The Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) and the College of Chemical & Life Sciences, University of Maryland supports the independent research activities of talented undergraduate students under the direct supervision of a faculty investigator/mentor. The objectives of the program are to allow students to experience the investigative process, demonstrate their aptitude for research, develop a close collaboration with a faculty mentor, and strengthen their conviction in their career choice. The Undergraduate Fellowship program encourages the submission of applications from members of groups traditionally underrepresented in the sciences.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a not-for-profit medical research organization dedicated to basic biomedical research and education. The Institute provides grants to selected universities in support of undergraduate research in the biological sciences. The HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program funds research projects in all areas of biological science and in other disciplines as they relate to biology.

Program Description:
Fellowships offer support for independent student research for periods of up to one year. Fellows receive stipends of $1,200/semester and $2,600/summer (up to $5,000/year). Fellows are also eligible to receive up to $1,500/year to offset the costs of necessary research supplies. A limited number of dormitory spaces are available for those conducting research at the university during the summer. If the number of requests exceeds the number of rooms available, rooms will be awarded by lottery. Students awarded research fellowships are eligible to apply for Capstone Research Presentation awards, which support travel to professional meetings to present research findings.

Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis, based on the submission of a formal grant proposal. Proposal are evaluated by a panel of faculty members, which makes funding recommendations to the HHMI Program Director. Primary criteria for the evaluation of proposals are the feasibility of the study, clarity of the proposal, the academic preparation of the student, and the impact of the proposed research on the applicant's career development.

• Grade Point Average of >=3.0 (cumulative and in the sciences)
• Completion of 30 credits
• Completion of BIOL 106/105 and CHEM 103/113 or equivalent (students majoring in disciplines other than Biological Sciences may substitute appropriate introductory level science courses)
• Faculty sponsorship

HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellows are strongly encouraged, though not required, to participate in a departmental Honors program. Look here for more information about departmental Honors programs within the College of Chemical & Life Sciences.

At the conclusion of the HHMI fellowship period, students are required to submit a written report of the project to the HHMI Program Director. For students in departmental Honors programs, the Honors thesis may be submitted in lieu of a separate written report. All publications resulting from work supported by an HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellowship must include an acknowledgment approved by the HHMI.

Students supported as HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellows are not permitted to receive stipends from other sources while they are being paid as HHMI fellows. It is permissible to hold a second fellowship (e.g. Senior Summer Scholars or NIH training grant) or be paid as a research assistant in the mentor's lab provided that these are sequential rather than concurrent. Students receiving academic scholarships that provide funds solely for educational expenses (e.g. Banneker/Key or Presidential scholarships) are eligible to receive HHMI Fellowships. If you are uncertain as to whether you qualify for HHMI support, please contact Dr. Kaci Thompson, the Associate Program Director.

Mentors:
Mentors must be a member of the faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park. The student's research should be carried out primarily at UM and be under the direct supervision of the faculty member. If the mentor has a laboratory or research site located somewhere other than the UM campus, the student may conduct his/her research at that site. Mentors are expected to assist with the formulation of a project and the submission of a proposal, interact frequently with the student, supervise the student's research, assist with the preparation of a final written report to the HHMI Program Director, and, where applicable, provide advisement to the student during the writing and defense of an Honors thesis.

• Submit the online Application Form. Please note that we are experiencing some problems with this form, especially when it is accessed by many people simlutaneously. If you are unable to access the form, please send an email to mike@umd.edu with "HHMI application database" in the subject line and we will reset the database as quickly as possible.
• Send the proposal as an email attachment to HHMI@umd.edu. The proposal should be a single file in MS Word (.doc), Rich Text Format (.rtf) or Portable Data Format (.pdf) format. The name of the file should include the applicants last name. Proposals should consist of the following items in this order:
  1. Personal statement of applicant's long-term goals and the projected impact of the HHMI fellowship upon the attainment of those goals (1 page)
  2. Proposal abstract (200 words or less) describing the proposed research in terms easily understood by a non-specialist
  3. Proposal narrative (2-3 pages sinngel spaced, excluding references) describing the rationale for the proposed research, the methods to be used, and how results will be analyzed and interpreted
  4. Budget consisting of an itemized list of materials and supplies and a brief explanation of why these things are necessary for the completion of the proposed research
  5. Applicant's university transcript (unofficial student copy is sufficient; may be cut and pasted from Testudo)
  6. Applicant's curriculum vitae (listing education, jobs, internships, research experience, extracurricular activities, etc.)
• The following items should be submitted separately to HHMI@umd.edu by the mentor:
  1. Faculty mentor's curriculum vitae (maximum of 2 pages listing education, research interests, relevant publication, and current grant support)
  2. Faculty mentor letter of support that indicates the mentor's willingness to supervise the proposed research activities

• Submit the online Application Form. Please note that we are experiencing some problems with this form, especially when it is accessed by many people simlutaneously. If you are unable to access the form, please send an email to mike@umd.edu with "HHMI application database" in the subject line and we will reset the database as quickly as possible.
• Send the proposal as an email attachment to HHMI@umd.edu. The proposal should be a single file in MS Word (.doc), Rich Text Format (.rtf) or Portable Data Format (.pdf) format. The name of the file should include the applicants last name. Proposals should consist of the following items in this order:
  1. Proposal narrative (2-3 pages) summarizing the achievements of the previous fellowship term (including research findings, presentations and publications) and research plans for the upcoming fellowship term
  2. Budget consisting of an itemized list of materials and supplies, not to exceed $1,500.
  3. University transcript (unofficial student copy is sufficient)
  4. Faculty mentor letter of continued support (may be submitted separately by the mentor)

Application deadlines:
Proposals are evaluated in the spring and in the fall of each year. The upcoming deadlines are November 1 and March 1. New awards are announced approximately 6 weeks after submission deadlines.

For additional information, please contact:

Dr. Kaci Thompson, Associate Director HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program 1313 Symons Hall College of Chemical & Life Sciences University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 HHMI@umd.edu 301-405-3353

Proceed to Application Form