2021 SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM – UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
APPLICATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 1, 2021
INTERNSHIP DETAILS
The Summer Internship Programs are designed to provide undergraduate college students opportunities to be mentored by professionals in their chosen research field, to become familiar with the use of state-of-the-art scientific equipment and technology, and to learn valuable interpersonal and presentation skills. The goal of these programs is to expose undergraduate college students to exciting advances in biomedical sciences that will help define their career paths.
For the 2021 Summer Internship Programs, interns will have the opportunity to work in the areas of cell biology, epigenetics, metabolism and nutritional programming, neurodegenerative science and structural biology. For more information on Van Andel Institute (VAI) laboratories, please click here.
We expect to support 25 – 30 undergraduate student summer internships in VAI research laboratories. Interns will be paired with a scientific investigator and/or their designee for an intense 10-week research experience. Interns will gain an understanding of the latest research methods, instruments, and testing procedures. They will learn how to design experiments and see how their test results can contribute to a larger research project. At the end of each internship program, interns will give an oral presentation or poster presentation about their experience to VAI research staff.
Thank you to our sponsors and their generous gifts to support summer internship programs:
· Meijer Foundation
· Maas Family Foundation – Hope College
· Van Andel Institute Purple Community – Hope College
· Van Andel Institute Graduate School
PROGRAM TIMELINE
Summer interns are required to begin on one of two program start dates:
· Session I: May 10, 2021 – July 16, 2021
· Session II: June 7, 2021- August 13, 2021
COVID-19 may affect on-site internships. Updates on undergraduate summer internship programs will be provided by the Research Advisory Committee, VAI COVID-19 Task Force and the Undergraduate & Internship Program Committee at: https://vaigs.vai.org/undergrad-research/program-details/
INTERNSHIP ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Undergraduate college students must have completed at least one year of higher education (equivalent to 24 credit hours), be enrolled in a science/research related degree program and maintain a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
Students who have graduated before the start date of the summer internship program (May 10, 2021) are ineligible. If you are currently enrolled as a high school student or in a Master’s degree program, you are ineligible to participate in the undergraduate research summer internship program.
Van Andel Institute is an Employment Opportunity Employer and Affirmative Action Employer. We strongly encourage undergraduate student applicants from minority serving institutions including historically black colleges & universities, tribal colleges & universities and Hispanic serving institutions, as well as McNair Scholars.
International students are eligible to apply if they meet the requirements for the program and are legally permitted to work and earn income in the United States. Van Andel Institute does not sponsor visas for interns.
READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION CAREFULLY BEFORE COMPLETING THE ONLINE APPLICATION
An attachment (PDF file format) is required to support your online application:
A cover letter, resume, and official transcript (or unofficial transcript) will need to be combined as a single PDF file and then uploaded as an attachment with your online application:
· A cover letter indicating why you would like to participate in this summer internship and your career goals;
· A resume, which includes your education, research experience, skills, volunteer experience, and publications (if any);
· Official (or unofficial) transcripts from your college or university. It is important to note you will be responsible for uploading your transcripts to your online application. Any transcripts received via email or from your institutions transcripts delivery service will not be accepted.
Additional application materials required:
· Two (2) current letters of recommendation (due by February 5, 2021) to support your application. Ask professors, research mentors and/or supervisors to submit letters of recommendation, on institute letterhead, in PDF electronic format to undergrad@vai.edu or mailed to the following address:
Undergraduate & Internship Program Committee (98001/VAIGS)
Undergraduate Summer Internship Program
Van Andel Institute Graduate School / Van Andel Institute
333 Bostwick Avenue NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2518
HOW TO APPLY
Before beginning the online employment application, combine your cover letter, resume and transcript as a single pdf file.
COMPLETING THE ONLINE APPLICATION
1. Click the ”APPLY” button to start VAI’s online employment application
2. Review and accept the application certification to continue with completing the online application
3. Complete the remainder of the online application including:
i. Contact information
ii. Using the “resume/CV document” feature, upload the single PDF file with your cover letter, resume and transcript after you enter your contact information
iii. Job preferences
iv. Work authorization status
v. Education
vi. Profile attachments – As long as you uploaded your cover letter, resume and transcript under the contact information section, you will not need to upload any additional documents under profile attachments section
vii. Resume/CV content – As long as you uploaded your cover letter, resume and transcript under the contact information section, you will not need to upload any additional documents under the resume/cv content section
viii. Pre-employment questions for undergraduate student applicants
a. There are 16 pre-employment questions in total.
b. All provided fields/sections must be completed accurately and thoroughly for consideration in the Undergraduate Research Student Summer Internship Program
c. Please make sure you have reviewed the VAI faculty profiles before answering pre-employment questions. Faculty profiles can be reviewed in alphabetical order by the Lead Investigator’s last name or by research area (or center)
ix. Voluntary-Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
x. Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability
xi. Review Reasonable Accommodation Notice
INTERVIEW & SELECTION PROCESS
Complete applications will be reviewed by the Undergraduate & Internship Program Committee and VAI Faculty after February 15, 2021. Applicants selected for interviews are generally contacted by mid-March and employment offers are usually extended by mid-April. If additional summer opportunities become available after this time, your application may be reconsidered.
Any inquiries regarding your student internship application should be made via e-mail to undergrad@vai.edu; inquiries will receive responses as information becomes available.
All offers for student intern positions will be contingent upon the satisfactory results of a Background Investigation and Drug Screen.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Assignments may involve the use of potentially hazardous chemicals, hazardous or radioactive materials, or may be in areas where such materials are used. Adherence to safety policies and procedures along with proper storage and disposal methods are required.
SALARY
Based on number of credits earned:
- 30-50 Undergraduate $11.50/hr
- 60-89 Undergraduate $12.00/hr
- 90-119 Undergraduate $12.50/hr
- 120+ Undergraduate $10.00/hr
DOE Scholars
Program, Dept of Energy; app deadline Jan 3, 2020
History of
Diversity in the Physical Sciences Intern, American
Institute of Physics (for physics undergraduates), app deadline Jan 15, 2020
REU in Increasing
Statistical Preparation in Research Education for Underrepresented
Undergraduates, Spelman College; app deadline Jan 15, 2020
Summer
Undergraduate Research Program, Human-Computer Interaction
Institute, Carnegie Mellon University; app deadline Jan 15, 2020
REU,
Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington;
app deadline Jan 15, 2020
Richard Macksey
National Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium, Johns
Hopkins University, Apr 3-4, 2020; abstract deadline Jan 24, 2020
REU in
Evolutionary Science, University of Iowa; app deadline Feb
1, 2020
REU,
SETI Institute (for students interested in astronomy, astrobiology, or
planetary science); app deadline Feb 1, 2020
REU in Raptor
Research, Boise State University; app deadline Feb 3, 2020
Summer Student
Fellowships, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (for
rising fourth-year students interested in ocean sciences, oceanographic
engineering, mathematics, or marine policy); app deadline Feb 5, 2020
Analytic Studies
Internships, Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute (for
students in art history, anthropology, archaeology, biochemistry, biology,
chemistry, ecology, earth sciences, chemical and materials science engineering,
museum studies, or paleontology); app dline Feb 10, 2020
History and Heritage
Internship, Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern
Jewish Life; app dline Feb 10, 2020
REU in Materials
Research Science and Engineering, Northwestern University;
app deadline Feb 14, 2020
Seventh Annual
Environmental Science and Design Symposium, Kent State
University; app deadline Feb 15, 2020
Travel grant
to attend 2020 International Conference on Arabidopsis Research in Seattle (for
underrepresented students in plant sciences); app deadline Feb 29, 2020
The Child Health and Behavior Lab (HABLAB) at the
University of Buffalo is looking for undergraduate students to assist
with research studies during Spring, Summer, and/or Fall
2020. These research experiences would be under the leadership of Dr.
Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, who conducts laboratory- and community-based
studies in the area of children’s eating behavior and obesity
prevention. More information about Dr. Anzman-Frasca’s
work is available here:
https://medicine.buffalo.edu/faculty/profile.html?ubit=safrasca, and more information about HABLAB is available at
http://ubhablab.weebly.com.
Responsibilities of student research assistants include:
assisting with materials preparation, entering data, and helping staff
in the implementation of the study design.
It is anticipated that students will have the opportunity to work
directly with study participants, including parents and children, in
laboratory and/or community studies. All incoming research assistants
must be able to commit to at least 135 hours of research
over the semester (equates to about 10 hours per week), with preference
given to students who can commit to at least two semesters. Students
may be asked to commit to evenings or weekends to work with
participants. For students who spend multiple semesters
on the team, independent research projects, conference presentations,
and/or thesis projects are possible.
Interested students can apply by submitting an
application and a resume to
ubhablab@gmail.com, using “Student research assistant application 2020” as the subject of the email. Applications may be downloaded at
http://ubhablab.weebly.com/students.
We are currently filling positions for Spring and Summer on a rolling basis.
