Summer Research Opportunities at Harvard (SROH)
Harvard Griffin GSAS administers the Summer Research Opportunities at Harvard (SROH) program, but you may be interested in other programs at Harvard's many schools and affiliated hospitals.
Other Summer Programs
Harvard Programs
Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program
Harvard-Amgen Scholars will conduct novel biotechnology-focused research with Harvard scientists over the course of a 10-week summer internship. Interns will have the opportunity to interact closely with faculty through scholarly and pre-professional development activities including a Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series and Biotechnology Journal Club. They will also gain critical exposure to tools for effective science communication, proposal writing, and graduate school preparation, and will have opportunities to explore the Boston area through a variety of social activities and outings. Currently, enrolled undergraduates interested in pursuing a bioscience PhD or the MD/PhD are eligible to apply, especially those from underrepresented and diverse backgrounds. US citizenship or permanent residency is required. Housing on Harvard’s Cambridge campus, travel, meal allowance, and a stipend are provided.
Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) Internship Program (HIP)
The Harvard Stem Cell Institute Internship Program (HIP) provides an opportunity for Harvard and non-Harvard undergraduates to gain direct experience in stem cell research while working in a Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) laboratory under the supervision of an experienced researcher. Interns participate in a mandatory stem cell seminar series and a career pathways presentation and present their summer research findings at the HIP Symposium in August. Candidates must express a strong interest in stem cell biology; previous lab experience is desirable but not required. Approximately 35 students are selected by competitive review for this 10-week internship. A stipend is provided.
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
The Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) is a 10-week program that introduces undergraduates to bioengineering, materials research, nanoscience, environmental and earth science, and engineering while providing a coordinated, educational, and dynamic research community that inspires them to seek a graduate degree. REU research opportunities are arranged in conjunction with the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), the Center for Nanoscale Systems (CNS), the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, as well as other Harvard-based engineering and science entities. Professional development workshops, faculty seminars on research and ethics, and community activities are integrated into the program. Students receive a stipend and housing. Students must be U.S citizens and permanent residents who will not be graduating before December of the program year.
Center for Astrophysics Solar Research Experience for Undergraduates Program
Scientists from the Solar and Stellar X-Ray Group (SSXG) and the Solar, Stellar, and Planetary Group (SSP) at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics host undergraduate students from around the US. For 10 weeks, these students will participate in cutting-edge astronomical research about the sun and the heliosphere and learn the skills necessary for a successful scientific career. Projects range from data analysis to computer modeling to instrument building. Special seminars will be held to increase students' public speaking and computer programming skills. Students will learn from experience about scientific research and how to apply their academic work to real-world problems. Some time will also be devoted to exploring Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the surrounding area. US citizenship or permanent residency is required. Stipend, housing, and travel are provided. Please visit the SAO/NSF Solar REU Program website for more information.
Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology
The Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology is an 11-week research program that allows students to participate in ongoing research at the Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts. Projects focus on the effects of natural and human disturbances on forest ecosystems including global warming, hurricanes, forest harvesting, and invasive organisms. Researchers come from many disciplines, and specific studies center on population and community ecology, paleoecology, land-use history, phenology, biogeochemistry, soil science, ecophysiology, and atmosphere-biosphere exchanges. Students work with mentors from Harvard and collaborating institutions. Responsibilities may include field sampling, laboratory studies, data analysis, and scientific writing. In addition, students attend seminars given by nationally known scientists and workshops on career and graduate school preparation. At the end of the summer, students present their research results by writing an abstract and presenting their findings at a student research symposium. The program provides room, board, and a competitive stipend.
Program for Research in Markets & Organizations
The Program for Research in Markets & Organizations (PRIMO) provides an opportunity for Harvard and non-Harvard undergraduates (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors enrolled full-time at a US institution) to work closely with Harvard Business School faculty, gaining exposure to business research on a variety of cutting-edge ideas. The primary goal of the program is to build and foster a strong community of scholars committed to excellence in research as part of the Harvard Summer Undergraduate Research Village. Students must commit to the 10-week program and are provided with Harvard campus housing, meals, and a research stipend.
Du Bois Scholars Program
The Du Bois Scholars Program is a fully funded, nine-week summer research internship at Harvard College for scholars from select R2 and research-focused historically Black colleges and universities. Prospective Du Bois Scholars will apply to the program by selecting the project and faculty mentor they desire to work with during the summer. Scholars will receive dedicated hands-on mentorship and gain access to a rigorous research and learning environment that fosters intellectual growth and personal development. The program will conclude with a final presentation of their research to fellow scholars, faculty mentors and teams. Scholars will live in the Harvard residential community and participate in programming with scholars from the Harvard Summer Undergraduate Research Village (HSURV), creating relationships and memories that will last a lifetime.
Programs at Harvard Medical School
Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program at Harvard Medical School
Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program (SHURP) is a 10-week summer research program primarily for college students belonging to groups that are underrepresented in the sciences. In addition to laboratory-based research with Harvard Medical School faculty, the program includes research and career development seminars and a peer-mentoring program. A stipend, housing, and travel are provided. Administered by the Division of Medical Sciences PhD programs office at Harvard Medical School every year since 1991, SHURP is offered for currently enrolled undergraduates who are considering careers in biological or biomedical research sciences, who have already had at least one summer (or equivalent term-time) of experience in a research laboratory, and who have taken at least one upper-level biology course that includes molecular biology. US citizenship or permanent residency is required.
Harvard/MIT Equitable Access to Research Training (HEART) MD-PhD Summer Program
Harvard/MIT Equitable Access to Research Training (HEART) MD-PhD Summer Program (HEART) is a new track in the SHURP program for undergraduate students interested in pursuing MD-PhD training. In addition to the benefits of being a SHURP student, HEART students also shadow clinicians at Harvard teaching hospitals, gain hands-on experience in clinical simulations and skills workshops, and have a career and professional development series tailored toward the MD-PhD. HEART applicants must submit their primary applications via the Leadership Alliance SR-EIP before February 1. Applicants must also complete the HEART Supplementary Application by February 1, so we highly recommend submitting the SR-EIP application by mid-January. US citizenship or permanent residency is required.
Systems Biology Summer Internship Program
The Systems Biology Summer Internship Program is a paid internship that enables undergraduates from domestic institutions to work on research projects spanning many scientific fields, including systems biology, biophysics, bioinformatics, genomics, applied mathematics, and computational biology. Participants learn a range of cutting-edge techniques in the exciting and dynamic research environments in Quantitative and Systems labs across Harvard. Participants must be US citizens or permanent residents, at least 18 years old, and enrolled in a credited US institution or university. Our applications open in late November and decisions are made by the middle of February. The program provides a stipend, housing, and travel costs, as well as professional development opportunities and a suite of cohort activities that build community and provide students with mentoring during and beyond the summer program.
Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Summer Scholars Program
The Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (BCMP) Summer Scholars Program is a 10-week program designed to provide hands-on laboratory research experience to motivated undergraduates with a strong interest in pursuing graduate studies focused on molecular mechanisms in biology. The program offers students the opportunity to gain experience in hands-on laboratory research; to interact with faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and other summer interns; to attend weekly presentations by department members on specific research projects and cutting-edge research tools; and to improve their presentation, writing, and communication skills. Participating laboratories cover a broad range of basic and disease-oriented research topics using the analytical tools of biochemistry, molecular genetics, biophysics, chemical biology, and structural biology. A stipend is provided, but students are responsible for travel, housing, and meal accommodations.
Summer Undergraduate Program in Immunology at Harvard Medical School
The 10-week Summer Undergraduate Program in Immunology exposes undergraduate students to current topics in immunology. Students participate in a combination of weekly lectures and laboratory work with faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows from the Harvard Medical School Immunology Graduate Program. Participants from colleges in which the topic is not taught or presented in depth are especially welcome, and individuals from underrepresented minority groups are especially encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to students who are in their sophomore or junior year. A stipend and housing are provided, but the program is unable to assist with travel arrangements, or visas for students.
Summer Institute in Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School
Summer Institute in Biomedical Informatics is a nine-week (June-August) full-time extensive research opportunity with a curriculum including didactic lectures and clinical case studies. Students are carefully matched with faculty mentors from DBMI for a research project and presentation of findings. The program is for undergraduates with majors such as computer science, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, mathematics, and other quantitative interests and skills who aspire to contribute to translational advances in biomedicine with a future PhD or research-oriented MD or MD/PhD. The majority of SIBMI students go on to pursue their PhD, MD or MD/PhD. A stipend, housing, and a travel allowance are provided. If you are an undergraduate with a strong quantitative background and interested in innovation and methodological rigor in your approach to scientific inquiry in biomedicine or in the translation of computational methods to engineering/software applications in medicine, this is the summer program for you! Please note the program is for US Citizens and US Permanent Residents (Green card holders).
The Four Directions Summer Research Program
The Four Directions Summer Research Program (FDSRP) provides an opportunity for talented Native American undergraduates to explore careers in the medical profession under the guidance and supervision of staff from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. The FDSRP is an eight-week summer research opportunity offered to undergraduate and first-year medical students with a commitment to the health of Native American communities. Interns engage in basic science or translational research projects under the supervision of Harvard Medical School faculty advisors. Students also receive career development training, meet faculty from across the hospital and medical school, and participate in a variety of social networking events. US citizenship or permanent residency is required. Stipend, housing, and travel are provided.
Newborn Medicine Summer Student Research Program
The Newborn Medicine Summer Student Research Program is sponsored by the Harvard Program in Neonatology for students interested in clinical aspects and research in newborn medicine. During the 8-week program, students are guided by faculty and fellow mentors from the program with the goal of providing undergraduate and medical school students with intensive clinical and laboratory research. As part of the program, the students will have the opportunity to observe newborn care in hospital nurseries, clinics, and neonatal intensive care units. Partial funding is available for students participating in the program.
Harvard Summer Research Program in Kidney Medicine
The Harvard Summer Research Program in Kidney Medicine (HSRPKM) is built around providing students with an intensive, mentored research experience. Each student’s project is mentored by a Harvard Medical School faculty member whose work focuses on kidney disease. In addition to their daily research, students participate in a weekly core curriculum to introduce them to the breadth of kidney medicine. This includes 1) an introduction to the principles of renal physiology; 2) a renal gross pathology session with autopsy specimens; 3) training for and performing a community screening for kidney disease; 4) a visit to an outpatient dialysis center to appreciate the impact of kidney disease and experience this current treatment approach for patients with kidney failure; 5) an opportunity to observe the clinical work of a nephrologist or urologist; and 6) additional sessions on patient perspectives and the contributions of research in the biotech/pharma industry. Students present their work locally and at a national symposium. A year-round program of mentorship, career development sessions, and networking helps sustain alumni interest in nephrology and urology. The program provides housing, a stipend and transportation back to the trainee’s home or educational institution at the end of the program. Most of the trainees go on to MD, MD-PhD, or PhD degrees in the medical/biological sciences.
Programs at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Summer Program in Biological Sciences in Public Health
The Summer Program in Biological Sciences in Public Health at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health is an eight-week laboratory-based biological research program for undergraduates belonging to underrepresented groups during the summer following their sophomore or junior years. The program exposes college students to the rewards of laboratory research directed toward solving important public health problems such as infections (malaria, TB, parasites), cancer, lung diseases, multifactorial, multigenic, and common diseases of aging, diabetes, and obesity. Scientific approaches include regulation of cell growth and gene regulation, cellular metabolism, DNA modification, cellular signaling, and structure-function analyses. The overall mission of the program is to prepare qualified students for graduate-level training leading to research careers in the biological sciences.
Summer Program in Epidemiology
The Summer Program in Epidemiology at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health is an intensive five-week program that integrates mathematics and quantitative methods to provide students with an understanding of the skills and processes necessary to pursue a career in public health. The program recruits undergraduates belonging to underrepresented groups for graduate-level training. Areas of study include cancer prevention, infectious disease, environmental and occupational health, nutrition, and more. Students will participate in an introductory course in epidemiology and biostatistics, faculty lectures, a research project led by faculty or post-doctoral fellow, and networking opportunities. Travel, lodging, a stipend, and frequent meals are provided.
Multidisciplinary International Research Training (MIRT) Program
Multidisciplinary International Research Training (MIRT) is a national program designed to encourage students to pursue careers in biomedical and behavioral research providing support for undergraduate and graduate students to do health-related population-based research and training in developing countries including Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Thailand, Republic of Georgia, Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, and Australia. Trainees obtain knowledge of scientific literature associated with projects, biomedical research ethics, and cultural aspects with a focus on how these aspects affect public health issues as well as scientific and medical issues. Research opportunities are designed collaboratively with faculty in these institutions to address health and health disparities pertinent to their countries.
Summer Program in Biostatistics & Computational Biology at the Harvard School of Public Health
The Summer Program in Biostatistics & Computational Biology is an intensive six-week introduction to biostatistics, epidemiology, and public health research. Based at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, this program is designed to introduce qualified undergraduates and post-baccalaureates to the use of quantitative methods for biological, environmental, and medical research, and to demonstrate the application of quantitative methods to the study of human health. US citizenship or permanent residency is required.
Fostering Advancement & Careers through Enrichment Training in Science (FACETS)
Fostering Advancement & Careers through Enrichment Training in Science (FACETS) is a six-week interdisciplinary, research-intensive summer program hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion within the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. FACETS offers a cadre of coursework, professional development, and networking opportunities to increase participants’ competitiveness for graduate school admission. Underrepresented populations are strongly encouraged to apply! FACETS program participants are paired with a research mentor and graduate student mentor to help them navigate research topics in the field of public health. Specifically, participants engage in coursework focusing on social and behavioral sciences, global health and population, environmental science, career navigation, and statistics. A key component of our program is networking – participants form a group of mentors ranging from peers to faculty across the entire school who provide guidance, support, and connections. Students receive opportunities to interact with world-class faculty from across the school during evening lectures.
Programs at Harvard’s Affiliated Hospitals
Summer Research Trainee Program at Massachusetts General Hospital
The goal of the eight-week Summer Research Trainee Program (SRTP) is to provide underrepresented minority students with an overview of opportunities available in biomedical research and clinical medicine. Students are assigned to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) laboratories or clinical sites where they undertake original research projects and prepare presentations of their work under the mentorship of an MGH investigator. In addition to this research experience, students will attend weekly seminars, career development workshops, and networking events. The program is open to underrepresented minority students who have completed at least three years of college or who are first-year medical students; no prior research experience is necessary. US citizenship or permanent residency is required. Housing, meals, and a stipend are provided.
Summer Training in Academic Research and Scholarship Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
The STARS Program provides underrepresented minority (URM) undergraduate and first-year medical students with a strong interest in pursuing advanced careers as research scientists, physicians, and/or healthcare professionals with an opportunity to engage in basic, clinical, and translational research projects during an eight-week summer program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS). Interns participate in a research project under the supervision of an HMS faculty mentor. Additional activities include "Research 101" education and training sessions, social networking opportunities, weekly roundtables with BWH Faculty and the Office for Multicultural Faculty Careers, and community health center/clinic shadowing. US citizenship or permanent residency is required. Housing, travel, and a stipend are provided.
Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences at Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
The Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) program introduces Massachusetts high school and undergraduate students from underrepresented minority populations to cancer research. Each year, CURE selects several students to participate in full-time 8–12-week summer internships. Interns are assigned individual mentors, who oversee their research and offer guidance. In addition to working on a research project, participants benefit from various program activities, such as a comprehensive orientation, scientific research, and professional development seminars, journal club discussions, networking, and social events. Applicants must demonstrate an interest in pursuing a biomedical or health-related research career. Students receive a weekly stipend.
Brigham Research Institute Undergraduate Research Summer Internship Program
The Brigham Research Institute’s Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Program provides an excellent opportunity for undergraduates across the United States to gain a focused, challenging, and hands-on research experience in a basic science or clinical laboratory setting. Interns can choose from a wide variety of host labs doing exciting work in areas related to cardiovascular, immunology, musculoskeletal, neurobiology, and sex differences research. During the 10-week internship program, students can take advantage of educational and professional development offerings on the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School campuses as well as participate in a central curriculum associated with the program. Students will present their research findings in a mini-research symposium at the end of their training period.