Thank you for your interest in the Summer Training as Research Scholars (STaRS) Program.
APPLICATION INFORMATION
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Qualified STaRS applicants must:
• be United States citizen or permanent resident
• be an undergraduate student graduating in 2026 or beyond 2026
• have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
• have a declared major in a biomedical or life science
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To apply to STaRS, please complete the following online application. During the application you will be asked to submit:
• an electronic copy of your transcript (unofficial is OK)
• a resume/CV
• an statement of interest of no more than 4000 characters (approximately 600 words)
• a short paragraph stating if you participated in other summer programs or in research before (800 characters maximum)
Transcripts and resumes need to be sent with the following file name: student first name_student last name_transcript (or resume)
You will be also asked information on:
• Top 3 research interests
• Contact information for 3 references
During the application, we will be collecting demographic data which:
• Will be aggregated to be reported (e.g. NIH, STaRS dashboard, etc.)
• Will be kept strictly confidential and secure
• Will not be used for a discriminatory purpose
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Letters of reference are to be sent directly to starsgms@bu.edu on or before February 1th, 2025.
We will only consider applications where the 3 letters of recommendation are received on or before February 1th.
E-mails with letters of recommendation need to have the following subject line and file name:
Subject line: STaRS Program (LEGAL student first and last name)
File name: student first name_student last name_recommender first name_recommender last name
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The STaRS application will close on February 1th, 2025 at 11:59pm.
Final decisions will be sent by email sometime between March 31st and Mid-April.
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STaRS is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and as such, we are particularly interested in applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds as defined and approved by the NIH. Please, read carefully the definitions to answer the questions in the application:
• Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended
• Were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Definition: https://nche.ed.gov/mckinney-vento/);
• Were or currently are in the foster care system, as defined by the Administration for Children and Families (Definition: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/focus-areas/foster-care);
• Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years (Definition: https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/income-eligibility-guidelines);
• Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree (see https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018009.pdf);
• Were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants (Definition: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/fpg/eligibility.html);
• Received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as a parent or child (Definition: https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/wic-eligibility-requirements).
• Grew up in a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer.
• Grew up in a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas (qualifying zipcodes are included in the file). Only one of the last two possibilities listed can be used as a criterion for the disadvantaged background definition.
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You may return to your application at any time by clicking the "Apply Now" button on the STaRS application webpage. Please note to have your information saved you must access the application from the same computer each time.
If you experience any technical difficulty, please contact starsgms@bu.edu