School dormitory, located across the street from the Medical School quadrangle and within one or two blocks of many of the Harvard teaching hospitals and their research laboratories. Medical and graduate students, college students participating in other summer programs, and visiting scholars also live in the dormitory in the summertime. The Medical School is located in Boston, Massachusetts, easily accessible to public transportation to the downtown areas and to nearby Cambridge, home of Harvard's main campus.

The Division will provide all research- and course-related expenses, housing at the medical school dormitory, travel to and from the program, a stipend of approximately $400/week for 10 weeks, and health insurance if it is needed. The 2010 Program is scheduled to run from Tuesday, June 1 through Saturday, August 7, although arrival and departure dates one week earlier or later may be arranged in a few cases if necessary. Students are required to participate for the full ten weeks of the Program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to many common questions about SHURP can be found here.

Contact Information

Inquiries about the Program are welcome, and they may be directed to either: Jocelyn Spragg, Ph.D., Ed.M., Faculty Director, Diversity Programs, Division of Medical Sciences, at 617-432-1342, or Deborah Milstein, SHURP Staff Assistant, at 617-432-4980. They may also be reached at 1-800-367-9019, or via email at SHURP@hms.harvard.edu.

Application

College undergraduate student applicants to the 2010 Program should send these materials to the address below:

(1) The completed Application Form.

(2) A statement describing their laboratory experience (please do not use a research abstract as a substitute), research interests and goals, and their reasons for wishing to participate in this particular Program.

(3) An updated résumé.

(4) An official copy of their latest college transcript.

(5) Two letters of recommendation, one from a science faculty member who can address the applicant's intellectual and personal suitability for the Program and one from a research supervisor, another science faculty member or, if applicable, from a science program director. If you have previously participated in a summer program, or other off-campus research, a letter from your supervisor would be very helpful. Letters of recommendation should be in sealed, signed envelopes or sent separately by the recommender.

Application materials should be postmarked by Monday, February 1, 2010 and mailed to:

2010 SHURP Director

Division of Medical Sciences

Harvard Medical School

T-MEC Room 432

260 Longwood Avenue

Boston MA 02115.

Do you have questions about applying to SHURP? Find answers to frequently asked questions here.

People Student Groups Summer Program Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program (SHURP) Support Services Resources / Contact Info The Boston Environment The Leadership Alliance	Summer Program Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program Overview The Division of Medical Sciences administers four research training programs for PhD students in the biomedical sciences at Harvard Medical School. In 2010, the Division will offer for the twentieth consecutive year a ten-week summer research program primarily for college students belonging to groups that are under-represented in the sciences. SHURP presently has 412 alumni from colleges across the country, over 90% of whom are continuing or planning to continue training and careers in the sciences. SHURP is one of the summer research programs participating in the Summer Research Early Identification Program of the Leadership Alliance, a consortium of 33 colleges and universities dedicated to improving the participation of historically underrepresented students in graduate education programs. The Program is offered for currently-enrolled undergraduates who are considering careers in biological or biomedical research sciences, who have already had at least one summer (or equivalent term-time) of experience in a research laboratory, and who have taken at least one upper-level biology course that includes molecular biology. U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is required. SHURP 2009 group photo by Richard Wood Research Opportunities Summer research opportunities will be available in a variety of biological and biomedical sciences including (but not limited to): cellular and developmental biology, cell cycle regulation, cardiac and cardio-pulmonary functions and pathology, studies of blood cells, cancer biology, endocrinology, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology and genetics, receptor structure and functions, transmembrane signaling mechanisms, study of clotting mechanisms, and virology. Considerable emphasis is placed on placing students in labs suiting their research interests. More information about research interests of Division faculty members may be found here. The research experience will be supplemented by an informal student-faculty seminar course, in which students meet on a weekly basis during supper to discuss their research projects with other student participants and faculty. Students give a final oral presentation and write an abstract about their research. Students also participate in a weekly career discussion luncheon series, in which they learn about the career paths of current faculty and graduate students and about many aspects of choosing graduate programs, preparing applications, and preparing for interviews. There are also informal opportunities for students to meet current faculty and graduate students, including a peer mentoring program. Stipends, Travel, and Housing Students in the Program live in single rooms in the Harvard Medical School dormitory, located across the street from the Medical School quadrangle and within one or two blocks of many of the Harvard teaching hospitals and their research laboratories. Medical and graduate students, college students participating in other summer programs, and visiting scholars also live in the dormitory in the summertime. The Medical School is located in Boston, Massachusetts, easily accessible to public transportation to the downtown areas and to nearby Cambridge, home of Harvard's main campus. The Division will provide all research- and course-related expenses, housing at the medical school dormitory, travel to and from the program, a stipend of approximately $400/week for 10 weeks, and health insurance if it is needed. The 2010 Program is scheduled to run from Tuesday, June 1 through Saturday, August 7, although arrival and departure dates one week earlier or later may be arranged in a few cases if necessary. Students are required to participate for the full ten weeks of the Program. Frequently Asked Questions Answers to many common questions about SHURP can be found here. Contact Information Inquiries about the Program are welcome, and they may be directed to either: Jocelyn Spragg, Ph.D., Ed.M., Faculty Director, Diversity Programs, Division of Medical Sciences, at 617-432-1342, or Deborah Milstein, SHURP Staff Assistant, at 617-432-4980. They may also be reached at 1-800-367-9019, or via email at SHURP@hms.harvard.edu. Application College undergraduate student applicants to the 2010 Program should send these materials to the address below: (1) The completed Application Form. (2) A statement describing their laboratory experience (please do not use a research abstract as a substitute), research interests and goals, and their reasons for wishing to participate in this particular Program. (3) An updated résumé. (4) An official copy of their latest college transcript. (5) Two letters of recommendation, one from a science faculty member who can address the applicant's intellectual and personal suitability for the Program and one from a research supervisor, another science faculty member or, if applicable, from a science program director. If you have previously participated in a summer program, or other off-campus research, a letter from your supervisor would be very helpful. Letters of recommendation should be in sealed, signed envelopes or sent separately by the recommender. Application materials should be postmarked by Monday, February 1, 2010 and mailed to: 2010 SHURP Director Division of Medical Sciences Harvard Medical School T-MEC Room 432 260 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115. Do you have questions about applying to SHURP? Find answers to frequently asked questions here.