Program at a Glance

The Mississippi INBRE Summer Research Scholars Program provides a nine-week summer research internships for Mississippi undergraduate students. Scholars receive hands-on research experience in a variety of scientific disciplines.

Scholars will spend the summer conducting research with a preceptor at The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) Hattiesburg campus.

The Mississippi INBRE Scholars Program is an excellent opportunity for undergraduates to gain research experience that enhances their competitiveness for graduate programs, post-baccalaureate education, and their careers. 

Summer Research Scholars

Summer Research Scholars conduct lab-based research with focuses on:

  • Biological Sciences
  • Chemistry
  • Data Science
  • Polymer Science

Award

The Mississippi INBRE Scholars program provides an award that totals $9,500.  This amount includes $6,500 award, on-campus housing and $3,000 for meals.

Benefits

  • Full-time research : Nine weeks – 40 hours a week
  • Real-world research experience
  • Peer and faculty preceptorship
  • Nine weeks of hands-on training in the research process, methods and analysis
  • Professional and personal development support toward graduation, advancement to graduate programs and beyond

Eligibility Requirements

Research Scholars
  • Undergraduate Classification 
  • Current Enrollment at a Qualifying Mississippi Higher Education Institution
  • U.S. Citizenship
  • Mississippi Residency
  • Must be 18 Years of Age or Older
  • Completion of Two Science Courses with a Lab Component by Program Start

All Scholars are required to be undergraduate students over the age of 18, Mississippi residents and U.S. citizens. In addition, students should be currently enrolled at a qualifying higher education institution based in Mississippi. See the full list of eligible institutions below.

Students who will have passed two science courses with a lab component or have completed 30 credit hours by the end of the spring semester prior to the start of the program are eligible to apply. Graduate students are not eligible to apply. Seniors are eligible to apply if they are graduating after the program ends. Applications from students who do not fit these requirements will not be considered for funding.

Qualifying Institutions

Applicants should be currently enrolled at one of the following higher education institutions in Mississippi:

  • Alcorn State University
  • Belhaven University
  • Blue Cliff College
  • Blue Mountain Christian 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

Program Dates

  • Application Opens:  November 1, 2026
  • Application Deadline: February 21, 2027
  • Reference Deadline : February 28, 2027
  • Orientation: May 30-31, 2027
  • Mississippi IDeA/EPSCoR Conference: TBD
  • Total Program Duration: May 30, 2027 thru July 31, 2027

Matching a Preceptor

Once accepted into the program, Scholars will browse our preceptor database (including potential projects the Scholar may participate in) and choose four preceptors conducting research in a field of study which interests them. Mississippi INBRE personnel will assign preceptors based on the students’ preferences and interests.

Mississippi INBRE does not guarantee applicants will be assigned their first preferred preceptor. Student preceptor assignment is based on multiple factors, including student preference, preceptor’s current lab space/personnel openings at the time of application, and preceptor demand, among other variables.

If a desired preceptor is a researcher working at USM but is not listed in the database, applicants are encouraged to contact msinbre@usm.edu.

The Internship Experience

During the nine-week internship, Scholars conduct research under the preceptorship of a faculty member at USM. Throughout this time, Scholars regularly attend lectures from experienced research professionals that explore potential post-graduation academic and career options. In addition, Scholars develop an abstract based on the research they have conducted. At the conclusion of the program, students create a research poster based on their abstract to present at the annual Mississippi IDeA/EPSCoR Conference (MIEC), a research conference held on the last day of the internship.

Application Process

To apply for one or both of the Scholars programs, complete and submit the application below prior to application close and attach your unofficial transcript(s), 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.

Following application close, Mississippi INBRE staff will begin scheduling interviews with prospective Scholars to learn more about the student’s potential fit within the program and gather additional information that may be useful in the selection process.

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 Scholars program will support the student’s career goals, student’s past research experience, and any additional information that would be useful during the selection process. The personal 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 application confirmation as well as notification of award status. 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.