Second-year undergraduates interested in pursuing biomedical research as a career — and receiving more than $15,000 in support of that pursuit — have until Dec. 16 to apply for the INBRE scholarship program.
Undergraduates accepted into the program, which was established in 2001 through the National Institutes of Health, spend two years training and conducting biomedical research with faculty at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln or one of several other Nebraska institutions.
Participants can research in one of nearly a dozen Husker departments that range from biological sciences, chemistry and food science to biological systems engineering, psychology and animal science. Laboratories from those departments and others conduct research in genetics, virology, biomaterials, cellular biology, molecular biology and other areas that are especially important to understanding, preventing and treating human diseases.
“INBRE is a fantastic program that has exposed me to a wide range of scientific research and narrowed down my scientific interests,” said Aime Nishimwe, junior in integrated science. “I am now training to pursue a graduate program in AI-enabled protein structural and functional analysis. While working with my mentor and connecting with former INBRE scholars like Sean Watson, who went to Harvard University, I learned that INBRE is a perfect pathway program to further my education in the bioinformatics field.”
A 10-week training period in summer 2021 will acquaint students with a lab of their choice, teaching them the logistical and conceptual fundamentals they will need to meaningfully contribute to world-class research. Students will receive $4,000 in support during that first summer, $3,000 over each academic year, and $4,500 in the summer of 2022, along with support for summer housing. Research schedules will consist of 40-hour weeks during the summer and at least 10-hour weeks during the fall and spring semesters.
Students will also gain experience in presenting research results at multiple academic meetings, including a 2022 meeting of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences.
“I appreciate the strong professional network that I have been able to expand through my INBRE connections, which include both faculty and other student scholars,” said Lily Foley, senior in biological systems engineering. “The members of my cohort became not just my colleagues but also my friends.”
Any undergraduate scheduled to graduate in May 2023 or later is eligible to apply for the program. Applications must include a statement of interest, a copy of the student’s university transcript, one letter of recommendation and a résumé or curriculum vitae. Interested students can learn more and apply here. Questions can also be directed to Husker faculty Brian Couch at bcouch2@unl.edu or Angie Pannier at apannier2@unl.edu.
