FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Janelia Undergraduate Scholars

Our program gives undergraduates an opportunity to spend 10 weeks during the summer doing research as an intern in the lab of a mentor at Janelia Farm. The scholars are encouraged to attend weekly seminars and other events at Janelia. At the end of the session, each scholar will present their work at a symposium.

We want to identify some of the very best future scientists, engineers, and mathematicians interested in our areas of research at an early career stage. We expect this to enrich the students' intellectual development and to benefit research at Janelia.

Eligibility
Any matriculated undergraduate may apply.

Dates: June 9 - August 15, 2008
Students are required to spend a full 10 weeks at Janelia. We provide accommodations in our housing village. There is also an allowance of $4,500 for the 10-week period. The program also supports the most economical travel to and from Janelia.

Application
Students must apply via our web-based application system. Candidates must supply academic data, resumes, and name two individuals to supply letters of reference. We also ask candidates to specify the lab head they want to do research with at Janelia and propose a project. We will use these short research proposals as our main tool to decide between candidates. The following seventeen lab heads are recruiting students this year (for more information please see their web pages at www.hhmi.org/janelia/labs.html):

Sydney Brenner, Dmitri Chklovskii, David Clayton, Joshua Dudman, Sean Eddy, Vivek Jayaraman, Alla Karpova, Rex Kerr, Albert Lee, Anthony Leonardo, Loren Looger, Gene Myers, Michael Reiser, Lynn Riddiford, Dmitry Rinberg, Elena Rivas, Gerald Rubin, Charles Shank, Julie Simpson, Scott Sternson, Karel Svoboda, and James Truman.

Application Deadline
Applications are no longer being accepted for Summer 2008.

We will not consider gender, race, ethnic origin, nationality, or religion in our admission decisions. The associate director for science and training at Janelia, in consultation with Janelia lab heads, will select students for the program. We will inform candidates if they have been accepted on or soon after March 1, 2008.

Pilot Year: 2007
Summer 2007 provided the framework around which we built this research experience for undergraduates. Four students from diverse scientific backgrounds arrived at Janelia ready to explore. The undergrads worked in the labs of Janelia Farm lab heads, carrying out research in different areas of neuroscience.

		Arjun Bharioke University of Toronto Major: Chemical Physics/Biochemistry Janelia Mentor: Karel Svoboda
		Chelsea Trengrove University of Colorado at Boulder Major: Biochemistry Janelia Mentor: Loren Looger
		Jonathan Yoke University of Virginia Major: Computer and Biomedical Engineering Janelia Mentor: Michael Reiser
		Livia Zarnescu University of Arizona Major: Optical Sciences and Engineering and Mathematics Janelia Mentors; Julie Simpson and Gene Meyers

Read more about the shared experiences of our Janelia Undergraduate Scholars in the November 2007 issue of the HHMI Bulletin: Smart Young Minds.

Photos: Paul Fetters

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