Program at a Glance
The Mississippi INBRE Health Scholars program is a ten-week paid summer research internship for Mississippi undergraduate students. Health Scholars gain experience in public health-focused research.
The internship begins with a two-day orientation in Jackson, Mississippi. After orientation, students participate in a ten-week mentored research internship under one of three chosen faculty mentors.
Students select and rank three mentors by preference on the Health Scholars application, utilizing the Health Scholars Mentor Database. If the student is accepted to the program, Mississippi INBRE personnel will assign the student to one of the three chosen mentors. Student mentor assignment is based on multiple factors, including student preference, mentor’s current lab space/personnel openings at the time of application and mentor demand, among other variables.
During the ten-week internship, students develop an abstract based on the research they have conducted. At the conclusion of the program, Health Scholars create a research poster based on their abstract to present at the annual Mississippi IDeA/EPSCoR Conference (MIEC), held on the last day of the internship.
The Mississippi INBRE Health Scholars program is an excellent opportunity for students to gain research experience that enhances their competitiveness for graduate programs in the health sciences, nursing programs and medical school.
Accepted scholars will receive:
- Real-world research experience in a professional research setting
- Peer and faculty mentoring
- Ten weeks of hands-on training in scientific research process, methods and analysis
- Professional and personal development support toward graduation, advancement to graduate programs, and/or employment.
Award
$6500
Health Scholars receive an award of $6,500. This award is used to cover living expenses throughout the ten-week summer internship and to help pay for travel/registration expenses to present your research at required meeting. Students are expected to find housing in the nearby area of their assigned mentor’s institution.
During the orientation in Jackson, Mississippi, housing and meals will be provided.
Program Dates
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Application Opens: 10/23/2024
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Application Deadline: 2/7/2025 at 11:59 CST
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Orientation: 5/19 – 5/20/2025
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Mississippi IDeA/EPSCoR Conference: 7/24/2025
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Total Program Duration: 5/19 – 7/24/2025
Requirements
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Undergraduate Classification
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Current Enrollment at a Mississippi Predominately Undergraduate Institution
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Successful Completion of 30 Credit Hours of Coursework
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U.S. Citizenship
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Mississippi Residency
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Must be 18 Years of Age or Older
All Health Scholars are required to be undergraduate students over the age of 18, Mississippi residents, U.S. citizens, and to have completed 30 credit hours of coursework at their institution. In addition, students should be currently enrolled at a Predominately Undergraduate Institution (PUI) based in Mississippi. Students who will have completed 30 credit hours of coursework by the end of the spring semester prior to the start of the program are eligible to apply. Graduating seniors and graduate students are not eligible to apply. Applications from students who do not fit these requirements will not be considered for funding.
For the duration of the program, Health Scholars are expected to work hard, learn new research methods, develop interpersonal skills and build professional relationships. Students are required to present their summer research in a poster format at the annual Mississippi IDeA/EPSCoR Conference, held in late July each year. Students are also encouraged to present at the annual Mississippi Academy of Sciences meeting, but it is not required.
Applicants should be currently enrolled at a Predominately Undergraduate Institution (PUI) based in Mississippi:
- Alcorn State University
- Belhaven University
- Coahoma Community College
- Copiah-Lincoln Community College
- Delta State University
- East Central Community College
- East Mississippi Community College
- Hinds Community College
- Holmes Community College
- Itawamba Community College
- Jones College
- Meridian Community College
- Millsaps College
- Mississippi College
- Mississippi Delta Community College
- Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
- Mississippi University for Women
- Mississippi Valley State University
- Northeast Mississippi Community College
- Northwest Mississippi Community College
- Pearl River Community College
- Rust College
- Southwest Mississippi Community College
- Tougaloo College
- William Carey University
Choosing a Mentor
Applicants browse our mentor database (found below) and choose three mentors conducting research in a field of study which interests them. Applicants will then list their three chosen mentors on the Health Scholars application by order of preference. Mississippi INBRE personnel will assign one of the three chosen mentors to train the student.
Mississippi INBRE does not guarantee applicants will be assigned their first preferred mentor. Student mentor assignment is based on multiple factors, including student preference, mentor’s current lab space/personnel openings at the time of application and mentor demand, among other variables.
Please note that if the chosen mentor’s home institution is the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), accepted applicants are required to receive vaccinations to ensure the safety of patients at the medical center. These vaccinations will result in additional costs at the student’s expense.
If a desired mentor is a researcher working in public health but is not listed in the database, they are encouraged to contact msinbre@usm.edu to become an approved mentor for the Health Scholars program.
Application
To apply for the Health Scholars program, fill out the form below and attach your unofficial transcripts, resume/CV, and a personal narrative. Please be sure to enter the required information correctly as this will be crucial in notifying students of their award status.
The following items are required as part of the application process. Please be sure to follow the file naming scheme below:
- Unofficial Transcripts (file name: Lastname_Transcript)
- Resume/CV (file name: Lastname _Resume)
- Personal Narrative (file name: Lastname_ PersonalNarrative)
The personal narrative should include information about the student applicant, student’s academic and career goals, how participating in the Research Scholars program will support the student’s career aspirations, past research experience and any additional information that would be useful during the selection process. The narrative should be no more than 1 ½ pages. For more information about the narrative, please email msinbre@usm.edu.
Please note that Mississippi INBRE uses email as the primary form of communication for following up on application details as well as notification of acceptance or declination of student awards. All Mississippi INBRE staff are affiliated with The University of Southern Mississippi, and therefore will communicate via email from a usm.edu email address. Please make sure that our email communication is not being flagged to your junk mail folders.