CNUP Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Each summer, the Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh (CNUP) sponsors a 10-week program in which selected undergraduate students conduct research investigating diverse aspects of nervous system function under the guidance of individual CNUP training faculty. The 2017 CNUP Summer Undergraduate Research Program will begin on Tuesday, May 30. The program includes a $3,500 stipend, housing at no cost in a double-occupancy, on-campus dormitory, and a ConnectCard to ride Port Authority public transportation buses.

Program Goals

To give qualified students the opportunity to experience the challenges and rewards of intensive, hypothesis-driven laboratory research in neuroscience.
To teach the technical features of a research project. These may include neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, molecular biology, brain imaging, computer simulations, neuropsychology or behavioral assessments.

Who may apply

• Appplicants must have completed their sophomore or junior year of undergraduate training before the start of the program.
• Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 ("B") or higher; strong performance in science, math, and related coursework is especially important.
• Applicants must be undergraduate students currently enrolled full-time at a U.S. college or university.
• International applicants will be required to provide official authorization for Optional Practical Training (OPT) from their home institution, prior to their arrival in Pittsburgh.

Note: Students who envision their future in clinical medicine typically will not be competitive for this fellowship, unless that vision also includes an important potential role for laboratory-based neuroscience research.

For more information, including deadlines how to apply, please visit this link.

CTMHR Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship

The Center for Translational Mental Health Research (CTMHR) Undergraduate Research Fellowship provides highly talented undergraduate students with early-career, hands-on engagement in cutting edge neuroscience research. Research opportunities focus on schizophrenia and related disorders, and the neurobiological systems behind these illnesses. Fellows begin the program during the summer following the freshman or sophomore year with a full-time, 10-week research experience supported by a $4,000 stipend.

Who may apply

The program is designed for students enrolled at an institution in the greater Pittsburgh area. Only students in their freshman or sophomore years are eligible to apply. 

For more information, including deadlines and how to apply, please visit this link.

Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Fellowships

The Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Fellowship is intended to support student involvement in independent research under the direction of a faculty mentor. Up to ten $800 fellowships, administered by the University Honors College (UHC), are offered to encourage the enrichment of the students' experience in defining objectives and selecting methodologies appropriate to original research in their chosen field of study. The fellowships are available for one term, either fall or spring.

Who may apply

Undergraduate students who are sponsored by and working with a faculty member during the upcoming fall or spring term may apply. Students also must be registered for courses full time during the term for which the fellowship is awarded. Preference is given to applicants with a 3.25 cumulative GPA.

PLEASE NOTE: Students can apply for both the Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Fellowship and a THINK Fellowship in the same term; however, because the Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Fellowship are awarded after the Fall/Spring THINK Fellowships are awarded, if offered a THINK Fellowship, your name will be withdrawn from consideration for the Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Fellowship in that term.

For more information, including deadlines and how to apply, please visit this link.

Chancellor's Undergraduate Teaching Fellowships

Ten $800 undergraduate teaching fellowships, awarded for joint student-faculty teaching projects and administered by the University Honors College (UHC), are available for each term.

These fellowships are offered to encourage the enrichment of course offerings and to improve teaching through the collaboration of faculty members with students in the planning and implementation of creative teaching projects. The fellowships are available for one term, either fall or spring.

Who may apply

Undergraduate students who are sponsored by and working with a faculty member teaching an undergraduate-level course during the upcoming fall or spring term may apply for a fellowship. Although it is not necessary that the applicants complete the course they wish to participate in teaching, superior background and knowledge of the course is expected. Students also must be registered for courses full time during the term for which the fellowship is awarded. Preference is given to applicants with a 3.25 cumulative GPA.

For more information, including deadlines and how to apply, please visit this link.

Summer Undergraduate Research Awards

The Summer Undergraduate Research Awards (of the Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity) provide a $3,500 stipend to conduct independent research over the course of the summer. Titles of recent SURA topics range from "Internet Memes and Popular Culture" to "The Mirror and the Mind: Medieval Literary Mirrors and the Neuroscience of the Mirror Response." SURA recipients also enroll in a 12-week summer SURA course to learn how to communicate their research findings to a general audience.

As part of the summer awards program, all SURA recipients participate in an ethics workshop where ethics case studies are discussed with Dietrich School faculty and staff members from the Academic Resource Center and OUR. Because ethical concerns are inherent in every kind of research, the ethics workshop provides students, faculty, and staff with a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the kinds of ethical concerns that will guide young scholars far into the future.

Who may apply

Applications will be accepted from any Dietrich School undergraduate who:

• is in good academic standing;
• has earned a minimum of 30 credits of academic work;
• has declared a disciplinary major; and
• has a faculty mentor within the project discipline who will be responsible for the oversight of the project.

For more information, including deadlines and how to apply, please visit this link.