MU Alcohol Research Training Summer School (MU-ARTSS)
Opportunity Description:
The Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri (MU) hosts a diverse cadre of psychologists dedicated to research into the etiology and course of alcoholism and related disorders. MU-ARTSS professors represent a wide array of expertise in the science of alcohol and addiction including genetics, personality, psychopathology, social and affective neuroscience, and social network analysis. Students participating in the MU-ARTSS program are part of the larger MU Summer Undergraduate Research Program (MU-SURP) which hosts approximately 100 students from universities and colleges across the nation every year. All students MU-ARTSS participating in the program develop a research abstract and create a poster to present at the Summer MU Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Forum.
The MU-ARTSS program is structured into a week-long didactic program (June 2-June 8, 2022) providing an intensive introduction to alcohol research followed by an 8-week research internship (June 9-July 29, 2022) in the lab of a MU-ARTSS professor. The program is set up to provide an independent learning experience and offer the intern an opportunity to get a sense of a ‘grad school’ working environment. The internship is full-time with a stipend of $3,800. In addition, the University of Missouri will be providing room and board at no cost to the intern. However, travel costs are not covered and are the responsibility of the intern.
Interns will receive 1 hour of academic credit (course title: Special Problems in Psychology, Psych 2950) from the University of Missouri which is paid for by the program. If you would like to have your credit transferred to your academic institution, some educational institutions require prior approval before the start of an internship if students wish to count the credit hour towards their degree. Applicants should check with their institution regarding any such requirements before accepting an internship position. MU-ARTSS aims to increase the pipeline of scientists among minority and nonminority undergraduates who are interested in pursuing careers in alcohol research and is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA, R25AA023687), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Primary Responsibilities:
The summer program will contain four components:
- A week-long didactic program held in the Department of Psychological Sciences from June 2–June 8, 2022. Topics to be covered include both psychosocial and biomedical aspects of alcohol use and disorder, its causes, consequences and treatment.
- At the conclusion of the didactic program, MU-ARTSS students will be placed in internships from June 9-July 29, 2022 in the laboratories of addiction researchers housed (MU-ARTSS Lab Descriptions 2022) in the Department of Psychological Sciences at MU. Depending upon students' interests, students will be placed in laboratories that focus on one or more of the following areas: (a) human genetics, (b) behavioral pharmacology, (c) psychiatric epidemiology, (d) neuroimaging, and (e) statistical modeling. In these internships, students will work alongside other interns, graduate students, and faculty members to gain experience in contemporary alcohol research that will provide valuable experiences in preparation for graduate study. This experience will culminate in a formal presentation to MU-ARTSS interns, faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and a poster presentation at the Summer Undergraduate Research & Creative Achievements Forum.
- Weekly meetings with the MU-ARTSS group to update on the status of the project, professional development discussions, informal discussions on research topics led by faculty, postdoctoral and/or predoctoral fellows, and viewings and subsequent discussions of classic movies that portray the myriad of ways alcohol affects people’s lives.
- Structured activities as part of MU-SURP on campus, including seminars, training in the responsible conduct of research, and professional development.
Minimum Qualifications and/or Eligibility Requirements:
The program seeks applicants who demonstrate a strong interest in science and medicine. Applicants ideally must have completed 2 years of undergraduate work (exceptions may be made), with a B average or better in all coursework. It is desirable for students to have completed at least 2 courses (3 semester credit equivalents) in each of the following areas: a) behavioral or social sciences, b) biological sciences, and c) physical sciences/mathematics.
Acceptance into MU-ARTSS will be made on the basis of academic performance, overall breadth and depth of academic coursework to date, and recommendations. Seven students will be selected to participate.
Individuals who will have earned a baccalaureate degree by the summer of 2022 are not eligible to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Application Process:
Complete the following steps to apply:
- Complete and submit an Application form on our website.
- Request two Rating/recommendation form be submitted on our website from individuals familiar with the academic potential and performance of the applicant be submitted on the website.
- Email an unofficial academic transcript from currently enrolled institution to muartss@missouri.edu. NAME AND GPA must be included on the transcript.
- Email a resume or CV with current address and email, phone number, computer skills, and research software with which you are familiar to muartss@missouri.edu. Please indicate the type of research you are interested in exploring.
Application deadline: February 20, 2022. Applicants will be notified of decisions by March 20, 2022.