Michigan State University Summer Undergraduate program in Plant Genomics

Don't rule this out if you are pre-med or not currently a plant person. You will learn lots of molecular biology and genetics which is valuable for anyone. Several Calvin students have participated in this program very successfully and have gone on to greater things in grad school and med school. As a result MSU wants more Calvin students for this program.

10 week paid summer internships are available for visiting undergraduate students, secondary science teachers, and faculty at primarily undergraduate-serving institutions. The goal of the program is to provide mentored research experiences in plant genomics and build relationships in the greater scientific community for visiting participants and the whole project team.

This program consists of coordinated activities with a variety of participants including guest faculty, secondary school teachers and undergraduate students. Faculty, postdoctoral associates, and graduate students will act as mentors for all visiting participants. Students will contribute to the project by working in the laboratory alongside their mentors, participate in group meetings and activities and attend weekly informal seminars and pizza lunches where participants and faculty will interact. At the end of the program, students will present short research project summaries of their work to the full project team.

Major funding for the program is provided by the National Science Foundation. In addition, participating laboratories, departments, and large projects like the study of the biochemistry and developmental biology of tomato glandular trichomes also help to support participants.

Compensation

Students will receive a stipend of $5,000 as well as free housing and meals on campus.

Apply

You must be a US citizen or permanent resident to apply. Students must be enrolled in a degree granting program with a relevant major and be entering their junior year or later. Students should not plan on taking any classes during the research program, as these are full-time positions.

Interested students should complete the application—(PDF format), (Microsoft Word format)—following directions carefully and completely. Incomplete or late applications are unlikely to be considered.

Questions / contact

• Email: plantgen@msu.edu
• Phone: (616) 517-844-6961