chemicals and bottles in foreground with researcher in background in a laboratory

Summer Research Training Fellowship

The UK College of Medicine Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics is offering a summer research training fellowship to outstanding high school students with a strong interest in science. 

This fellowship program is ideal for students who are exploring STEM career options.  By being directly involved in experimentation, students get the chance to see how science concepts they are learning in the classroom are applied to modern research questions.  In the past, some of the fellowship recipients have even continued their research projects either as an independent study for high school credit, as a matriculated UK student in the fall semester, or as summer employment while home from attending an out-of-town college. 

See below for more information and application materials.

pipette with green liquid above test tubes

Fellowship Recipients

The fellowship recipient(s) will work under the direct supervision of either a graduate student, post-doctoral fellow, or other research scientist. The student will be expected to read assigned materials to acquire background knowledge in the scientific focus of the lab and will be trained in experimental techniques. Typically, the student is able to perform at least some independent experiments by the end of the fellowship period. The student will also be expected to give a short oral presentation about their research to members of the department at the end of the summer.

Selected student(s) will be given a short list of labs that are open for training this summer and will be allowed to rank their choices, but final placement will be at the discretion of the selection committee.  For more detailed information about faculty members and current research projects in the department, please visit our website: website.

Eligibility

Both criteria below must apply to applicant:

  1. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age by June 1, 2025 and have taken advanced classes in both Biology and Chemistry.
  2. Applicants must have an active bank account in their name for electronic deposits.

Application

Please submit the following materials by Sunday, April 6, 2025, 11:59 PM. 

  1. A completed Application Form. You can download the application by clicking here. Please review the Instructions on the application document for more information.
  2. A copy of your high school transcript (an unofficial report is fine)
  3. Two letters of recommendation: One should be from a science teacher who will address your aptitude for laboratory science; the other can be from another teacher or some other personal reference and should address your maturity, responsibility and reliability.  You should ask your references to email their signed letters directly to MIMG.Fellowship@uky.edu. 

Selection

A committee of faculty members will review the application materials and select students to invite for personal interviews.  These interviews will be held after school via Zoom on Wednesday, April 23 and Thursday, April 24, 2025. Final award selection will be based on these interviews. 

Submission

Application forms, transcripts, and letters of recommendation and any other questions should be sent to MIMG.Fellowship@uky.edu.  

Deadline

Please submit all application materials by Sunday, April 4, 2025, 11:59 PM. 

Questions? Please send them to MIMG.Fellowship@uky.edu