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The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE-REU) Program in Biological Mechanisms at UNC-Chapel Hill provides talented undergraduate students the opportunity to carry out independent research projects under the guidance of faculty mentors to study a variety of approaches to mechanistic studies. For 10 weeks during the summer, undergraduate students are immersed in the SURE-REU (REU program) experience; they work side-by-side with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty who serve as role models and as mentors. They discover how modern biological research is formulated, carried out, and reported in an environment that stresses collaboration and multidisciplinary approaches to problem-solving. SURE-REU undergraduates acquire skills critical to success in research and teaching careers and to gaining entry to top graduate departments of their choice. Making informed career choices is a major theme of the Program; participants hear about careers and lifestyles in forums with scientists inside and outside of academia and with current graduate students and post-doctoral fellows at UNC-Chapel Hill. Our journal club and seminar program expose students to emerging areas of research and provide insight into the scientific method. At the end of the Program, all students present their work at a campus wide Summer Research Symposium and Poster Session.

We aim to recruit a diverse group of students to participate in our program each year. Preference will be given to:

  • Students in a science major at an undergraduate institution with limited research opportunities
  • Students with limited or no past research experience
  • GPA ≥ 3.0
  • Personal Statement
  • Minimum of 1 reference letter from a science instructor or mentor
  • US citizen or permanent resident

Admission is limited to rising sophomores, juniors and seniors. Applicants need to be 18 years old when the program begins.  First-generation college students and students from groups under-represented in the sciences are strongly encouraged to apply.

If you are interested in applying, please visit the application page: https://www.med.unc.edu/oge/stad/sure/online-applications/